Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869). I dare not write any introduction. On more than one occasion Ghalib has warned his readers that he needs no introduction or even address. I humbly comply. This Ghazal is dated 1822 when Ghalib was still in the phase of composing complex verse. It is linked to ‘Ghalib naqsh-e qadam’ along with others composed by later shu’ara in the same radeef/qaafiya.
1
saadagi¹ par us ki mar jaane ki hasrat² dil meN hai
bas³ nahiN chalta keh phir Khanjar kaf⁴-e qaatil⁵ meN hai   1.simplicity 2.longing 3.control, will 4.palm, hand 5.killer, beloved
The heart desires to die at her simplicity, but I have no control because once again the dagger is the hands of the beloved. (a) the simplicity of the beloved is simplicity of mind. She thinks that she needs a dagger to kill, when looks are enough. But now that she has a dagger in her hand, his preferred mode of dying may be at her hands, so he is helpless and has to wait. (b) how can I kill myself, she controls the dagger.
2
dekhna taqriir¹ ki lazzat² keh jo us ne kaha
maiN ne ye jaana³ keh goya⁴ ye bhi mere dil meN hai   1.speech, recitation 2.pleasure 3.understood, realized 4.as if, also means speaking
If ‘taqriir’ is reciting verse and the speaker is the poet himself, he recites such profound verse that the listener not only is convinced but realizes that these thoughts have been speaking/reverberating in his heart too. He comes to own the thought. If the speaker/the ‘us ne kaha’ is the beloved then the poet/lover takes such pleasure in hearing it that he feels as if they are also in his heart – also, because she is already in his heart and her words are in addition to her.
3
garche¹ hai kis kis buraaii² se vale³ baa-iN-hama⁴
zikr⁵ mera mujh se behtar⁶ hai keh us mahfil⁷ meN hai    1.even if 2.disparage, insults 3.yet 4.in spite of all this 5.mention, description 6.better 7.gathering
Even if it is laden with many insults, yet, in spite of all this, talk about me is better than me, because it is in her gathering. I am worse because I have no access to that gathering. There is a kind of glum satisfaction – at least she is talking about me even if in a disparaging way.
4
bas¹ hujoom²-e na-umidi³ Khaak⁴ meN mil jaa’egi
ye jo ek lazzat⁵ hamaari saii⁶-e be-haasil⁷ meN hai    1.stop, enough 2.crowding, onslaught 3.hopelessness, despair 4.dust 5.pleasure 6.effort 7.without gain, fruitless
Stop O onslaught of despair otherwise it will be trampled into dust. What will be trampled into dust? This one thing that I take great pleasure in – my fruitless effort. What is this fruitless effort – search for the beloved, search for the perfect words, search for the perfect she’r. Ghalib has spoken about the fruitlessness of trying to convert his thoughts into words.
Ghalib nabuvad sheva-e man qaafiya bandi
zulmiist ke bar kilk o varaq meekunam imshab
O, Ghalib, it is not my practice to do word-smithing
It is cruelty that I visit on pen and paper tonight
5
raNj-e-rah¹ kyuN khiNchiye² vaamaandagi³ ko ishq-hai⁴
uTh nahiN sakta hamaara jo qadam⁵ manzil⁶ meN hai   1.pain of going on the path 2.pull, take on, undertake 3.fatigue, falling behind 4.praise be to (see note) 5.step 6.destination
‘ishq’ and ‘hai’ used as separate words usually mean ‘is in love’. But ‘ishq-hai’ is also used as a phrase to mean – praise be to, bravo. Praise be to fatigue, how can I undertake the pain of going on the path, when I cannot take any step towards the destination i.e., I am so tired of this useless effort, that I cannot even take one step.
6
jalva-zaar¹-e aatish²-e dozaKh³ hamaara dil sahi⁴
fitna⁵-e shor⁶-e qayaamat⁷ kis ke aab-o-gil⁸ meN hai    1.place of display/manifestation/glory 2.fire 3.hell 4.so be it 5.mischief, calamity 6.tumult 7.doomsday 8.clay and water, character, capability, constitution
The beloved has accused him of entertaining an undue intensity of passion. My heart is a display of the glory of the fire of hell, so be it. Who has the capability to endure the mischief of the tumult of doomsday i.e., the beloved is an embodiment of the tumult of doomsday and teases him. This is what makes the lover’s heart display hellish fire of passion.
7
hai dil-e-shoriida¹-e Ghaalib tilism²-e pech-o-taab³
rahm⁴ kar apni tamanna⁵ par keh kis mushkil⁶ meN hai    1.disturbed/mad heart 2.enchantment 3.convolutions/twists and agitation 4.pity 5.yearning, longing 6.trouble
In the second misra ‘apni tamanna’ – your longing is used in a interesting double meaning – longing for you or longing that belongs to you. This longing is trapped in convolutions and agitation in the lover’s mad/passionate heart. It is in great difficulty and has no way to get out. He is appealing to the beloved – even if you don’t have any kind thoughts towards me, at least have pity on the longing that belongs to you (also longing for you). Thus, trying to elicit the beloved’s sympathy towards a third entity (longing) which he claims belongs to her (your longing conflated with longing for you), he is trying to slip in a clever way of the beloved responding to his condition.