Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869), bard par excellence, thought that his faarsi kalaam was much superior to his urdu verse. This is one of his faarsi Ghazal, rendered in urdu by shahed (1944-living), a novice in urdu and a beginner in faarsi, who maintains this site as a learning exercise.
1
hai koii aisa mere divaaN¹ se lutf² o masti³-e mai⁴ paayega
gar koii piita nahiN to kal ye baada⁵ bhi kohan⁶ ho jaayega     1.book of verse 2.pleasure 3.intoxication 4.wine 5.wine 6.old, stale
Is there anyone who will derive pleasure and intoxication from my book of verse. If there is no one to drink, then this wine too will get stale.
2
urooj¹ par tha suKhan² mulk³-e adam⁴ meN phir yuN hi
baad marne ke hi duniya meN ye shohrat⁵ paayega     1.climax 2.verse 3.homeland, domain 4.non-existence, non-material, spiritual 5.fame
My verse was at its climax in the spiritual world (before I came to this material world). Just like that it will become famous only after I die (go back to the spiritual world).
3
naaf¹-e aahu² hai davaat³ aur siyaahi⁴ tahleel-e-mushk⁵
lafz⁶ ek ek nik’hat⁷-e mushk⁵-e Khutan⁸ ban jaayega     1.belly button 2.deer 3.inkpot 4.ink 5.dissolved musk 6.word 7.fragrance 8.region where the legendary musk bearing deer is found
The poet’s ink is made of the fragrance of musk and he dips his pen in the “inkpot” which is likened to the belly button region where musk gland is found. He predicts that every word will spread fragrance like musk of the region Khutan.
4
jab kisi mahfil¹ meN mutrib² she’r mere gaayega
bahr³-e tahsiiN⁴ har garebaaN⁵ taar-taar⁶ ho jaayega      1.gathering 2.singer 3.for the purpose 4.praise, tribute 5.collar 6.threads
When in any gathering, a singer will sing my ash’aar, then for the sake of praise and tribute, the audience will tear their collars in threads in frenzy.
5
harf harf¹ paa jaayega haNgaama²-e zauq-e-suKhan³ par yuN giraft⁴
barhaman aur shaiKh donoN ka sabab⁵ sad-naaz⁶ ka ban jaayega     1.every word 2.frenzy 3.passion of verse/poetry 4.grip 5.basis, foundation 6.great pride
Every word will get such a grip on the passion of verse that it will become the basis of great pride for both the shaiKh and the brahman. The implication is that even though I write irreverently about faith, even the orthodox will revere my words.
6
gard¹-e pindaar²-e hasti³ rahguzar⁴ par baiTh kar dab jaayegi
Khaaliq⁵ o maKhlooq⁶ ki vahdat⁷ ka dariya⁸ mauj-zan⁹ ho jaayega     1.dust 2.hubris, ego 3.(material) existence 4.pathway 5.creator 6.created 7.one-ness 8.ocean 9.high waves, rising tide
Ghalib has written much about the sufi concept of one-ness of all creation with the creator e.g. the drop mingling with the ocean. Here he predicts that when people read his ash’aar the dust of pride and ego will settle in the byways (where life travels) and the ocean of one-ness of creator and created will rise.
7
har nafas¹ se suur²-e mahshar³ ban ke naala⁴ jab uTThe
kaash⁵ tu samjhe ke jab mera josh-e-fun⁶ naGhme⁷ ka sur⁸ ban jaayega    1.breath 2.horn 3.commotion, doomsday 4.passionate wailing 5.I wish 6.passion of talent (of versification) 7.song/Ghazal 8.tune
Ghalib is describing the anguish he goes through in composing poetry. It is commonly believed that on doomsday the angel of death will blow his horn announcing the end of the world. Ghalib says that when every breath he takes emerges as an intense wail like the blowing of the doomsday horn – only then does his passion for verse take the form of the tune of a Ghazal.
8
kaash¹ tu samjhe ke qatl²-e rooh³-e m’aani⁴ ek laKht⁵
jalva⁶-e tahrir⁷ se lauh-o-qalam⁸ daar-o-rasan⁹ ban jaayega     1.I wish 2.killing, murder 3.spirit 4.meaning, essential thought 5.moment 6.shape, face, appearance 7.writing 8.pen and paper 9.hanging platform and noose
Ghalib says that giving his sublime thoughts the shape of words kills them. Words are inadequate. Thus, I wish you would understand that the spirit of meaning is killed instantly when they are given the shape of writing. Pen and paper themselves become like the hangman’s platform and noose.
9
afsos¹ gar² vaz’a³ duniya yuN rahi be-zauq⁴ aur na-samajh⁵
mera diivaaN⁶ tarah⁷-e eendhan⁸ hi jalaaya jaayega     1.alas 2.if 3.style, ways 4.unsophisticated 5.foolish 6.book of verse 8.fuel, kindling
Alas, if the ways of the world remain unsophisticated and foolish, as they are, then my book of verse will be used as fuel/kindling for fire. In the ash’aar that follow Ghalib continues to describe what will happen if the world remains unsophisticated and unappreciative of his talent.
10
aaiina¹-e m’aani² ko leNge haath meN na-beena³ bhi
to Kham⁴-e zulf-e-suKhan⁵ maflooj⁶ haathoN se saNvaara jaayega      1.mirror 2.meaning 3.blind 4.curls, tangles 5.hair of verse 6.paralyzed
If the world remains unsophisticated, then blind/unseeing people will pick up the mirror of meaning (but they will not be able to see the true/hidden image). Verse is symbolized as the beloved and her hair are tangled … the meaning of the verse is hidden in sophisticated twists and turns … like tangled hair. The hands that straightened out these tangles will be paralyzed, incapable of understanding the meaning.
11
shaahed¹-e m’aani² makeen³-e jaan-o-dil⁴ ab tak jo hai
be-hunar⁵ kaam-o-dahan⁶ meN gumraah⁷ ho rah jaayega     1.beauty 2.meaning 3.resident 4.heart and soul 5.unskilled 6.throat and mouth 7.wandering, lost
The beauty of meaning which now resides in the heart and soul will be stuck wandering in the mouth and throat of unskilled people i.e. they may be able to sing superficial words but will not be able to deliver the depth of meaning.
12
shauq¹-e tarab² meN jaNgli kavva baal-o-par³ phailaayega
naGhma-sanjaan⁴-e chaman ka humnvaa⁵ ban jaayega     1.desire 2.singing 3.feathers and wings 4.experts/sophisticates/connoisseurs of Ghazal 5.fellow singer
Even the wild crow, with the desire of singing, will spread its wings and become the fellow singer of sophisticated connoisseurs of Ghazal.
13
aye dil mubarak ho ke har suu¹ yaaN navaa²-e naGhma³ hai
maatam⁴-e ranj⁵-e firaaq⁶-e jaan-o-tan⁷ ban jaayega      1.direction, place 2.sound 3.song, Ghazal 4.mourning 5.sorrow 6.separation 7.soul and body, spirit/meaning and word
O, heart, felicitations, you are lucky that everywhere now there is the sound of Ghazal. But if the world remains unsophisticated this will change into mourning and sorrow of the separation of meaning from word.
14
hai jo raushan¹ sham’a-e hasti² vo teeragi³ phailaayegi
is bisaat⁴-e bazm⁵-e masti⁶ meN shikan⁷ paR jaayega     1.shining 2.existence, life 3.darkness 4.floor 5.gathering 6.intoxication, frenzy, passiion 7.wrinkles
Right now, the lamp of life is shining, but if the world remains unsophisticated, this lamp will spread darkness. In the gathering of the passionate/frenzied (poets) the floor that is spread out for them to sit, will become wrinkled.
15
naadaan¹ hi parkheNge² phir me’aar³-e lateef⁴
maiN o tu ki hi jhaRap meN Khoon⁵-e haq⁶ ho jaayega     1.ignorant 2.evaluate, judge 3.standards 4.sophistication 5.blood, murder 6.truth, reality
Ignorant people will become judges/standard-setters of sophistication. In the conflict between you and me truth will be murdered.
16
Khwaahish¹-e marg-o-fana² meN jaise jal jaati hai Khas³
har koii Khud se vidaa’⁴ ka mudd’uii⁵ ho jaayega     1.desire 2.death and annihilation 3.straw, kindling 4.farewell 5.desirous
Straw/kindling is ready to destroy/annihilate itself to start a fire. If the world keeps up its unsophisticated ways then, just like this straw, everyone will be desirous to say farewell to themselves (to set fire to the world).
17
koii na hoga naaz¹-e jalva²-e husn³ ka baar⁴ uThaane ke liye
saaz⁵ ka parda⁶ hi naGhme⁷ ka kafan⁸ ban jaayega     1.coquetry, playfulness 2.face, appearance 3.beauty 4.burden 5.music 6.sheet 7.song/Ghazal 8.burial shroud
Beauty/beloved displays herself and there have to be lovers to bear the burden of her coquettish playfulness. This could well be poetry itself that has to be humoured. But if the world continues its unsophisticated ways there will be no one left to bear this burden. It will be as if the sheet of music itself will become a burial shroud of Ghazal.
18
darmiyaan¹-e baahami² rishte³ lataafat⁴ ek parda⁵ gir jaayega
hindu-muslim ka tareeqa⁶ phir alag⁷ ho jaayega      1.between 2.mutual 3.relationship 4.pleasantries 5.curtain 6.ways 7.separate
Ghalib portrays himself as the promoter of harmonious relationships between hindus and muslims. When he is gone and the world continues to be unsophisticated, then a curtain will fall between mutual relationships and pleasantries. The ways of hindu and muslim will separate.
19
Khaak¹ maayoosi² ki abadi³ us ke sar lagaaii jaayegi
marg-e-aam⁴ be-sutooN⁵ ke vaaste⁶ ek kohkan⁷ ban jaayega     1.ashes 2.hopelessness 3.eternal 4.widespread death 5.name of mountain 6.for 7.farhaad, stone-mason
This has reference to the story of shiriN-farhaad. In order to win the hand of shirin, farhaad was set the task of digging a canal through the mountain be-sutoon. He almost succeeded but then the king caused a rumour to be spread that shirin had died. He killed himself in hopelessness and the mountain remained sad/unproductive because no stream flowed through it. In much the same way, if the world continues its unsophisticated ways, ashes of eternal hopelessness will be spread on the mountain be-sutoon. Death of kohkan/farhaad will become widespread. Many people will kill themselves with hopelessness. Thus widespread death itself will become like farhaad for the sad/ash covered mountain.
20
maiKhaana¹ jo hai tu ne Ghalib harf² ki tah³ meN rakha
aaj hai koii jo divaaN⁴ se tere lutf⁵-e masti⁶ paayega      1.tavern, plenty of wine 2.word 3.fold 4.book of verse 5.pleasure 6.intoxication
O Ghalib, you have folded plenty of wine in each word. Is there anyone who will derive the pleasure of intoxication from your book of verse.