Couplet VIII

Zakhm gar dab gaya, lahoo na thama,
                             Kaam  gar  ruk  gaya  ravaa na huaa

The above quoted verse is the next verse of the ghazal 'Dard minnat kashey dawa na hua. Theintent of this verse is not very clear. Maybe I am unable to see beyond black and white. The meaning also is not very logical. In eveyday life we see that a wound if pressed oozes out blood in plenty. If it is anyhow supressed the question of blood using out does not arise.

According to Rahul Negi the explanation of both the lines is as given below:-

'If the wound was pressed, the blood did not stop. If the work was stopped, then it did not move on. This are not very approachable lines, here is my take on it. The poet says that when I press my wound, the blood should have stopped.  But it does not and the wound keeps bleeding. And if the work (the work of pressing the wound) was stopped then the blood itself stopped flowing through my body. There is no way out of the misery, either I bleed myself to death by pressing the wound or my blood stops flowing when I stop pressing my wound. In either case, I die!'

According to Ranjan Banerji of Ghazal-e-Ghalib.com the interpretation is as given hereunder:-

' If pressure is applied to a wound,the blood should stop flowing,but in this case it does not,

If my task is halted,it is stopped forever.

(I can not get any work done in the world,I can only continue to suffer,such is my destiny.)'

The explanation of Ranjan Banerji Saahab seems to be more plausible though the explanation of Rahul Negi Saahab is detailed.

Whatever the case, it seems to me that Ghalib is ruing over his failures in life alluding to a wound the blood from which does not stop even after pressing it and his inability to get uncompleted tasks completed (may be to the persisting nature of the wound.)

This wound which he has referred to maybe also taken to be the wound of separation from his beloved. Whenever Ghalib thinks of this aspect of his life he is rendered useless and cannot complete the tasks which he would like to be done, completed.