Every beauty throngs to thee, by propinquity, in all candor
I only accede to tyranny, so a rival raise thy dander
I only accede to tyranny, so a rival raise thy dander
Ghalib wrote this when he was about 19
sitam-kash maṣlaḥat se hūñ kih ḳhūbāñ tujh pah ʿāshiq haiñ
takalluf bar-t̤araf mil jāʾegā tujh-sā raqīb āḳhir
takalluf bar-t̤araf mil jāʾegā tujh-sā raqīb āḳhir
1) I am oppression-accepting from advice/prudence, for beautiful ones are your lovers
2) {leaving aside formality / 'to tell the truth'}, a Rival like you will become available [to me] finally
2) {leaving aside formality / 'to tell the truth'}, a Rival like you will become available [to me] finally
The commentators, and Prof Pritchett herself, take Raqib as 'rival in love' and neglect its other meaning, when applied to God, as protector as in the phrase 'Allah raqib'.
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