Ghazal 196, Verse 9x

{196,9x}

jis dil meñ kih tā-bakai samā jāʾe
vāñ ʿizzat-e taḳht-e kai nahīñ hai

1) the heart in which 'till when? to what extent?' would be contained/settled--
2) there, there's no esteem/honor for the throne of Kai [Kavus]

Notes:

tā ba-kai : 'Till what time? to what extent? to what length? when? how much? how many?'. (Platts p.303)

 

samānā : 'To be contained or held (in, - meñ ), to go or get (in or into), to enter (in or into), to fit (in); to take up room fill or occupy space'. (Platts p.672)

 

ʿizzat : 'Might, power, grandeur, glory, honour, dignity, respect, esteem, reputation, good name'.

 

kai : 'A king, or a great king (esp. a king of Persia of the Kyanian dynasty): — kai-ḳhusrav , yrus the great, king of persia: kai-kāvas , or kai-kāʾūs , 'Just or noble king'; name of a king of Persia'. (Steingass p.887)

FWP:

SETS

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 For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in {4,8x}.

Persian kings of the the semi-mythological Kayanian dynasty were the heroes of the great Iranian epic the Shah-namah. One of them, Kai Kavus, was famously said to have a flying throne. But of course, to the person with tā ba-kai in his heart, such spectacular perks are about as impressive as the flicker of a firefly.

This verse about the transience of worldly glory (or of worldly life in general) can hardly help but evoke Shelley's Ozymandias.

 

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