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. ash’aar from this Ghazal have been extracted frequently by many shu’ara who have composed tributes to Ghalib. This Ghazal was composed in 1826 when Ghalib was 29 years old. This is a relatively mature age for Ghalib who wrote some amazing Ghazal at the ripe old age of 15.
1
zulmat-kade¹ meN mere shab²-e Gham³ ka josh⁴ hai
ek sham’a hai daliil⁵-e sahar⁶ so Khamosh⁷ hai     1.dark house, heart 2.night 3.sorrow 4.passion, ascendance 5.proof, evidence 6.dawn, hope 7.silent, extinguished
A dark night of sorrow is ascendant and overpowering in the poet’s heart. There used to be a lamp/candle as a symbol of dawn/light and hope and even that is extinguished. There is not even a glimmer of hope.
2
ne muzshda¹-e visaal² na nazzaara³-e jamaal⁴
muddat⁵ hui ke aashti⁶-e chashm⁷-o-gosh⁸ hai     1.good news 2.union (with the beloved) 3.sighting 4.beauty, glory 5.long time, ages 6.peace, accord 7.eyes 8.ears
For a long time there is peace between the eyes and ears of the poet/lover. Why? There is a convoluted but very sorrowful reason. Neither has there been any good news from the beloved agreeing to a union nor has there been any sighting of her beauty from afar. Both contribute to the poet/lover’s sorrow. But, if there had been one (good for the ears) or the other (good for the eyes) then there would not have been peace between them.
3
mai¹ ne kiya hai husn²-e Khud-aara³ ko be-hijaab⁴
aye shauq⁵! haaN ijaazat⁶-e tasliim-e-hosh⁷ hai    1.wine 2.beauty, beloved 3.self-regarding, careful about oneself 4.unveiled 5.desire i.e. poet/lover 6.permission 7.an expression meaning inebriated enough to accept advances
Wine has made the normally careful about herself beloved to unveil herself. That indicates that she is inebriated just enough to accept advances. O, poet/lover, proceed, she is giving you permission to plead your case.
4
gauhar¹ ko aqd²-e gardan-e KhuubaaN³ meN dekhna
kya auj⁴ par sitaara⁵-e gauhar-farosh⁶ hai     1.pearls 2.knot, tie, necklace 3.beauty, beloved 4.climax, ascendant 5.star/fortune 6.pearl-seller, jeweler
The beloved of course does not go out shopping. She summons the jeweler who presents pearl necklaces for her to try on. He gets to see these string of pearls around her neck. That is why his fortune is ascendant. Obviously the poet/lover is envious.
5
diidaar¹ baada², hausla³ saaqi, nigaah⁴ mast
bazm⁵-e Khayaal⁶ mai-kada⁷ be-Kharosh⁸ hai     1.view, sight 2.wine 3.courage, authority 4.eyes 5.gathering, world 6.imagination 7.tavern 8.without noise/tumult, peaceful
The tavern of the world of imagination is quiet and peaceful. In it, the wine you get is from the (imaginary) sight of the beloved, from the (imagined) authoritative figure of the saaqi and from the inebriated eyes (imagined) of the beloved.
6
aye taaza¹ vaaredaan²-e bisaat³-e havaa-e-dil⁴
zinhaar⁵ agar⁶ tumheN havas⁷-e naa’e-o-nosh⁸ hai     1.fresh, new 2.arrivals 3.floor, field 4.air/atmoshphere/domain of the heart 5.careful, be warned 6.if 7.desire, greed 8.song and drink (wine)
Fresh arrivals in the field of love might be under the illusion that it is an easy pleasant journey to be enjoyed. They might be greedy, imagining that they would get plentiful song and wine. The poet/lover based on his own experience is warning these new arrivals that such is not the case, that they will find the going rough.
7
dekho mujhe jo diida¹-e ibrat-nigaah² ho
meri suno jo gosh³-e nasiihat-ne’osh⁴ hai   1.eyes 2.looking for a lesson/moral example 4.listening for lessons
This is probably a continuation of addressing those newly arrived in the field of love. Look at me (and learn from my condition) if your eye has the capability to discern/see a moral example. Listen to me if you have ears that can hear lessons that offered. The lesson is of course that they are not going to get song and wine but sorrow and neglect.
8
saaqi ba-jalva¹ dushman-e iimaan-o-aagahi²
mutrib³ ba-naGhma⁴ rahzan⁵-e tamkiin⁶-o-hosh⁷ hai     1.beauty, glory 2.faith and knowledge 3.singer, musician 4.song 5.robber 6.dignity, status 7.awareness, senses
The saaqi, with her glorious beauty, is the enemy of, tempts you away from faith and knowledge. The singer, with her song, robs you of your dignity and your senses.
9
yaa¹ shab² ko dekhte the ke har gosha³-e bisaat⁴
daamaan⁵-e baaGhbaan o kaf⁶-e gul-farosh⁷ hai     1.or, otherwise, but 2.night 3.corner 4.floor, hall 5.lap, gathering of the skirt 6.hand, fist 7.flower picker, florist
This is probably looking at the desolation of the “morning after”. But only last night if you had seen this, every corner of the hall looked like the lap of the gardenery or the hand of florist i.e. there were flowers all around i.e. there was much celebration and joy but now it is desolate.
10
luft¹-e Khiram²-e saaqi o zauq³-e sadaa⁴-e chaNg⁵
ye jannat-e nigaah⁶ vo firdaus⁷-e gosh⁸ hai     1.pleasure 2.gait, style 3.taste, joy 4.sound 5.harp 6.eyes 7.heaven 8.ears
The pleasure of looking at the gait of the saaqi is like heaven for the eyes. The joy of listening to the music of harp is like paradise for the ears.
11
yaa sub’h-dam¹ jo dekhiye aa kar to bazm² meN
ne vo suruur³ o soz⁴ na josh⁵ o Kharosh⁶ hai     1.time of dawn 2.gathering 3.pleasure, joy 4.passion 5.enthusiasm 6.tumult, noise
This again is a description of the “morning after”. It could be the morning after a mushaa’era or gathering at the tavern with song and dance. If you come there in the morning and look, then in the assembly, neither is there the joy and passion of last night nor of the enthusiastic and noisy cheers. This could well be about “days gone by” when there was more appreciation of the poet’s art.
12
daaGh¹-e firaaq²-e sohbat³-e shab⁴ ki jali hui
ek sham’a rah gayii hai so vo bhi Khamosh⁵ hai     1.wound, scar 2.separation 3.company 4.night 5.silent, extinguished
Last night there was the company of the beloved. She departed early leaving a wound/scar in the heart. The only sign of last night’s pleasure is a burnt out candle and that too extinguished. The “beloved” could well be an appreciative audience or perhaps of many patrons. Times have changed. They are gone now and only a burnt out and extinghished candle (the poet himself) is left.
13
aate haiN Ghaib¹ se ye mazaamiN² Khayaal³ meN
Ghaalib sariir⁴-e Khaama⁵ navaa⁶-e sarosh⁷ hai   1.unknown, beyond, mysterious, other world 2.themes 3.imagination, thought 4.scraping sound of the pen 5.pen 6.sound 7.angel
Ghalib claims that he receives messages/inspiration from the other world (divinity). The scraping of his pen on paper is really the sound of the flapping of winds of the angel who brings messages/inspiration.