Ghazal 110, Verse 7

{110,7}*

karte ho mujh ko man((a-e qadam-bos kis liye
kyaa aasmaan ke bhii baraabar nahii;N huu;N mai;N

1) why do you forbid me to kiss your feet?
2) am I not equal even/also to the sky?

Notes:

man((a : 'Difficulty of access; prohibition, hindrance'. (Steingass p.1330)

Nazm:

[See his comment in {110,6}.]

== Nazm page 116

Bekhud Dihlavi:

Why am I forbidden to kiss your feet? His Excellency's footsteps went upon the sky-- is my rank even less than that of the sky? (166)

Bekhud Mohani:

[See his comment in {110,6}.]

FWP:

SETS == BHI == TRANSLATABLES
GRANDIOSITY: {5,3}
SKY {15,7}

For discussion of this verse as part of an informal three-verse set, see {110,5}.

The effect of the bhii in the second line is wonderfully evocative. What a tone of insultedness it conveys! Not to speak of being equal to truly great and impressive entities-- am I not equal even to minor ones? What an indignity! Am I not equal even to the sky? Or else (if we read bhii as 'also'), in view of all the other things I'm equal to, how could I not be equal to the sky as well?

For other verses that seem to be addressed to a divine Beloved, see {20,10}.