Ghazal 21, Verse 2

Nazm:

That is, having heard of my condition, how long will you go on putting me off by saying 'What? What?' After all, what is your purpose in this practice of ignorance? (22)

== Nazm page 22

Vajid:

Urdu text: Vajid 1902 {21}

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, when you look, you make use of a practice of ignorance/indifference. After all, what's your inner intention? That is, at everything you say 'What?'-- you don't listen to or understand anything. (44)

Bekhud Mohani:

If your purpose in this practice of ignorance is that I would become irritated and wash my hands of my passion for you, then you should be disabused of that error. (52)

FWP:

SETS == DIALOGUE; KAHAN; KYA

This verse is a second, supererogatory opening-verse.

A flirtatious verse; it uses the same kinds of kyaa multivalence as {21,1}, but deploys them in a more limited setting. The kyaa kyaa may be a direct quotation from the beloved, as the commentators maintain, and in that case it perfectly captures her (show of?) disdain and indifference.

But it might also be a general characterization of the beloved's negligent, indifferent behavior, her self-presentation or 'custom, practice, art' [peshagii] and other mischievous airs and graces, since after all her coquetry is 'head-to-foot' [saraapaa]. I couldn't resist using the excellent Arkansan 'what-all', since it so well captures the range of kyaa kyaa .

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