Ghazal 147, Verse 4x

{147,4x}

chashm-e ;xuubaa;N mai-farosh-e nashshah-zaar-e naaz hai
surmah goyaa mauj-e duud-e shu((lah-e aavaaz hai

1) the eye of beautiful ones is a wine-seller of the intoxication-garden of coquetry
2) collyrium is, {so to speak / 'speaking'}, a wave of smoke of the flame of a voice

Notes:

Zamin:

In nashshah-zaar , the zaar is for abundance. That is, the eye of beautiful ones is a wine-seller of the intoxication-place of coquetry; and collyrium, which is in her eyes, is that smoke of the flame of a voice. That is, in the state of intoxication, through the beloved's airs and graces, for her collyriumed eyes, winking/flickering, to express meaning, is pleasure-bringing (a wine-seller).

== Zamin, p. 354

Gyan Chand:

The eye of beautiful ones is selling the wine of the intoxication of coquetry; that is, through its coquetry it is creating the state of intoxication. In order to sell wine, it's necessary to call out. In the second line is a lofty level of beautiful delicacy of thought. From eating collyrium the voice gradually goes, but the poet established this very collyrium as a symbol for the voice. Collyrium depends on flame. They call the warmth and melodiousness of a voice the 'flame of the voice'.

The poet established collyrium as the wave of the smoke of the flame of a voice; that is, the collyrium of the eye has depended on absorption in the lamp of the voice; thus it is an embodied voice. What kind of voice? That of the wine of coquetry-selling. That is, the collyrium of the eye is nothing more than the expression of coquetry.

== Gyan Chand, p. 361

FWP:

SETS
EYES {3,1}
WINE: {49,1}

For background see S. R. Faruqi's choices. For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in {4,8x}. Raza presents this verse only as a variant.

For a discussion of collyrium, see {44,1}.

For a discussion of the connection that exists among smoke, wine, and intoxication, see Faruqi's discussion of {146,3x}.

The first line is full of heavily 'pre-poeticized' language, but not much is done with it. I really can't think of anything special to say about the verse. It certainly does seem less effective than its sibling, {147,1}, that was chosen for the published divan.