by Mir
The two ghazals translated here have been performed extensively by renowned singers.3 The first verse of the second ghazal speaks of the existential angst that had permeated Urdu poetry in the nineteenth century, where the poets began to see themselves as mere puppets in a hostile tableau of history. This sentiment can be linked to some of Mir’s more introspective works too, including some translated in this volume.
1Laayi hayaat aaye
Laayi hayaat aaye, qazaa le chali, chale
Apni khushi na aaye, na apni khushi chale
Behtar to hai yahi ke na duniya se dil lagaye
Par kya karen jo kaam na be-dillagi chale
Ho umr-e Khizr bhi to kahenge ba waqt-e marg
Ham kya rahe yahaan? Abhi aaye, abhi chale
Duniya ne kis ka raah-e fanaa mein diya hai saath
Tum bhi chale chalo yoon hi jab tak chali chale
Naazaan na ho khirad pe jo hona hai vo hi ho
Danish teri na kuchh meri daanishvari chale
Kam honge is bisaat pe ham jaise bad-khumaar
Jo chaal hum chale vo nihaayat buri chale
Jaate havaa-e shauq mein hain is chaman se Zauq
Apni balaa se baad-e saba ab kahin chale
Life summoned me
Life summoned me, I ascended; death caused my descent
Neither of my will I came, nor of my will I went.
It might be best not to fall for this world’s wily snares
But some tasks just won’t get done without love’s droll consent.
Were we to be granted the age of Khizr4, we would still
Say, ‘Why leave now? I’ve just come! My passing, I resent!’
This world is indifferent to wayfarers bound for death
You may as well go on till your time here is spent.
Be not vain, knowledge will lose, fate has the upper hand
That which is decreed, none of your wisdom can prevent.
Few are worse than you once you’ve surrendered to the wine
What you did was truly mean, deserved is your torment.
Zauq flows away into the void from this verdant garden
After my death, should I care what spring and flowers had meant?
2Ab to ghabraa ke ye kahte hain
Ab to ghabraa ke ye kahte hain ke mar jaayenge
Mar ke bhi chain na paayaa to kidhar jaayenge?
Tum ne thahraai agar ghair ke ghar jaane ki
To iraade yahan kuchh aur thahar jaayenge
Hum nahin vo jo karen khoon ka daavaa tujh par
Balke poochhega khuda bhi, to mukar jaayenge
Aag dozakh ki bhi ho jaayegi pani pani
Jab ye aasi araq-e sharm se tar jaayenge
Shola-e aah ko bijli ki tarah chamkaaoon
Par mujhe dar hai, ke vo dekh ke dar jaayenge
Nahin paayegaa nishaan koi hamaara har-giz
Hum jahaan se ravish-e teer-e nazar jaayenge
Zauq, jo madarase ke bigde hue hain mullaah
Unko maikhaane mein le aao, sudhar jaayenge
In fear you say
In fear you say you’d rather die, have you thought though?
If there is no solace in death, where will you go?
Since you wish to hedge bets, visit my rival’s home
My fidelity will change too, it’s quid pro quo.
I’ll not blame you for my murder, even if God
Asks me. Immunity upon you, I’ll bestow.
Hell’s fire will lose its heat, turn into cold water
When we sinners pass wet in shame from head to toe.
I’ll flash the flame of my pain like a lightning bolt
But will its light scare you away? I do not know.
You may search, but will never find a trace of me
I’ll pass from sight like a glance, swift as an arrow.
O Zauq, for mullahs ruined by seminaries
A visit to yonder tavern may be apropos!
Mirza Ghalib
Hoon garmi-e nishaat-e tasavvur se naghma-sanj
Main andaleeb-e gulshan-e na-aafareeda hoon
Behold, I sing in the heated joy of imagination
For I’m the nightingale of the yet uncreated garden.
The name of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797–1869) rolls off the tongue like a word of gratitude. Indeed, Ghalib is a gift, and he was well aware of it. In his own words, ‘Surma-e muft-nazar hoon, meri qeemat ye hai / Ke rahe chashm-e khareedaar pe ehsan mera’ (‘I am the kohl that adorns the eye, my only price is your grateful sigh’). I am sighing.
What makes Ghalib so unique? Like Shakespeare in the English dramatic tradition, he has now been studied so much that all his poetic output has been subjected to the full glare of scrutiny, and plumbed for metaphorical hints and allegorical subtext. What made his poetry great was its simultaneous accessibility and impenetrability. He could write the most playful verses about mangoes and the most opaque verses about the nature of existence. Consider the first sher of the first ghazal of his deevan. It goes: ‘Naqsh faryadi hai kis ki shokhi-e tehreer ka / Kagazi hai pairahan, har paikar-e tasveer ka.’ The literal translation of this two-liner could be: ‘Whose creativity does the creation complain about? / Every picture wears paper robes.’ This verse lends itself to multiple meanings, and is possibly the most analysed sher in the history of Urdu poetry.1 Much has been said about the consternation of the poets in the Delhi mushaira circles—who were more used to lighter fare—when they heard such verses. The meaning of this famous verse actually hinges on a few metaphors. The wearing of paper robes refers to an ancient Persian custom in which complainants to the king dressed in paper to signify their unhappiness. Perhaps Ghalib is upset at God for the imperfection of his creation (the human); perhaps he is lauding humanity for its ability to critique God. In my opinion, a good translator would do well to not offer a direct interpretation of the sher, but rather alert the reader to the important elements of metaphor and context—and then promptly get out of the way.
We are also aware of a variety of anecdotes about his life that show him to be a colourful character. One anecdote has it that British soldiers once accosted him in a post-1857 round-up. The soldiers asked him, ‘Are you a Muslim?’ Ghalib replied, ‘I am half-a-Muslim.’ Watching their mystified expressions, he ventured a clarification: ‘I drink liquor, but do not eat pork.’ Likewise, his love for mangoes was well known. Once, his senior friend, a hakim (doctor), was watching Ghalib gorge on mangoes. He espied a donkey, which was rooting about in the garbage, but left a heap of mango peels alone. Hakim Saheb loftily remarked: ‘Look Mirza, even the donkey does not like mangoes.’ Never one to let such an opening go waste, Ghalib reparteed: ‘True, Hakim Saheb, only a donkey would not like mangoes.’
Ghalib’s witty anecdotes disparaging religion would fill pages, as would his sly asides at those in power, including those whom he depended on for financial assistance, and composed ceremonious odes to. His love life was chequered, his morals suspect, his sense of responsibility repugnant, but he was a character worthy of the appellation ‘poet’.
Ghalib has been translated by several people, from language experts to armchair enthusiasts. It is refreshing to see him as the bone of contention among translators of varying temperaments, some of whom take extraordinary liberties with his work (for example, a recent book referred to his ghazals as ‘sonnets’), while others take a more literal approach, choosing not to muck around with genius. I am an agnostic in this debate; I enjoy both kinds of efforts. Likewise, Ghalib has been the subject of relentless scholarly analysis. A friend who is an Urdu scholar estimates that over a thousand PhD theses have been done on Ghalib in India alone, and possibly as many in Pakistan. There are over twenty-five sharahs (explanatory volumes) of his deevan in print, many of which disagree quite violently on the meanings and contexts of hi
s verse. I would recommend that the Ghalib neophyte start instead with a visual introduction—by watching Naseeruddin Shah portray him in Gulzar’s magnificent TV serial.2
In deference to Ghalib’s stature, I beg your indulgence for having chosen to translate five ghazals. I have translated only the first two rhythmically, choosing to let Ghalib’s words speak for themselves in the other three without too much wordsmithing on my part. These ghazals have all been performed multiple times by a veritable pantheon of singers, and many performances are available in the public domain.3
1Aah ko chaahiye
Aah ko chaahiye ek umr asar hone tak
Kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar hone tak?
Daam-e har mauj mein hai halqaa-e sadkaam-e nahang
Dekhen kya guzre hai qatre pe gohar hone tak
Aashiqi sabr-talab aur tamanna betaab
Dil ka kya rang karoon khoon-e jigar hone tak
Hum ne maana ke taghaaful na karoge lekin
Khaak ho jaayenge hum tum ko khabar hone tak
Partav-e khur se hai shabnam ko fanaa ki taaleem
Main bhi hoon ek inaayat ki nazar hone tak
Ek nazar besh nahin fursat-e hasti ghaafil
Garmi-e bazm hai ek raqs-e sharar hone tak
Gham-e hasti ka, Asad, kis se ho juz marg ilaaj
Shama har rang mein jalti hai sahar hone tak
A cry needs
For a cry to lead to redress, it often takes an age
Who can remain alive while you with your stray curls engage?
Each wave of the ocean harbours a hundred crocodiles
What lies in store before the drop achieves a pearly stage4?
Love counsels patience while passion betrays its anxiety
How should I paint my bloodied heart while these duellists rage?
I know that you won’t shrink from familiarity but
Before you hear of my sad plight, I would have died off-stage
The new sunbeam pronounces imminent death upon dewdrops
I too await the gaze that will both kill and assuage
A mere glance is sufficient for you to complete your task
A spark needs but a moment to kindle a fire’s rage
What is the cure to life’s sorrow save death, my dear Asad?
The taper burns all night, awaits the dawn to be upstaged.
2Bas ke dushwaar hai
Bas ke dushwaar hai har kaam ka aasaan hona
Aadmi ko bhi mayassar nahin insan hona
Ishrat-e qatlgah-e ahl-e tamanna mat poochh
Eed-e nazaara hai shamsheer kaa uriyaan hona
Ki mere qatl ke baad us ne jafa se tauba
Hai us zood-pashemaan ka pashemaan hona
Haif us chaar-girah kapde ki qismat, Ghalib
Jis ki qismat mein ho aashiq ka garebaan hona
It’s impossible
It’s impossible for all tasks to be facile, that’s all
People find it so tough to answer humanity’s call.
Measure not the desire for death in the passionate
The sight of the killer’s sword presages the festival.5
After killing me, my tormentor forswore all murder
That swift repenter was contrite and rueful, I recall.6
Spare a thought for the ill-fated cloth of four measures that
Was destined to become a lover’s shirt, tunic or shawl.7
3Sab kahaan? kuchh
Sab kahaan? Kuchh laala-o-gul mein numaayaan ho gai’n
Khaak mein kya sooratein hongi ki pinhaan ho gai’n
Yaad thi hum ko bhi ranga rang bazm-aaraaiyan
Lekin ab naqsh-o-nigaar-e taaq-e nisyaan ho gai’n
Thi banaatun-naash-e gardoon din ko parde mein nihaan
Shab ko un ke ji mein kya aaya ki uriyan ho gai’n
Joo-e khoon aankhon se bahne do ke hai shaam-e firaaq
Main ye samjhoonga ke shamen do farozaan ho gai’n
Neend uski hai, dimaagh uska hai, raatein uski hain
Teri zulfein jiske baazoo par pareshaan ho gai’n
Main chaman mein kya gaya, goya dabistan khul gaya
Bulbulen sun kar mere naale, ghazal-khwaan ho gai’n
Hum muvahhid hain, hamaara kaish hai tark-e rusoom
Millaten jab mit gai’n, ajzaa-e eemaan ho gai’n
Ranj se khoogar hua insaan to mit jaataa hai ranj
Mushkilen mujh par padi itni ke aasaan ho gai’n
Yoon hi gar rota raha Ghalib, to ae ahl-e jahaan
Dekhna in bastiyon ko tum, ke veeraan ho gai’n
Not all, merely a few8
Not all, merely a few were celebrated in tulips and roses
What faces there must have been, which remain hidden in dust?
I remembered for a long time those colourful decorations
But now they are consigned to the shelf of forgotten memories.
The starry beauties of the constellation stayed hidden in the mist of the day
At night, wonder what came over them, they revealed themselves, disrobed9.
Blood flows from my eyes; let it, for it’s the night of separation
I will think of my burning eyes as two candles that were thus lit.
Sleep, and wisdom, and the nights all belong to that one
On whose shoulder you choose to rest, with your tresses scattered.
As I entered the garden, it was like school had commenced
The nightingales became poets, when they heard me declaim.10
I believe in Oneness, the disavowal of rituals is my creed
For when religions fade away, they will become part of true faith.
When one makes friends with grief, it miraculously
disappears
I faced so many privations, that they eventually
became facile.
If Ghalib keeps up his lament, mark my words O people
These neighbourhoods of yours will turn into wilderness.
4Hazaaron khwaahishein aisi
Hazaaron khwaahishein aisi ke har khwaahish pe dam nikle
Bahut nikle mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle
Nikalna khuld se Aadam ka sunte aaye hain lekin
Bahut be-aabroo ho kar tere kooche se ham nikle
Magar likhvaaye koi us ko khat to hum se likhvaaye
Hui subh aur ghar se kaan par rakh kar qalam nikle
Mohabbat mein nahin hai farq jeene aur marne ka
Usi ko dekh kar jeete hain jis kaafir pe dam nikle
Khuda ke vaaste parda na Kaabe se uthaa, zaalim
Kahin aisa na ho yaan bhi vahi kaafir sanam nikle
Kahaan maikhaane ka darvaza, Ghalib, aur kahaan vaaiz
Par itnaa jaante hain kal vo jaata thha, ke hum nikle
Thousands of desires
Thousands of desires, and each one worth dying for
Many of my desires were fulfilled, but yet, I feel unrequited.
We have heard often of the expulsion of Adam from Eden
But that is nothing compared to my shamed exit from your street.
If anyone wishes to write my love a letter, then I am available
Every morning, I set out, with a pen tucked behind my ear.11
In love, there is no difference between living and dying
For I find my will to live by gazing at the infidel who kills me.12
For God’s sake, keep the black cloth on the Kaaba
I do not want to find that it harbours yet another infidel idol.13
Whither the tavern door, Ghalib, and whither the holy man?
But I swear, as I left the winehouse last night, I saw him enter.
5Baazeecha-e atfaal
Baazeecha-e atfaal hai duniya mere aage
Hota ha
i shab-o-roz tamaasha mere aage
Hota hai nihan gard mein sehraa mere hote
Ghista hai jabeen khaak pe dariya mere aage
Mat poochh ke kya haal hai mera tere peechhe
Tu dekh ke kya rang hai tera mere aage
Eemaan mujhe roke hai jo khenche hai mujhe kufr
Kaabaa mere peechhe hai, kaleesa mere aage
Go haath ko jumbish nahin aankhon mein to dam hai
Rehne do abhi saaghar-o-meenaa mere aage
Hum-pesha-o-hum-masharab-o-humraaz hai meraa
Ghalib ko buraa kyon kaho achhaa mere aage
The play of children
The world to me is no more than a play of children
This cheap spectacle occurs every day in front of me.
[For the dust my wandering raises] the desert acknowledges my superiority
[For the volume of my tears] the sea acknowledges me as its master.14
Ask not how I am doing in your absence
Instead, watch your colour in my presence.15
Faith compels me to stop, while infidelity pulls me forward
I vacillate thus, between the Kaaba and the church.
Admittedly, my hands have ceased to move, but my eyes still have strength
Keep the cask and the wine glass in front of me.16
He shares my profession, my wine, and also my secrets
And you dare denounce ‘Ghalib’ in front of me!
Momin
It is reported that when Ghalib heard Momin Khan Momin’s (1800–51) sher that went ‘Tum mere paas hote ho goya / Jab koi doosra nahi hota’ (‘It is as if you are close to me / When there is nobody else’), he offered an extraordinary trade: his entire deevan for that one couplet. I hope Ghalib was not serious, but if he was, I’d recommend Momin run, not walk, to accept the trade! Nevertheless, it is good to be appreciated thus by the master. Many of Momin’s verses have been elevated to the status of metaphor in standard Urdu usage. For example, on the persisitence of habit: ‘Umr saari to kati ishq-e butaan mein, Momin, / Aakhri waqt mein kya khaak musalmaan honge’ (‘I have spent my life loving idols, Momin, / On my deathbed, I am loath to accept Islam’).