Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. anand mohan gulzar dehlavi (1926-living), a kashmiri panDit, a scholar and lover of urdu composed this in 1969 for Ghalib centennial. Also see his other Ghazal for the centennial including a biting critisizm of the treatment of urdu. This Ghazal is linked to ‘1969 Centennial’ on the Ghalib naqsh-e qadam page.
1
aye dabiir-ul-mulk¹ teri shaan²-e aa’li³ ko salaam
ho nizaam-e-juNg⁴ ki shiiriiN-maqaali⁵ ko salaam 1.writer/record-keeper of the realm 2.grandeur 3.exalted 4.order of battle 5.sweet speech
Ghalib was given several titles by bahadur shah zafar. He was assigned the task of writing the history of muGhals and given the title dabiir-ul-mulk. He was known for his sharp repartee and was awarded the title nizaam juNg; the juNg here being the battle of words. This couplet pays tribute to the grandeur and eloquence of Ghalib; his court titles; his high status (shaan-e aa’li); the sweetness of his verse (shiiriN maqaali).
2
teri nazm¹ o nasr² ki shaan³-e kamaali⁴ ko salaam
hai asadullah⁵ ki shaan³-e bilaali⁶ ko salaam     1.poetics 2.prose 3.grandeur 4.perfection 5.name of Ghalib, title of ali ibn-e abi-taalib 6.a figure from early islaamic history who was devoted to ali ibn-e abi-taalib
A tribute to the perfection (kamaali) of Ghalib’s grand poetry (nazm) and prose (nasr). While asadullah was the name of Ghalib, it was also the title awarded to ali ibn-e abi taalib. Ghalib was known to be a devotee of ali. bilaal, a figure from early islaamic history was also a devotee of ali. The poet recognizes and pays tribute to Ghalib’s unwavery devotion to ali.
3
Ghalib-e zindaa-dil¹ o mahr²-e jalaali³ ko salaam
rind⁴-e aa’li-zarf⁵ ke jaam⁶-e safaali⁷ ko salaam    1.full of life, energetic 2.sun, brilliance 3.grandeur, eminence 4.wine drinker, free spirited 5.refined nature 6.cup 7.clay
Ghalib – full of life (zinda dil) and possessing a majestic grace (mehr-e jalaali); free spiritied and of a refined nature. The second line praises the refined nature (aali zarf) of a free-spirited person (rind), humble symbolized by their earthen cup (jaam-e safaali). Said Ghalib …
saaGhar-e jam se mera jaam-e safaal achchha hai
4
jis chaman meN tuu ne she’r o shaa’eri ke gul khilaa’e
us chaman ke patte-patte Daali-Daali ko salaam     My tribute to every leaf and every branch of the garden in which you made verse and poem bloom.
5
shefta¹ ho voh koii tera keh hargopal² ho
sab se yaksaaN³ pyaar aur raushan-Khayaali⁴ ko salaam    1.mustafa KhaaN shefta, contemporary and close friend of Ghalib 2.munshi hargopal tufta, contemporary, friend, shaagird and benefactor 3.equal, same 4.open mindedness
Ghalib was known for his open-mindedness, enlightened thinking (roshan khayali) thinking beyond religious boundaries, and universal love. He was well known for his sincere friendship with contemporaries and shaagird. Here the poet uses shefta and tufta as two examples representing the range of Ghalib’s relationships.
6
husn¹ o naGhma², saaGhar³ o miina⁴, Khiraam⁵-e naaz⁶-e dost⁷
tere har husn-e-nazar⁸ kaif-e-jamaali⁹ ko salaam     1.beauty 2.melody 3.wine cup 4.flask 5.gait, grace 6.coquetry 7.friend, beloved 8.excellence of discerning sight 9.pleasure of beauty
The first misra represents the characteristics/qualities of Ghalib’s verse – beauty, melody, unconventionality and rebelliousness (symbolized by wine cup and flask) and his description of grace and beauty. The second misra speaks to Ghalib’s discering eye, his ability to see what others could not see and his (kaif-e jamaali) the joy of the intoxicating effect of his poetry.
7
kaifi¹-e sufi-manish², ek aarif³-e shab-zinda-daar⁴
iss dil-e asooda⁵ ki har Khasta-haali⁶ ko salaam    1.intoxicated, exhilarated, in a trance 2.nature of a sufi/mystic 3.mystic 4.awake all night long 5.tranquil, at peace 6.broken, weary condition
Ghalib is described as one of a sufiyaana nature who is in a trance because of the intoxication of his imagery and conceptualization; he has reached the level of sufi conceptualization of one-ness with the divine. He is a mystic who stays up all night composing verse. In the spiritual/intellectual field, he is contented of heart (dil-e asooda) but in body/material needs he is (Khasta-haal) broken/weary. But the poet pays tribute to all these facets of Ghalib.
8
rashk¹-e firdausi² o urfi³, bulbul⁴-e hindustaaN
teri auj⁵-e fikr⁶ ki is be-misaali⁷ ko salaam     1.envy 2.faarsi poet 3.another faarsi poet 4.nightingale 5.height 6.thought, reason 7.unequalled, exemplary
Ghalib himself considered his faarsi kalaam to be better than his urdu verse. firdause and urfi are two legendary faarsi poets. Even they are envious of Ghalib’s ability in faarsi. He is called the nightingale (bulbul) of India. His unparalleled intellectual heights (auj-e fikr) are honored.
9
faKhr¹-e dilli, faKhr-e hindustaan, faKhr-e asia
tere andaaz²-e bayaan³ o Khush-Khisaali⁴ ko salaam    1.pride 2.style 3.expression, speaking, writing 4.joyful nature
Ghalib is described as the pride (faKhr) of dehli, hindostaan, and Asia. His unique style of expression (andaz-e bayaaN) and joyful nature (Khush khisaali) are celebrated.
10
aashiq¹-e urdu zabaaN² is turk-zaade³ par nisaar⁴
paak⁵ zaat⁶ o paak Khuu⁷, ustaad⁸-e haali⁹ ko salaam    1.lover, devotee 2.language 3.progeny of Turks 4.devotional homage 5.pure, unassuming 6.person 7.nature, character 8.master, teacher 9.altaaf husain haali
The poet characterizes himself as (aashiq-e urdu)-lover of urdu and Ghalib as (turk-zaada), the child of Turks (Ghalib writes that his ancestors migrated from Turkey). Ghalib is described as of unassuming personality (no airs of pomp), pure nature and the ustaad of altaaf husain haali.
11
jis ki shohrat¹ thi junuub² o sharq³ o maGhrib⁴ meN usii
bulbul⁵-e raNgiin⁶-e gulzaar⁷-e shumaali⁸ ko salaam    1.fame 2.south 3.east 4.west 5.nightingale 6.colourful 7.garden, also the pen-name of the poet 8.northern
Ghalib is described as the nightingale of the garden of the north whose fame had spread to the south, east and west. The poet offers his tribute to him.