Ghazal 176, Verse 4

Nazm:

Having written a letter, we feel so much ardor for a reply to it that we arrive at her door before the Messenger. (197)

== Nazm page 197

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, 'Having written a letter, such a heartfelt ardor is born for a reply to it that we arrive at the beloved's door even before the Messenger'. (256)

Bekhud Mohani:

The madness of our ardor too is worthy of praise, that we always arrive at the beloved's door before the Messenger. That is, our ardor has now arrived at the level of madness. (347)

FWP:

SETS
MADNESS: {14,3}
WRITING: {7,3}

The commentators are sure that the verse evokes only one situation, but actually it's pretty open-ended. There are several things that could be going on:

=The beloved has summoned a Messenger because she wishes to send someone a letter; the lover responds to the summons even faster than the Messenger can.

=Somebody unknown has sent a Messenger with a letter to the beloved; the lover is lying in wait by her door to intercept him.

=The Messenger will be admitted to the presence of the beloved, and the lover hopes somehow to pretend to be with him.

=The lover now feels that his own letter is insufficient to his passion, and he wishes to correct or supplement it before it's shown to the beloved.

Of course, all these are bizarre and somewhat mad kinds of behavior-- but then, that's exactly what the first line is calling on us to notice: the lover's 'madness of ardor'.

For another case study of crazy eagerness in connection with the Messenger, see {46,4}.