Ghazal 171, Verse 4x

{171,4x}

hu))aa hai maan((a-e ((aashiq-navaazii naaz-e ;xvud-biinii
takalluf bar-:taraf aa))iinah-e tamyiiz ;haa))il hai

1) it has become a forbidder of lover-cherishing, the coquetry/pride of self-regard
2) {leaving aside formality / 'to tell the truth'}, the mirror of judgment is a hinderer/hindrance

Notes:

navaazii : 'Caressing, soothing; cherishing; — clemency; courtesy; kindness'. (Platts p.1158)

 

naaz : 'Blandishment, coquetry, playfulness, amorous playfulness, feigned disdain; dalliance, toying; fondling, coaxing, soothing or endearing expression; — pride, conceit, consequential airs, whims'. (Platts p.1114)

 

tamiiz : '[for A. تمييز tamyīz, inf. n. ii of ميز 'to separate,' &c.] Discernment, judgment, discrimination, distinction, discretion, sense'. (Platts p.337)

 

;haa))il : 'Intervening, interposing; preventing, hindering, restraining; — one who or a thing which interrupts, or prevents, preventer, hinderer; hindrance, obstacle, impediment'. (Platts p.474)

*Platts Dictionary Online*

Asi:

The beloved's pride/coquetry in her ego and self-regard has become a forbidder of lover-cherishing, and the mirror of judgment is a hindrance in between. That is, her considering that he is a lover, and the growth of pride in this, is doing the work of a hindering mirror.

== Asi, p. 225

Zamin:

tamiiz , tamyiiz = The recognition of good and evil. That is, the reason for her not doing lover-cherishing is that while looking in the mirror she has become arrogant over her own beauty-- or rather, put it like this: the mirror has caused her to recognize the worth of her beauty.

== Zamin, p. 336

Gyan Chand:

The meaning of 'self-regard' is arrogance, to see all the excellences in herself. In a dictionary sense, in order to see oneself a mirror is necessary. Here, he has embodied the mirror of wisdon and judgment. Some beautiful one is looking in the mirror, and if the lover would be seated before her, then between the lover and the beautiful one the mirror will be a hindrance to sight. The beloved, because of self-regard, shows pride/coquetry; she considers herself very grand. Thus she pays no attention to the lover. So to speak, the mirror of her consciousness of self-regard is an obstruction between her and the lover.

== Gyan Chand, p. 343

FWP:

SETS == PETRIFIED PHRASES
MIRROR: {8,3}

For background see S. R. Faruqi's choices. This verse is NOT one of his choices; I thought it was interesting and have added it myself. For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in {4,8x}.

For discussion of takalluf bar-:taraf , see {65,1}. Initially it registers as a petrified phrase, with a general 'to tell the truth' effect. But if the lover is alone with the beloved, and literally 'puts aside formality', then he finds the mirror to be an obstacle to sight, as Gyan Chand suggests, and also an obstacle to his 'informally' approaching her. If it's an actual physical mirror, then it can be an actual physical barrier: she's ensconced behind it, coquettishly or arrogantly absorbed in it, perhaps even deliberately using it as a barricade.

Alternatively, the 'mirror of judgment' might be partly metaphorical: it might impede the lover's hopes by causing the 'self-regarding' beloved to form an unduly-- or, even worse, duly-- high opinion of her own beauty and merits. Thus the mirror would offer her advice: it would, in effect, 'forbid' her to waste her beauty on the humble, commonplace lover who has nothing but devotion to offer, when she could and should do so much better.

In short, the 'mirror of judgment' is a hybrid concept, designed to flip readily back and forth between a physical and a metaphorical mode. In this respect it's like the 'foot of stability' in {152,3}.

Note for meter fans: To make the second line scan, it's necessary to read tamyiiz , rather than the normal tamiiz . Ghalib seems to be using an esoteric Arabicized spelling (see the definition above).

 

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