203_01

{203,1}

yād hai shādī meñ bhī hangāmah-e yā rab mujhe
subḥah-e zāhid huʾā hai ḳhandah zer-e lab mujhe

1) even/also in joy I remember the clamor/tumult of 'oh Lord!'

2a) a quiet/'under the lip' laugh/smile has become the prayer-beads of the Ascetic, to me
2b) the prayer-beads of the Ascetic have become a quiet/'under the lip' laugh/smile, to me

Notes:

hangāmah : 'A convention, an assembly, a meeting; a crowd; --noise, tumult, commotion, confusion, uproar; sedition, disturbance, disorder; an affray; assault'. (Platts p.1238)

ḳhandah : 'Laughing, smiling; a laugh; laughter; --a laughing-stock'. (Platts p.494)

zer-e lab : 'Under the lip, slightly uttered, inarticulate, mumbled; in an under-tone, in a whisper, softly; inarticulately'. (Platts p.620)

*Platts Dictionary Online*

Nazm:

The meaning of yā rab in Persian idiom is that of a cry to the Lord for help, and by the prayer-beads of the Ascetic is meant the hidden 'zikr' that is done very softly on the lips. He says that even in joy I haven't forgotten the clamor of yā rab ; my hidden smile is as if it's the prayer-beads of the Ascetic. (228)

== Nazm page 228

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, 'Even in joy I remember the clamor of yā rab . Even my smile is as if it's the Ascetic's hidden zikr.' The meaning is that in no state do I remain heedless of remembering God. (285)

Bekhud Mohani:

The word bhī is full of meaning. That is, I used always to lament anyway; nowadays some additional distresses have come upon me, the deep impression of which is still on the heart. Even in a state of happiness, when the image of those distresses appears before me, as it often does, with that thought I writhe and begin to call on the Lord. So when this is my state in the clamor/tumult of joy, it can be guessed what kind of difficulties and troubles those must be, and what state my heart must be in. (402)

FWP:

SETS == SYMMETRY
ISLAMIC: {10,2}
SMILE/LAUGHTER: {27,4}

Here's a classic verse of 'symmetry', with two readings of the striking second line, each of which works elegantly, though of course differently, with the first line. Does the ḳhandah here refer to a 'laugh', or a 'smile'? The juxtaposition with the 'clamor, tumult' in the first line may suggest quiet laughter, while the curving necklace of prayer-beads (I'm avoiding the specifically Catholic term 'rosary') can readily be compared to a smile.

In either case, the two main readings generated by the 'symmetry' of the second line work well with both:

=(2a) A small, private smile/laugh has become, to the speaker, the Ascetic's prayer-beads-- because what the Ascetic does with his prayer-beads, the speaker does with his private 'zikr'-embodying smile/laugh. That is, even when smiling/laughing in (the appearance of) joy, he is really engaged in prayer.

=(2b) The Ascetic's prayer-beads have become a small, private laugh/smile to the speaker-- because the thought of the ostentatious outward piety of the Ascetic, who makes a great show of using his prayer-beads, amuses him. Unlike the Ascetic, the speaker can and does remember the Lord even in seemingly distracting or discordant circumstances.

Another ḳhandah that is zer-e lab appears in {255x,5}.