Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869), pre-eminent urdu poet – mysticism, romance, human nature, wit, irreverence, secular and philosophical underpinnings. This is a part of series on “suKhanvar o suKhanvari” on the theme of what various shu’ara say about themselves, their verse, their mission and their place in history. Many other selections are nazm. For Ghalib I had to collect ash’aar from different Ghazal. This is a collection of urdu ash’aar. There is a similar collection of his faarsi ash’aar translated into urdu by shahed, also posted on this site.
1
haiN aur bhi dunya meN suKhan-var¹ bahut achchhe
kahte haiN ke Ghalib ka hai andaaz²-e bayaaN³ aur   1.people of versification, poets 2.style 3.speaking, reciting, writing
There are many other very good shaa’er in this world. But they say that the Ghalib’s style is something else.
2
aate haiN Ghaib¹ se ye mazaamiiN² Khayaal meN
Ghaalib sariir³-e Khaamah⁴ navaa⁵-e sarosh⁶ hai    1.unknown, beyond 2.themes 3.scraping sound 4.pen 5.sound (of flapping wings) 6.angel
These themes/thoughts come to me from the unknown beyond. O, Ghalib the sound of the scraping pen is but the flapping of the wings the angel (bringing a message from the beyond).
3
ganjiina¹-e m’aani² ka tilasm³ us ko samajhye
jo lafz ke Ghalib mere ash’ar meN aave 1.store-house, treasure 2.meaning 3.enchantment
Consider it a treasure-house of meaning. Every word that I allow to enter into my she’r, O Ghalib.
4
dekhna taqrir¹ ki lazzat² ke jo us ne kahaa
maiN ne ye jaana ke goya³ ye bhi mere dil meN hai 1.speech, spoken word 2.pleasure 3.as if, also means spoken word in farsi
Ghalib is very subtly changing his role. He is now in the audience listening to the poet (himself) and defining the pleasure of poetry from the point of view of the listener. The pleasure of the spoken word is that, that which he says, I feel as if it is already in my heart i.e. the poet speaks Truth/Beauty which touches the audience’s heart.
5
phir dekhiye andaaz¹-e gul afshaani²-e guftaar³
rakh de koi paimaana⁴-e sahba⁵ mere aage 1.style 2.spreading/scattering rose petals 3.speech 4.goblet 5.wine
Let someone place a goblet of wine before me and THEN see the style of rose petal scattering speech/versification. There is an implied challenge for anyone else to do better.
6

aagahi¹ daam²-e shunidan³ jis qadar chaahe bichhaye
muddua⁴ anqa⁵ hai apne aalam⁶-e taqrir⁷ ka 1.awareness, knowledge 2.net 3.listening, understanding 4.purpose, meaning 5.legendary/imaginary bird which no one has seen, whose shadow falling on someone brings good fortune to them 6.world 7.speech, spoken word
Knowledge (aagahi) is personified and has become a hunter. It is spreading its net of listening (trying to understand) to catch a bird. But the bird is an “anqa” … a legendary bird which no one has ever seen and which CANNOT be seen. Says Ghalib … Knowledge may spread its net of understanding as much as it likes. It will not be able to get the meaning of the world of my speech because my purpose is “anqa” which cannot be seen.
7
na sataa’esh¹ ki tamanna² na sile³ ki parva
gar⁴ nahiN haiN mere ash’aar meN m’aani na sahi    1.praise 2.desire, wish 3.compensation, payment 4.if
Ghalib was criticized by critics and fellow poets for his difficult to understand verse, one even calling it ‘meaningless’. He replied, I do not wish/care for any praise, nor do I seek compensation. If there is no meaning in my ash’aar, then so be it.

8
hamaare she’r haiN ab sirf¹ dil-lagi² ke asad³
khula keh faayeda arz⁴-e hunar⁵ meN Khaak⁶ nahiN 1.only 2.trivial pleasure, joke 3.Ghalib’s name and other taKhallus 4.reciting, speaking 5.talent 6.dust, worthless, nothing
Ghalib wrote this when some senior colleagues advised him to write simpler ash’aar which people would understand. Now are our verse is meant only for trivial pleasure, O, asad. It is now apparent/open that the benefit to writing/reciting high talent verse is nothing.
9
likhta huN asad sozish-e dil se suKhan-e garam
taa rakh na sake koii mere harf par aNgusht    1.fire 2.verse 3.so that 4.words 5.finger
I write hot/passionate words, O, asad, with the fire/passion of my heart, so that no one may be able to put their finger on/touch/criticize my words.
10
adaa-e-Khaas¹ se Ghalib hua hai nukta-sara²
salaa-e-aam³ hai yaaraan⁴-e nukta-daaN⁵ ke liye    1.special style 2.explaining fine/subtle points 3.common voice 4.friends 5.sarcastically – those who understand fine points, critics
Ghalib writes fine/subtle verse in a special style. Let others write in the common style for my friends, the critics.
11

ye masa’el¹-e tasavvuf², ye tera bayaan³ Ghalib
tujhe hum vali⁴ samajhte, jo na baada-Khwaar⁵ hota 1.puzzles, mysteries 2.mysticism, philosophy 3.sayings, pronouncements, versification 4.inspired by god, successor to prophets 5.wine drinker
These puzzles of mysticism, and your brilliant analysis, O Ghalib, we would surely have considered you a vali, had you not been a drunk.
12
zikr¹ us parii-vash² ka aur phir bayaaN apna
ban gaya raqiib³ aaKhir tha jo raaz-daaN⁴ apna 1.narration, description 2.angel/fairy like 3.rival 4.confidante
Ghalib has been describing the beauty of the beloved to his friend/confidante. Narration of her angelic beauty and on top of it my words. The inevitable result is that the friend/confidante himself has fallen in love with her and is now become a rival.
13
Gaalib-e Khasta¹ ke baGhair kaun-se kaam band haiN
roiye zaar zaar kya kiijiye haaye haaye kyuuN   1.broken, ineffective
The broken Ghalib is gone. Dead. The world keeps going as if nothing has changed. Why wail and cry, why beat your head.