kyaa kiyaa ;xi.zr ne sikandar se
ab kise rah-numaa kare ko))ii
1a) what Khizr
did to Alexander--
1b) what did Khizr do
2) now whom would anyone take as a guide?
*Platts Dictionary Online*
'What he did'-- that is, he did nothing at all. Now one
ought not to trust anyone. (245)
== Nazm page 245
In this verse is an allusion to the famous story of Khizr
and Alexander. Hazrat Khizr had taken Alexander to the fountain of the Water
of Life. Alexander saw that around the fountain many men were lying like slabs
of meat, unable to walk or move, rise or sit. He didn't drink the Water of
Life. He says, what help did Khizr give Alexander? Despite his guidance, Alexander
came back deprived of the Water of Life, and after a very brief period departed
from the earth. Now, as if anyone would make anybody a guide! (304)
Hazrat Khizr had guided Alexander to the fountain of Darkness
[;zulmaat]. But then, through the command of the Lord,
he vanished. 'Khizr' is the name of a prophet, who always guides those who
have lost their way. Alexander was a king of Greece, and the conqueror of
the seven continents....
Mirza had only this to say, that in the world no one is worthy
to be entrusted with the lofty service of guiding. He said it-- and said it
in such a way that eloquence [balaa;Gat] prostrates
Stories differ about exactly what happened between Khizr
and Alexander with regard to the Water of Life, but everybody agrees that
in the end Khizr drank it, and Alexander didn't. Now we're asked to meditate
on their relationship, and to draw what seem to be radical conclusions from
=Khizr has proved to be an untrustworthy guide, so now whom
should anyone get to replace him?
=Alexander was betrayed by his guide, so now everybody must be cautioned not
to fall into the same trap as Alexander
=Alexander was able to have a guide no less distinguished than Hazrat Khizr
himself-- but nowadays, who can trust anybody to be a guide?
=Because Khizr so famously and archetypally betrayed Alexander, now nobody
can trust anybody to be a reliable guide
Note for meter fans: The words kyaa
and kiyaa look identical of course. Isn't it pleasant
to have the meter at our service? Nothing else can so instantly and reliably
serve to tell them apart.