nah inshaa ma((nii-e ma.zmuu;N nah imlaa .suurat-e mauzuu;N
((inaayat-naamah'haa-e ahl-e dunyaa harzah-((unvaa;N hai;N
1) neither composition [with] the meaning of the theme; nor orthography [with] a well-measured aspect
2) the 'favor'-letters of the people of the world are nonsensically titled
inshaa : 'Writing, composition; the belle-lettres; elegance of style; style, diction'. (Platts p.93)
imlaa : 'Filling up, completing; inditing, writing correctly; orthography, dictation'. (Platts p.82)
harzah : 'Vain, futile, idle, frivolous, absurd, nonsensical; — s.m. Nonsense, twaddle; — trifles, bagatelles'. (Platts p.1225)
unvaa;N : 'Superscription, title, or title-page (of a book, &c.); preface; anything that serves as an indication (of another thing); that which is understood (by anything); — mode, manner'. (Platts p.766)
inshaa = To create; to create from the heart some new theme and write it down, which they call 'imagination'; 'meaning-creation'; in the terminology of grammar and logic, speech that would not bear truth or falsehood. That is, information [;xabar] would insist. 'Zaid went' is information, since it bears truth or falsehood. And 'Will Zaid go?' is inshaa [= inshaa))iyah], since in it there's no scope for falsehood or truth, it is a question. imlaa = To fill up; to write something from memory, or from someone's dictation; handwriting, calligraphy.
The point is that the favor-letters of the people of the world are entirely full of nonsense; neither are their themes themselves proper and correct, nor is their composition itself according to principles and rules. That is, the favor and kindness of the people of the world is not fit to be trusted.
In Persian a famous line is, ;xa:t ;Gala:t ma((nii ;Gala:t inshaa ;Gala:t imlaa ;Gala:t [writing incorrect, meaning incorrect, composition incorrect, orthography incorrect]. Ghalib has kept these very words in mind.
When the people of the world write letters, then they are in a nonsensical style. In them neither is the desired meaning expressed well and beautifully, nor is the composition of a proper form. How would such topsy-turvy favor-letters convey anything?
SETS == MUSHAIRAH; POETRY
WRITING: {7,3}
For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in {4,8x}. See also the overview index.
The first line offers a severe and sweeping technical critique of somebody's writing; of course under mushairah performance conditions we are made to wait as long as conveniently possible to find out whose literary craftsmanship is being so drastically impugned.
Even when we're allowed to hear the second line, as usual in such 'mushairah' verses the punch-word is withheld until the last possible moment. We've been waiting to hear more about the identity of that totally inept writer-- until we finally learn that the real problem is the 'title'-- or rather, the 'titles', which are apparently defective in a whole group of compositions. And then suddenly we realize-- the 'favor-letters' are the only such group available. And obviously their titles are defective because the so-called 'favor' shown by the 'people of the world' is so dubious and problematic.
The problem thus suddenly turns out to be ethical or moral, rather than simply literary. The people of the world write 'favor'-letters that do not convey the real meaning of the 'theme' (the favor) that they are writing about; nor are these letters 'well-measured' in their extravagant blandishments and promises. Perhaps that whole category of letters should just be given a new 'title' or name. Perhaps they should be called simply harzah-naamah ?
Compare {155,4x}, in which the people of the world are called harzah-gard .
Asi:
Why even ask about the condition of the favor-letters of the people of the world? All of their titles are nonsensical, futile, and vain. Neither is the composition proper, nor is the meaning well-measured, nor is the orthography correct.
== Asi, p. 175