The poet of 'In The Bazaars of Hyderabad' talks about multiple products and the sellers in the bazaar of Hyderabad. The poem is in question-answer format, wherein the poet asks questions to vendors and merchants about what they are selling.
'In the Bazaars of Hyderabad' is an evocative poem, laden with images and visuals of brightly coloured objects that the vendors and hawkers of the bazaars of Hyderabad sell. The first stanza opens with the poet mentioning all the items that the merchants sell. The merchants sell :
- Turban of silver and crimson colour
- Tunics with purple embroidery
- Mirrors with panels of amber
- Daggers with handles of jade
The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is ABCBCB.
The second stanza lists the items offered by vendors, maidens, and peddlers.
- Vendors - People who usually have a cart or a stall; an impermanent structure
- Maidens - Young women; usually unmarried
- Peddlers - People walking about, selling different items
The vendors weigh saffron, lentil and rice on their weighing scales. The maidens grind up sandalwood, henna, and spice, so that the powder can be used and consumed by the customers. The peddlers sell pieces to play chess and dice made of ivory.
The rhyme scheme of the second stanza is ABCBCB.
The third stanza talks about the goldsmiths and the items they are selling. These include bracelets of gold that can be worn on the hands and feet, and rings to be worn on fingers. They also sell bells that can be tied to the feet of pigeons, and these bells are very delicate because of their size and weight. Apart from these, they also sell belts made of gold to the dancers (girdles) and special covering of swords (scabbards) for the king.
The rhyme scheme of the third stanza is ABCBDB.
There are fruit men too in the markets, selling oranges, pomegranate, and plum. The musicians sell sitar, sarangi, and drums. There are magicians who chant long spells that are supposed to be mystical in nature.
The rhyme scheme of the fourth stanza is ABCBCB.
Finally, in the last stanza, the poet talks about the flower girls. The objects they are waving are decorated with tassels of orange and red. They are weaving crowns of flowers for the groom to wear on his wedding along with flower arrangements to decorate his bed that he will share with his wife. They are also weaving together sheets of pure-white flowers to cover the corpses of those who have passed away.
The rhyme scheme of the fifth stanza is ABCBDB.