Ghazal 66, Verse 6

{66,6}

tum maah-e shab-e chaar-daham the mire ghar ke
phir kyuu;N nah rahaa ghar kaa vuh naqshaa ko))ii din aur

1) you were the (full) moon-of-the-fourteenth-night of my house
2) then why didn't that aspect/state of the house remain a few days more?

Notes:

naqshaa is really naqshah , with the spelling altered to reflect the rhyme.

*Platts Dictionary Online*

Nazm:

That is, after the night of the fourteenth, the moon remains for some days. Why did you suddenly vanish? (66)

== Nazm page 66

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, for my house, you played the part of the full moon. Through you my house remained illumined. If my words are false, then why, after you, has that state of my house not remained? Why did darkness spread in all four directions? The second aspect is that the full moon slowly, gradually declines and hides itself away; You vanished all at once from before my eyes-- what cruelty is this? (114-15)

Bekhud Mohani:

After the moon becomes full, for some days it declines, then gradually diminishes and vanishes. Mirza says, it was not the time for the decline of that moon. (148)

FWP:

SETS
HOME: {14,9}
NIGHT/DAY: {1,2}

For general comments on this most unusual ghazal, see {66,1}.

Beautiful beloveds are frequently called moons; Joseph in particular was the 'Moon of Canaan' (see {111,5} for an example).

'Arif, you were the light of my eyes, the full moon of my house-- but the full moon only gradually wanes over a period of many days, so why did you vanish so abruptly?' Ghalib's tone is one of reproach. Since the verse takes the viewpoint of the house, it laments a shocking, unwarranted change from total light to total darkness.

 

 

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