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. kalidas gupta raza dates this Ghazal to 1847, one of two Ghazal that Ghalib composed in this zamin. Also see the many Ghazal composed in this bahr/zamin by well known and not so well-known poets over the years.
1
kal ke liye kar aaj na Khissat¹ sharaab meN
ye su²-e zan³ hai saaqi-e-kausar⁴ ke baab⁵ meN     1.stinginess 2.insulting, repudiating 3.thought, suspicion 4.cup-bearer of the water/wine of the river (kauser) in heaven 5.chapter/theme, door/domain
‘saaqi-e kauser’ is generally used to mean ali ibn-e abi taalib. It is generally believed that in heaven he will dispense water/wine (divine) to the gathering of the faithful. Serving and drinking wine in this life is considered a sin and will deprive you of (divine) wine in the next life (tomorrow). But if you think that, you will be repudiating the generosity of ali and that is an insulting thought. So, do not hold back in serving wine today for the sake of tomorrow (reward in heaven). Also see Ghalib’s faarsi Ghazal (posted as ‘jaanat ki sharaab’), this she’r, translated in urdu …
jannat meN jo inaam yahaaN par vahi haraam, kaisa tera hisaab
saaqi ek aur daur ke ye jaaN to nahiN hai, faqat sharaab
2
haiN aaj kyuN zaleel¹ ke kal tak na thi pasand²
gustaaKhi³-e farishta⁴ hamaari janaab⁵ meN     1.disgraced, humbled 2.liked, tolerated 3.insolence, insult 4.angels 5.honour
This has reference to the story of ‘creation’. When god made man out of clay, he ordered all angels to bow to him. shaitaan/Satan (considered one of the angels at that time) refused. His insolence was not accepted and he was banished from heaven. Thus, until ‘yesterday’ (i.e. at the time of creation) even angels could not insult us (humans), such was our dignity/honour. Why then, are we disgraced and humbled today. The implication is that it is our own doing. Or could it be this … there are a couple of angels that sit on our shoulders and keep a record of all our deeds. The record is produced before god on the day of judgement. Is Ghalib considering this spying to be an insult. Angels paid respect to us yesterday but now they insult us!
3
jaaN kyuN nikalne lagti hai tan se dam¹-e samaa²
gar³ vo sadaa⁴ samaa’i⁵ hai chaNg⁶ o rabaab⁷ meN    1.moment 2.hearing, listening 3.if 4.sound, voice 5.contained 6.lute 7.fiddle
I quite like the interpretation offered by Arthur Dudney, Columbia. The imagery is the whispering of the azaan in the ear of a baby at the time of birth. The sound is divine (the words of god) and is musical, like that of the chaNg and rabaab. Also, the moment the baby is born, she/he begins to die i.e. his life-span begins to get spent. Thus, the poet/sufi raises an intriguing question without anwering it. Why does life begin to leave the body from the moment of hearing this divine sound.
4
rau¹ meN hai raKhsh²-e umr³ kahaaN dekhiye thame
ne⁴ haath baag⁵ par hai na paa⁶ hai rikaab⁷ meN     1.flow, run, moving 2.steed, horse 3.life 4.neither 5.reins 6.feet 7.stirrups
Life is like a running steed. Let us see where it stops. Neither are we holding the reins, nor are our feet firmly in the stirrup i.e. we have no control over our life/destiny.
5
utna hi mujh ko apni haqiqat¹ se bo’d² hai
jitna ki vahm³-e Ghair⁴ se huN pech-o-taab⁵ meN    1.reality, essence 2.distance 3.suspicion, illusion 4.other 5.hesitation, preplexity
If ‘Ghair’/other is taken to be god, then the poet/sufi/thinker is perplexed about the illusion of god. To the extent that he is perplexed about the concept of god, to the same extent is he puzzled about his own existence. There may be an implication of ‘vahdat-al-vujood’, one-ness of all beings. If you consider the ‘other’ as different from you, then all preplexity arises.
6
asl¹-e shuhud²-o-shaahed³-o-mash’hood⁴ ek hai
hairaaN⁵ huN phir mushaaheda⁶ hai kis hisaab⁷ meN     1.origin, basis 2.witnessing, experiencing 3.witness, one who sees/experiences 4.that which is seen/experienced, witnessed 5.perplexed, puzzled 6.witnessing, experiencing 7.reckoning, accounting
This is a continuation of the concept of ‘vahdat-al-vujood’. The origin of observing, observer and observed (creating, creator and created) are all the same. That leaves me perplexed on how to account for the act of observing/witnessing.
7
hai mushtamil¹ numud²-e suvar³ par vajud-e-bahar⁴
yaaN kya dharaa hai qatra⁵ o mauj⁶-o-habaab⁷ meN   1.consisting of 2.apearance, manifestation 3.faces, images 4.existence of the ocean 5.drop 6.wave 7.bubble
The drop, wave and bubble are not of much consequence, each by themselves. But when they are put together i.e. all the faces/images become manifest together, then they become the ocean. The existence of the ocean consists of this togetherness i.e. the whole is greater that the sum of its parts.
8
sharm¹ ek adaa²-e naaz³ hai apne hi se sahi
haiN kitne be-hijaab⁴ ke haiN yuN hijaab⁵ meN   1.coyness 2.style, manner 3.coquetry 4.immodest, shameless 5.veil
Coyness/bashfulness is one of the styles/manner of coquetry even if you are coy with yourselves. How immodest of you to put on a veil. Is he saying that ‘hijaab’ is hypocrisy because it is just another style of coquetry. By putting on the hijaab you are hiding from yourselves, not facing the truth, not facing yourself and therefore you are shameless/immodest.
9
aaraa’esh¹-e jamaal² se faariGh³ nahiN hanooz⁴
pesh⁵-e nazar⁶ hai aa’ina daa’em⁷ naqaab⁸ meN   1.embellishment, beautification 2.beauty, glory, face 3.free of, finished with 4.yet, even now 5.in front of, before 6.eyes 7.forever, constantly 8.veil
Several interpretations take the objective of this she’r to be the conventional romantic beloved. She is behind a veil, she does not display her face, but she is still not done with adorning herself. Even behind the veil she holds a mirror before her eyes to continue her adornment. They interpret this to be a small thumb mirror. There is also the possibility that the mirror is figurative – she imagines her own image even without a mirror and continues her adornment even behind a veil. Other intrepretations take the objective to be the divine beloved. The divine beloved is behind a veil i.e. we cannot see him/her. But he/she is not yet done with displaying ever more facets of her beauty/glory, not yet done with her own adornment. In this case, the ‘aaiina’ is reflection of her beauty/glory, which continues even behind a veil, to this day.
10
hai Ghaib¹-e Ghaib jis ko samajhte haiN ham shuhood²
haiN Khwaab meN hanooz³ jo jaage haiN Khwaab meN    1.unseen, unknown 2.seen, experienced 3.still, even now
That which we see/experience (the material world) is an illusion of an illusion just like those who think that they have woken up from a dream are still dreaming. First, the material world is an illusion. On top of it, it is an illusion to think that it is separate from the creator i.e. Ghalib subscribes to ‘vahdat-al-vujood’ – one-ness of all creation with the creator.
11
Ghaalib nadiim¹-e dost se aati hai bu-e dost
mashGhuul²-e haq³ huN bandagi⁴-e bu-turaab⁵ meN     1.intimate companion, confidant 2.busy, engaged in 3.rightful duty 4.servitude, devotion 5.literally-father of the earth, it is one of many titles of ali ibn-e abi taalib
Here ‘dost’ implies god. Thus, O, Ghalib, I get the fragrance of god from the confidant of god (ali). That is why when I am busy in devotion to ali then it should be considered to be a legitimate fulfilment of my duty towards god.