Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ata kaakvi-ata-ur-rahman (1904-1998), UGC professor, faarsi, paTna university. Head of the Institute of Research in urdu and faarsi. Prolific writer, critic, translator, poet-authored 19, compiled 82 and translated 6 books. This is a fulsome tribute to Ghalib, composed in the zamin of Ghalib and is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
baskeh¹ dushvaar² hai Ghaalib sa suKhandaaN³ hona
falak⁴-e she’r-o-suKhan⁵ ka mah⁶-e taabaaN⁷ hona      1.although, because 2.difficult 3.speaker, reader/composer (of Ghazal) 4.skies 5.versification 6.moon 7.brilliant
It is surely very difficult to be a writer/composer of Ghazal like Ghalib; to be a brilliant moon in the skies of versification.
2
uss ki har baat¹ ka ek barq²-e tapaaN³ ban jaaNa
uss ke har she’r ka ek sho’la⁴-e raqsaaN⁵ hona    1.word 2.lightning 3.hot, burning, restless 4.flame 5.dancing
Every word of his (Ghalib) is like a restless bolt of lightning, setting everything on fire. Every couplet/she’r of his, is like a dancing flame.
3
uss ka aahaNg¹ juda², raNg³ juda, saaz⁴ juda
tha na’e tarz⁵ se uss ka gohar-afshaaN⁶ hona    1.harmony, rhythm 2.different 3.style 4.music 5.style 6.scattering/showering pearls
Ghalib’s words are like pearls … thus, he has new style of showering pearls, his rhythm, style and music are different (from conventional poets).
4
raasta uss ka daqiiq¹, uss ke azaa’em² dushvaar³
uss ki fitrat⁴ meN na tha mard-e tan-aasaaN⁵ hona    1.difficult 2.resolve, goal 3.difficult 4.nature 5.easy on the body
His path was difficult, his goals not easy. It was not in his nature to take the path easy on the body/spirit.
5
thaa par’e¹ sarhad²-e idraak³ se uss ka masjood⁴
thaa baja⁵ kaa’be ka aNgusht-ba-dandaaN⁶ hona    1.beyond 2.boundaries 3.(material) knowledge 4.object of devotion/prostration/sijda 5.appropriate, in order 6.fingers between teeth i.e., perplexed, puzzled
This has reference to this she’r of Ghalib …
hai pare sarhad-e idraak se apnaa masjuud
qible ko ahl-e-nazar qibla-numaa kahte haiN
Thus, because the object of his devotion/prostration was beyond the field of comprehension, it was appropriate that the k’aaba would be perplexed/puzzled because all other muslims prostrate towards the k’aaba but Ghalib is looking beyond.
6
muflisi¹ meN bhi vo aazaadah² o Khud-daar³ raha
uss ko ayaa nahiN sharmindah⁴-e ehsaaN⁵ hona     1.penury 2.free spirit 3.self-respecting 4.obliged to 5.favours, kindness
Even in penury, he was a self-respecting free spirit. He just could not allow himself to be obliged by favours and kindness.
7
hajla¹-e husn²-e adab³ itna kahaaN raushan⁴ tha
sham’a-e Ghaalib hi se tha uss ko farozaaN⁵ hona     1.chamber 2.beauty 3.literature 4.lit up, lighted 5.brightened
Was the chamber of the beauty of literature ever so bright? The imagery is that of a bridal chamber with literature/poetry as the bride. Was her chamber ever so bright. No! It took the candle to Ghalib to brighten it.
8
gul-katarta¹ hai Ghazab² uss ka Kharaam³-e raNgiiN⁴
gulshan⁵-e fikr⁶ meN voh uss ka KharaamaaN³ hona     1.work wonders, do something amazing 2.used as an expression of awe 3.graceful walk 4.colourful 5.garden 6.thought, imagination, creativity
His graceful walk through the garden of creativity creates awesome and colourful style.
9
hajla¹-e jaam² meN jyuuN³ shaahid⁴-e ma’e⁵ ka partav⁶
husn⁷-e afkaar⁸ ka she’roN meN numaayaaN⁹ hona    1.chamber 2.goblet 3.as if 4.beauty, beloved 5.wine 6.image, reflection 7.beauty 8.thought 9.appear, manifest
The beloved’s image appearing in any chamber is a subtle reminder of a bridal chamber. The goblet of wine is like a chamber in which the image of the bride is reflected. Ghalib’s ash’aar are imagined as such a goblet, in which the beauty of his thinking makes an appearance.
10
sho’la¹-e ishq siyaah-posh² hua uss ke baad
Gham meN tha husn³ ko bhi chaak⁴ garebaaN⁵ hona    1.flame 2.clothed/covered in black 3.beauty 4.torn, ripped 5.collar
In conventional poetic imagery the frenzied lover rips his shirt collar and goes around in tattered clothes. Usually this is what the lover/aashiq does not the beloved/husn. But here even husn is shown as doing that – husn ka bhi chaak-garebaaN hona – because of the intense sorrow at the loss of Ghalib. Not just the beloved but Love itself mourns – wearing black or covering oneself in a black sheet is symbolic of mourning. Thus, the flame of love went into mouring after him (Ghalib).
11
bhar ga’ii dard¹-e mohabbat se fazaa² duniya ki
miir³ ke raNg⁴ meN voh uss ka Ghazal-KhwaaN⁵ hona    1.pain 2.ambience, atmosphere 3.mir taqi mir 4.style 5.Ghazal composing
The ambience of the world was filled with the pain of love when he recited Ghazal in the style of mir taqi mir. I am not sure if Ghalib would be happy about this. He did offer tepid recognition of the greatness of mir in a few ash’aar, but I am not sure that Ghalib would agree that he wrote in the style of mir.
12
dekho phailaa’e¹ haiN ‘urfii² aur naziiri³ daaman⁴
‘ajami⁵ la’e⁶ meN voh uss ka gohar-afshaaN⁷ hona    1.spread 2.faarsi poet 3.another faarsi poet 4.hem of the garment 5.lands outside arabia especially iraan/Persia 6.melody, tune 7.pearl scattering
‘urfii and naziiri are well know faarsi poets who lived and composed in India, a few years before Ghalib. ‘daaman phailaana’ is a phrase used to mean – beg. Thus, he scattered such pearls in ‘ajami-faarsi melody that ‘urfii and naziiri are seen as begging from Ghalib i.e., recognizing that he is a better (faarsi) poet.
13
sau¹ qadam² aage zamaaNe³ se tha uss ka rahvaar⁴
shaam hii se ruKh⁵-e Khurshiid⁶ ka ‘uryaaN⁷ hona    1.hundred 2.steps 3.times, world 4.mount, steed, horse 5.face 6.sun 7.naked, exposed, revealed
His steed was far ahead of the times. He emerged like the sun out of darkness. Here ‘shaam hii se’ requires some care in interpreting. It does not mean from the time of the evening, but it means emerging out of darkness … it is implied that those were dark times for urdu Ghazal-goii and Ghalib’s emergence was like the appearance of the face of the sun in its full brilliance.
14
uss ke har phool ki nik’hat¹ se chaman ban jaana
uss ke har jaam² ka raNgat³ meN KhumistaaN⁴ hona     1.fragrance 2.goblet, cup 3.colour, style 4.world of wine casks/barrells
Here – phool ki nik’hat – symbolizes the fragrance/pleasantness of each she’r whether it is of meaning or sound and – jaam ki raNgat – symbolizes the style of each she’r- its multiple meanings, depth of thought and complexity. Thus, the fragrance of every flower/she’r becomes like a garden full of fragrant flowers. The colour style of every goblet/she’r is like a cellar full of wine barrells.
15
aaRe¹ aata na agar uss ka sutoon²-e taKh’iil³
qasr⁴-e urdu ka muqaddar⁵ tha biyabaaN⁶ hona     1.intervene, stop 2.column, support 3.thought, imagination 4.palace, castle 5.fate 6.wilderness
If the support/strength of his imagination had not intervened/stopped it, the fate of the castle of urdu was doomed to decay into a wilderness.
16
muu-qalam¹ uss ka banaa shaaNa-kash²-e zulf³-e adab⁴
us ki qismat meN tha mashshaata⁵-e dauraaN⁶ hona    1.hairbrush 2.the thing that combs/arranges in an orderly style 3.hair, tresses 4.literature 5.bridesmaid, beautician 6.times
urdu literature is presented as a bride and Ghalib as the beautician/bridesmaid. It was his brush that arranged the bride’s hair in style. It was his good fortune to be the bridesmaid of the times.
17
baRhti hi jaa’egi tanviir¹-e kalaam²-e Ghaalib
mah³-e nau⁴ ko hai ‘ataa⁵ mahr⁶-e daraKhshaaN⁷ hona    1.brilliance 2.words, writings, verse 3.moon 4.new 5.pen-name of the poet, to be granted a blessing 6.sun 7.brilliant
The brilliance of the words of Ghaalib will keep increasing with time. O ataa, the new moon has been granted the blessing of growing into a dazzling sun.