Citation : Singh AR (2024). The Agony of the Half Drawn Arrow. In :Ghalib, Psychology and Human Behaviour - 2 (A.R Singh and S.A Singh Eds), Mens Sana Monogr; 22:1. pg 54-55
کوئی میرے دل سے پوچھے ترے تیر نیم کش کو
یہ خلش کہاں سے ہوتی جو جگر کے پار ہوتا
कोई मेरे दिल से पूछे तेरे तीर-ए-नीम-कश को
ये ख़लिश कहाँ से होती जो जिगर के पार होता
ko.ii mere dil se puuchhe tere tiir-e-niim-kash ko
ye KHalish kahaa.n se hotii jo jigar ke paar hotaa
(DG 21:4:126)
Meaning
Someone should ask my heart about your half-drawn arrow
That pain would not have been, if it had pierced the liver through and through
Explanation/Comment:
Ghalib is describing a very piquant situation.
Have you seen a half drawn arrow? It pierces, but remains stuck there.
Some relationships are like that. You are stuck. It’s like being pierced by such a half drawn arrow.
If it were to pass through, you would be relieved. For it’s over and done with.
But you are in a ‘She loves me – She loves me not’ state. Hung in the balance.
Ghalib says the pain would have been severe, but would have subsided had the arrow passed through and through.
It’s the half drawn arrow that’s stuck that causes the greatest pain.
Even a piece of straw stuck in your tooth makes you restless till its out.
Similar are some relationships in which someone makes the other hang in the balance. The person just isn’t sure you love or you do not love.
Ghalib must have probably passed through such a painful state to describe this delicate phenomenon.
Equally importantly, by describing this, he is cautioning us from treating someone this way. Or to realise if someone is treating us in this manner.
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Citation : Singh AR (2024). The Agony of the Half Drawn Arrow. In :Ghalib, Psychology and Human Behaviour - 2 (A.R Singh and S.A Singh Eds), Mens Sana Monogr; 22:1. pg 54-55
کوئی میرے دل سے پوچھے ترے تیر نیم کش کو
یہ خلش کہاں سے ہوتی جو جگر کے پار ہوتا
कोई मेरे दिल से पूछे तेरे तीर-ए-नीम-कश को
ये ख़लिश कहाँ से होती जो जिगर के पार होता
ko.ii mere dil se puuchhe tere tiir-e-niim-kash ko
ye KHalish kahaa.n se hotii jo jigar ke paar hotaa
(DG 21:4:126)
Meaning
Someone should ask my heart about your half-drawn arrow
That pain would not have been, if it had pierced the liver through and through
Explanation/Comment:
Ghalib is describing a very piquant situation.
Have you seen a half drawn arrow? It pierces, but remains stuck there.
Some relationships are like that. You are stuck. It’s like being pierced by such a half drawn arrow.
If it were to pass through, you would be relieved. For it’s over and done with.
But you are in a ‘She loves me – She loves me not’ state. Hung in the balance.
Ghalib says the pain would have been severe, but would have subsided had the arrow passed through and through.
It’s the half drawn arrow that’s stuck that causes the greatest pain.
Even a piece of straw stuck in your tooth makes you restless till its out.
Similar are some relationships in which someone makes the other hang in the balance. The person just isn’t sure you love or you do not love.
Ghalib must have probably passed through such a painful state to describe this delicate phenomenon.
Equally importantly, by describing this, he is cautioning us from treating someone this way. Or to realise if someone is treating us in this manner.