1904] 
Bilgrami —Quatrains of Baba Tahir. 
44. 
9 
15 
1. Thou whose soft eyes are surma dyed, 
2. Thou whose flourishing stature (figure) is heart attracting, 
3. Thou whose musky hair (plaid) are on thy back, 
4. Why askest thou me “ Wherefore art thou confounded ?” 
In Raji toj~» and to = Persian toy* are used alike; 
but it is better to use the form toj^» here, to rhyme with the 
interrogative in the 4th line. The other words ^0^ and are the 
same as aud a**.** is not the 2nd person singular, as the 
M 
translator remarks on page 50, but the 3rd person singular alluding to 
the eyes; h* toj»» means surma rubbing or surma dyed, and not 
“shadowed.” The word &L» is derived from to grind, to rub, 
and does not mean “ shadow.” Mr. Browne’s rendering is perfectly 
correct; the poet in another Quatrain of which I remember only two 
lines, says : ^ ^^ <^1? tjfl 
‘ Why askest thou me, “ Wherefore art thou without name or shame.” 
Whosoever is a lover, what is name and shame to him.’ The poet means 
that when you have such ravishing eyes, such a lovely figure, and such 
musk-scented (or may be musk-coloured) hair, it is strange to ask me 
why I am confounded ; that is, with all these forces arrayed against me 
it is difficult for me to keep myself safe. 
45. 
1. How pleasant it is when love is reciprocal, 
2. Because one-sided friendship is a trouble ; 
3. If Majnun had a distracted heart, 
4. Leila’s heart was still more distracted. 
In the 1st line is the correct word, as it means “how,” whiles 
means “whereas” or “because.” Mr. Browne is right regarding the 
use of the word j] fovj& in the same line. 
* 
46. * > - » 
1. Come one evening and illumine my chamber ; 
2. Do not leave me in the affliction of the day of separation. 
3. By the pair of thy eyebrow’s arches I swear, 
4. That I am yoked to grief since I am separated from thee. 
The 4th line of Mr. Allen’s edition will not scan properly, and should 
be instead of 
It is strange that in the note on this line, page 52, Mr. Allen gives 
• Jr* does not mean “ fever ” here but “ thou ” or rather “ thee ” 
after y. 
