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
aurauN ko deN takleef, nahiN KhoobaaN¹ ki shaan-e shaaN²
dil hum se liya hai to hai ummeed ke hoga vo mehrbaaN³      1.good people, beloved 2.dignity 3.kind, bestowing
Giving trouble to others does not befit the dignity of good people. She has taken my heart, so there is hope that she will one day bestow favours.
2
paiGhaam bhi na bheje hai mahboob magar ab tak
saada-dil¹ baiThe haiN ummeed meN aayega naagahaaN²     1.simpletons 2.suddenly, unannounced
The beloved has not even sent a message and still simpletons wait, hoping that she will show up unannounced.
3
sajda¹ hai bas habiib² ka ho dayr³ ya haram⁴
jaata us aastaaN⁵ pe hai, chaahe karo jahaaN⁶      1.ritual prostration in prayer 2.beloved, god 3.temple 4.mosque 5.threshold 6.anywhere
Prayer/prostration is for god, be it in the temple or the mosque. It will reach his (the same) threshold, wherever it is performed.
4
chalti hai maikade¹ meN jhaRap tah²-e meena³ ke vaaste⁴
badnaami is meN hai meri, maiN is pe huN naazaaN⁵      1.tavern 2.bottom 3.flask 4.for the sake of 5.proud, happy
There is a fight in the tavern over the remaining wine at the bottom of the flask. (I am involved in the struggle/fight). There is disrepute for me in this, but I am proud of it.
5
jaise ke sadaa¹ gum hui bahroN ke kaan meN
maiN kunj²-e dair³ pahuNcha, mila na mera nishaaN       1.sound 2.corner 3.world
Just like sound is lost in deaf ears, when I came to this world, there was no trace of me to be found. Experts have interpreted this imply the sufi concept of “fana”/annihilation or merger with the great spirit. Elsewhere Ghalib has claimed that his words were acclaimed in the spirit world and so will become famous again after he is dead. This is probably in the same spirit especially because of the reference to deafness. People do not hear/appreciate his verse. So he is lost in this corner of creation.
6
daane¹ ki chaah² laaye tah-e-daam³ ye nahiN mumkin⁴
daaKhil⁵ huN Khud⁶ jo qafas⁷ paaye balandii⁸-e aashiyaaN⁹     1.grain 2.desire 3.under the trap/net 4.possible 5.enter 6.on my own volition 7.cage 8.height, status, dignity 9.nest
In urdu poetry, the poet is often symbolized as a bird who sings, longing for the rose/beloved and for its home/nest. The bird catcher spreads a net and scatter grain to attract birds to trap. In this case the poet/bird declares that he is not going to stoop down and get caught under a net, tempted by the desire for grain. He has much more dignity than that. On the other hand, if the cage were raised high enough to be equal in status to his nest, then will walk into it, of his own volition. After all elsewhwere, Ghalib wrote … ulTe phir aaye, dar-e k’aaba agar vaa na hua … I would turn back, if the doors of the k’aaba did not open for me.
7
mujh tak jo raah¹ laaye, aasaaN vo nahiN hai
mai² ke evaz³ piya hai lahu⁴ pahuNchne ko jo yahaaN      1.pathway 2.wine 3.instead 4.blood
The pathway that leads to where I am is not easy. I have had to drink my own blood instead of wine to reach here.
8
us ki taraf¹ baRha to jigar² meN chubhi mizsha³
qabl⁴ is ke mera seena pahuNchta tah⁵-e sinaaN⁶       1.towards 2.liver/heart 3.eyelashes 4.before 5.under 6.spear
In urdu poetry jigar/dil – liver/heart are often used interchangeably to symbolize the seat of emotions and fortitude. mizsha/eyelashes of the beloved are like curved daggers that pierce the heart. Just as the poet/lover moved towards the beloved her eyelashes pierced his heart long before his bosom/chest could come under the point of the spear i.e. the beloved can conquer from a distance without wielding a spear.
9
Ghalat-andaaz¹ pahla tiir gaya, ho na saka mere jigar paar
vaaye² qismat ke kahiN phir se vo taake³ Ghalat nishaaN      1.wrong style/wrong target 2.alas 3.aim for
The poet/lover is eager for the arrows of the beloved to hit him in the heart. Her first arrow was aimed improperly and did not pierce his heart. He is afraid that she might actually be intentionally aiming it wrongly and the second arrow will also miss, confirming his fear that she is ignoring him.
10
kesh¹-e muGhaaN² qubool³ jo maqdoor⁴ nahiN hai
jizye⁵ meN mai⁶ jo yaaN na mile, to mile tohfatan⁷ vahaaN      1.faith, belief, tradition 2.wine makers 3.accept 4.means 5.tax 6.wine 7.as a gift
muGhaaN and piir-e muGhaaN, wine makers and the chief vintner are a regular feature of urdu poetry. They can be wine makers of the tavern or of the Zoroastrian temple, where wine is served as a part of the ritual. Thus the poet says, if you don’t have the means (to buy wine), then accept the faith of the wine makers (of Zoroastrian temple). If you cannot get wine here, as a tax that you can levy (because you don’t have the means) at least you can get it there as a gift.
11
itna to nahiN Khwaar¹ ke phir hausla² de muzshda³-e visaal⁴
baavar⁵ hua yaqiN⁶ na karuN paiGhaam⁷ utaare gar aasmaaN     1.ignoble, disgraced 2.determination, encouragement 3.good news 4.union 5.revealed, shown, explained 6.believe 7.message
I am not so disgraced/humbled/naive that I will receive encouragement from news that I will soon achieve union with the beloved. From past experience I have learnt not to believe this, even if the message descends from the sky.
12
saahabqaraan¹-e shaah-e jahaaN gar nahiN to phir
daad²-e suKhan³ milegi, us ka jo saani⁴ hai ab yahaaN      1.emperor 2.praise, reward 3.words, verse 4.successor/second/similar
Emperor shah jahaaN had a reputation as a great patron of the arts and artists. bahadur shaah zafar had also gathered poets around him and was reputed to be a great patron and compared with shah jahaaN for his patronage. Thus Ghalib says, now that shah jahaaN is not here, he expects to receive praise/reward for his verse from his successor.
13
jab thi na taab¹-e barq²-e tajalli³ kaliim⁴ ko
Ghalib ka suKhan⁵ bhi to hai ek aatishiN-bayaaN⁶       1.weight, ability to carry the burden 2.lightning 3.brilliance, flash 4.Moses, moosa 5.verse, words 6.fiery speech
Moses/moosa is also known as kaliim – meaning one who can converse, because legend has it that he talked to god. This also has reference to the legend that moosa went up mount tuur asking to see god. There was a flash of lightning and he fainted. Thus moosa/kaliim could not bear the burden of a flash of lightning. Ghalib compares his own verse as fiery speech to such a flash of lightning. If moosa could not bear that burden, how can you expect to!