Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-living), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu composed this in 1969 for Ghalib centennial and recited it at a function in vigyaan bhavan. His biting criticism of the hypocrisy of the government towards urdu is very similar to sahir ludhianavi’s nazm which sahir recited in front of indira gandhi.
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text=” aaj bhi Ghalib¹ hai sub par Ghalib-e jaadu bayaaN²
us ki boli, us ka lahja³, us ki lai⁴, us kii zabaaN    
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Khusrav¹-e iqleem²-e urdu, e’tebaar³-e bazm⁴-e she’r
mustanad⁵ hai ilm-o-fun⁶ meN, us ka shak⁷, us ka gumaaN⁸       1.king 2.realm 3.standard to be measured against 4.gathering, society 5.certified, credible, dependable 6.knowledge and skill/mastery 7.skepticism 8.doubt
The emperor of urdu, setting standards for the mushaa’era. His knowledge and mastery (of language and verse), his skepticism towards orthodoxy and outdated practice are what we can depend on/believe.
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vo ameen¹-e mo’tabar² ganjeena³-e tahziib⁴ ka
sau baras se dahr⁵ meN jis ka raha sikka ravaaN⁶      1.trustee 2.dependable 3.treasure house 4.culture 5.world 6.current, flowing
He is the dependable trustee of the treasure house of culture whose coin/words have had currency in this world for hundred years.
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vo siraat¹-e turki² o hindi, mizaaj³-e Khusravi⁴
vo faqeeri⁵ bhes⁶ meN ek kaj-kulaah⁷-e KhusravaaN   1.(connecting) pat 2.central asian region including present day Turkey to Western China 3.nature, demeanor 4.royal 5.pauper, beggarly 6.clothing 7.tilted cap – sometimes a metaphor for defiance and others a sign of grandeur/majesty
Connecting the traditions of samarqand and hindostan with royal demeanor. He declared his grandeur even in beggarly garb.
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sau tamavvul¹ us ke sadqe², zo’f-e-zar³ us pe nisaar⁴
taNg-dasti⁵ meN bhi us ki saKht-jaani⁶ al-amaaN⁷       1.wealth 2.sacrificial offering 3.weakness/greed for gold 4.sacrifice 5.tight-fist i.e. penury 6.hard life, struggle for survival 7.may god protect us
zo’f normally means weakness/old age but the only way I can interpret and make sense of zo’f-e zar is to consider it to be weakness/greed for gold. All wealth and desire/weakness for wealth be sacrificed in your name. You struggled so much to survive in the face of penury. May god protect you/us.
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jis tarah us ne guzaari¹ zindagi tha us ka zarf²
us ka dil, us ka jigar, us ka kaleja, us ki jaaN     1.passed 2.capacity
The difficulties in which he spent his life, only his capacity could withstand. Only the strength of his heart and soul could bear.
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vo raha bad-zauqi¹-e ahbaab² ka barsoN³ qatiil⁴
vo phira burhaan⁵ lekar kaarvaaN dar kaarvaaN      1.poor taste 2.friends 3.years 4.victim, target 5.wisdom, also see qaat’a-e burhaan
For years he was the victim of the poor taste of friends/contemporaries. He went from door to door bearing words of wisdom (but no one appreciated). This also has allusion to a small book of literary criticism called “qaat’a-e burhaan”, (cutting/criticizing burhaan), that Ghalib wrote towards the end of his life. It was severely criticized and caused him much pain.
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jab mile alqaab¹-e shaahi haif² shaahi uTh gayii
shahpar³-e taaj-e zafar⁴ sub uR gaye saahibqiraaN⁵       1.titles, honours 2.alas 3.main wing 4.bahadur shah zafar 5.king of the age/times
When he finally received titles and honours from the king, monarchy disppeared. The wings of flight of the crown of bahadur shah zafar, the king of the times, were plucked. Ghalib himself wrote …

aye zafar jab ke mili fursat-e gul-gasht hameN

na raha gul ka sar-e daaman-e gulzaar nishaaN

O, zafar, as soon as I got a chance for stroll in the garden

There was no trace left of the rose in the field of the garden
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go¹ nayii qadroN² ka us ne Khair-maqdam³ bhi kiya
par uroos⁴-e kaamraani⁵ se raha daaman-kashaaN⁶        1.even though 2.values 3.welcome 4.bride 5.victory/recognition 6.pulled/withdrawn skirt
Even though you embraced new values, recognition still eluded you, like a bride pulling away her skirt.
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qarz ka piita raha, hota raha dil shefta¹
saikRoN tufta² hue is baab³ meN aazurda⁴ jaaN       1.mad, losing senses, also pen-name of a shaagird/friend nawab mustafa KhaaN shefta 2.burnt, also pen-name of shaagird/friend munshi hargopal tufta 3.chapter, phase 4.offended, sad also pen-name of shaagird/friend mufti sadruddin aazurda
He borrowed money to drink and lost his senses. Thousands were burnt during this chapter and felt offended and sad. Ghalib himself wrote …
qarz ki piite the mai laikin samajhte the ke haaN
raNg laavegi hamaari faaqa-masti ek din
Taking loans I drink wine but understand that
Some day this recklessness will hold me to account
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Ghuncha¹-e dil khil na paaya jab riyaaz²-e dahr³ meN
b’aad⁴-e murdan⁵ mil gayi daad⁶-e suKhan⁷, daad-e bayaaN⁸     1.unopened bud 2.garden 3.world 4.after 5.death 6.praise 7.verse 8.writings
When the desires of heart (unopened bud) could not be fulfilled (bloom) in the garden of this world, then, after death he received recognition and praise for his verse.
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duur hoNToN se raha go¹, jur’a²-e “aab-e hayaat”³
purshish⁴-e ahvaal⁵-e haali⁶ se suu⁷-e jaan-e jahaaN    1.though 2.gulp, sip 3.elixir of (eternal) life, also title of a book by mohammed husain aazaad 4.inquire after 5.conditions, well being 6.present, also altaaf husain haali, an admirer of Ghalib who wrote several books on him 7.towards
This alludes to the book “aab-e hayaat” written by aazaad who carried over the rivalry between zauq and Ghalib. aazaad was a shaagird of zauq and in the book he does not give appopriate treatment to Ghalib. Thus, the sip of elixir stayed away from lips, though the loving inquiry of haali brought it towards the soul of the world i.e. restored some well deserved justice to Ghalib.
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us ko hona tha bil-aaKhir¹ bulbul-e gulzaar²-e she’r
qumriyaaN³ ta ba abad⁴ jis ki rahiN ratb-ul-lisaaN⁵    1.ultimately, inevitably 2.garden 3.doves 4.eternity, doomsday 5.fresh/moist on lips, always on lips
Inevitably he (Ghalib) had to be recognized as the bulbul of the garden of verse. Doves constantly sang songs of him.
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shohrat¹-e she’ram² ba geti b’aad³-e man Khwaahad-shudan⁴
ho gaya saabit⁵ Khud us ke qaul⁶ se us ka bayaaN⁷      1.fame 2.my couplets 3.after 4.will be 5.proved, established 6.words, quote 7.saying
The first misra is a direct quote of Ghalib’s she’r …
kaukabam ra dar adam auj-e qubooli booda ast
shohrat-e she’ram ba geti b’aad-e man Khwaahad shudan
My star has been at the peak of acceptance in the world of imagination
After me my verse will become famous on earth too
Thus says gulzar, his own words prove him right.
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ho gaya saabit¹ vatan meN aaj Khud us ka suKhan²
naamasaa’ad³ daur⁴ meN bhi chha gaya us ka bayaaN    1.proved 2.words 3.unfavourable 4.times, realm
His words are proven right in the homeland. In spite of the unfavourable times/realm his verse has spread/engulfed the homeland.
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matla-e-saani¹ ne laikin saaf-matla² kar diya
ho gayii saari haqiiqat³ jashn⁴-e Ghalib ki ayaaN⁵      1.second line/hemistich of a she’r 2.an expression meaning clear the air/sky, reveal the real meaning 3.truth 4.celebration 5.apparent, revealed
The second hemistich (of the following she’r) clears the air. The real truth/purpose behind the celebration of Ghalib is exposed. Also see sahir ludhianavi and maKhdoom for the same sentiment.
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haif¹ bar² tadbiir³-e ahl⁴-e qismat⁵-e hindostaaN
bechte haiN laash⁶-e Ghalib kaaT kar us ki zabaaN⁷     1.fie, shame 2.on 3.scheme, conspiracy 4.people of, keepers of 5.fate, future 6.corpse 7.tongue, language
Shame of the conspiracy of the people who shape the future of hindostan. They sell the corpse of Ghalib, cutting of his tongue/suppressing his language.
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aaj bhi gulzaar¹-e dilli shaa’er-e sho’la-bayaaN²
mulk bhar meN hai uRaata parcham-e urdu zabaaN       1.pen name of poet 2.fiery speech/verse
Even today, gulzar of dehli, the poet of fiery verse, unfurls the flag of urdu all over the homeland.