Date: Thu, 26 Sep 96 09:09:00 PDT
From: Ramesh Hariharan (rameshh@tp.ac.sg)
Subject: Ghalib: aah ko chaahiye ik 'umr...

Who-else-but Ghalib time back again. Here is a ghazal which was posted
earlier by Lalit. I am retaining the matla (1st sher) and the maqta (last
sher), with Lalit's interpretations. The rest of the shers are new, and
interpretations are mine, except for the 3rd sher, where I took help from Ikram(of RMIM).

1. aah ko chaahiye ik 'umr asar hone tak
kaun jeeta hai teree zulf ke sar hone tak ?

[[A curse needs a life-time to have its effect,
Who is going to live until your hair-locks get untangled !]
('hair-locks getting untangled' also means 'love having success')

2. partav-e-khur se hai shabnam ko fana'a ki taaleem
maiN bhee hooN ik inaayat ki nazar hone tak

[A dew drop learns about its mortality/death from the rays of the sun
Even I exist, only till she casts a glance of favor on me]

A beautiful sher, which shows Ghalib's genius. He says, "A dew drop exists
only till the sun comes out and the rays fall on it to evaporate it. The dew
drop has learnt this from the rays of the sun. Even I know that I will cease
to exist once she casts her glance at me with favor/love". Here, The lover's
eye = the rays of the sun, indirectly meaning that his lover's face is like
aftaab (sun), jis se iss duniya ki raunaq haiN.

3. yak_nazar besh naheeN fursat-e-hastee GHaafil
garmi-e-bazm hai ik raqs-e-sharar hone tak

[Our lifespan is nothing more than a split-second, Ignorant
The activities of life is only till the existence of a fire-spark]

Talking about the brevity of life, Ghalib has invoked the symbol and imagery
of the mehfil or bazm. While everybody is involved in the hustle and bustle
or the moments of merriment,they do not seem to realise that the actual
lifespan given to us is nothing more (besh=more) than the split-second it
takes for a fire-spark (sharar=chingari) to appear and after the briefest of
a dancing movement to turn into ash.

4. GHam-e-hastee ka 'Asad' kis'se ho juz marg ilaaz
shamma'a har rang meiN jaltee hai sahar hone tak

[What is the cure for life except the death, 'Asad',
In all conditions, candle keeps on burning till dawn !]

Dictionary : partav-e-khur = sun's reflection/light/image; shabnam = dew;
fana'a = mortality; inaayat = favour; nazar = signifies the briefest moment in time (symbolically) ;
besh = more; fursat-e-hastee = duration of life; GHaafil = careless, ignorant;
raqs = dance; sharar = flash/fire; Garmi-e-bazm = the hustle and bustle of life (symbolic meaning);
Raqs-e-sharar = literally the dance of the fire-spark; hastee = life/existence;
juz = other than; marg = death; sahar = morning