Date: Thu, 10 Oct 96 17:29:00 PDT
From: Ramesh Hariharan (rameshh@tp.ac.sg)
Subject: Ghalib: muddat huee hai yaar...
Who-else-but Ghalib can write ghazals of
such caliber! Here I present one
more. Enjoy! Anyone recognize the 4th sher, from somewhere
else?
1. muddat huee hai yaar ko mehmaaN kiye hue
josh-e-qadah se bazm chiraaGHaaN kiye hue
[It's been a while since I called my friend as
a guest
A while since a gathering was heated up with the vigour of
goblets]
2. karta hooN jama'a fir jigar-e-laKHt-laKHt
ko
arsa hua hai daawat-e-mizhgaaN kiye hue
[Again, I gather pieces of my liver/heart
It's been a while since I treated my eyelids]
Treated as in partying. Ghalib's heart has
broken into many pieces once
again, due to some sad news. It's been a while since he last
cried. Now, the
news is so bad that he won't stop crying - a real treat for his
eyelids.
3. fir waz'a-e-'ehtiyaat se rukane laga hai
dam
barsoN hue haiN chaak girebaaN kiye hue
[Again, I feel uncomfortable because of my
careful behaviour
It's been years since I tore my shirt]
A person who tears up his shirt is either mad,
or clamours bcos of pitiable
state of affairs. Ghalib has, again, been hiding his actual state
of
affairs of penury and sorrow, thanks to his careful behaviour.
His normal
nature should have been to tear up his shirt. He is feeling ill
at ease in
his mind, to such an extent that he is choking from it.
4. jee DhoonDta hai fir wohee fursat ke raat
din
baiTHe rahaiN tasavvur-e-jaanaaN kiye hue
[My heart searches again, for those same old
days and nights, when
I used to sit just like that, imagining about my beloved]
5. 'GHalib' hameiN na cheD ki fir
josh-e-ashq se
baiTHe haiN ham tahayya-e-toofaaN kiye hue
['Ghalib' don't tease me with the enthusiasm of
tears, for
I sit with the determination of facing a storm]
When a man cries, he either feels depressed, or
consoles himself saying
"..no, this is not the way. i have to do something. crying
is not the
solution". Ghalib is in the latter frame of mind. His
repeated
crying (josh-e-ashq), has steeled him and he has the
determination, now, to
face a storm. So he tells himself "Don't tease me and make
me cry again. I
sit with a determination of facing a storm".
Dictionary : qadah = goblet; laKHt
= piece; mizhgaaN = eyelid;
waz'a = conduct/behaviour; 'ehtiyaat = care; chaak
= torn; girebaaN = collar;
tasavvur = imagination; tahayya = determined