{"id":1351,"date":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/ghalibs-most-famous-and-popular-shers-translated-and-discussed\/"},"modified":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T00:00:00","slug":"ghalibs-most-famous-and-popular-shers-translated-and-discussed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/ghalibs-most-famous-and-popular-shers-translated-and-discussed\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghalib&#8217;s Most Famous and Popular Shers Translated and Discussed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/kaulscorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Untitled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Maharaj Kaul translates and discusses Mirza Ghalib\u2019s (1797 \u2013 1869)<\/p>\n<p>most popular and famous shers:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Ghalib Sher 24:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>qafas me\u00f1 mujh se r\u016bd\u0101d-e-chaman kahte na Dar hamdam<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>gir\u012b hai jis pe kal bijl\u012b vo mer\u0101 \u0101shiy\u0101\u00f1 kyuu\u00f1 ho<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Translation:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>in the cage, telling me the events of the garden, don&#8217;t be afraid, friend<br \/>\nthe one on which lightning has fallen yesterday, why would that be my nest?<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Discussion:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>As it happens with some of Ghalib\u2019s verses, several meanings can be alluded to this one. He was a master of compression: in the least number of words, he could construct a meaning that could be interpreted differently by different readers. My interpretation of this verse is that a bird in a garden was captured by a gardener and put in a cage in the garden, from where he could see the garden. A new bird is captured by the gardener and put in the same cage in which the earlier bird has been a prisoner. The new bird after he is put in the cage starts at once a conversation about the lightning that struck the garden a day earlier, destroying the earlier prisoner\u2019s nest. But in midway of his conversation he stops, afraid that the news of the destruction of the earlier bird\u2019s nest will pain him. But in spite of the halted news of the new bird, the old bird realizes that the new bird wanted to tell him about the destruction of his nest, as he had either seen it himself yesterday, or by judging the new bird\u2019s hesitation to give the bad news. The old bird has made peace with the destruction of his old nest, as he lives there no more. He has a new life in the cage, with which he wants to make peace. This is expressed by the old bird telling the new bird that the destruction of his old nest is irrelevant, as he leads a new existence living in the cage.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Below three verses of Ghalib are being grouped together, as they are<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>thematically connected. Because of this the verse numbering in this<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>posting had to be put in the descending order:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Ghalib Sher 21<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>rahye ab ais\u012b jagah chal kar jah\u0101\u00f1 ko\u02be\u012b nah ho<br \/>\n<\/em><em>ham-su<\/em><em>\u1e33<\/em><em>han ko\u02be\u012b nah ho aur ham-zab\u0101\u00f1 ko\u02be\u012b nah ho<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Translation:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>one should go now and live in such a place where there would be no one<br \/>\nthere would be no speech-sharer and there would be no language-sharer<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Discussion:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Ghalib would like to move to such a place where there would be no companion, no one to talk with, and no one who would understand his language. It is because he has had with them, they have given him a lot of grief. He wants absolute isolation.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Ghalib Sher 22:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>be-dar-o-d\u012bv\u0101r s\u0101 ik ghar ban\u0101y\u0101 ch\u0101hiye<\/em><em><br \/>\nko\u02be\u012b ham-s\u0101yah nah ho aur p\u0101sb\u0101\u00f1 ko\u02be\u012b nah ho<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Translation:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>without-door-and-walls-ish house ought to be made<\/p>\n<p>there would be no neighbor and there would be no\u00a0gatekeeper<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Discussion:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Ghalib would like to have a house made without doors and walls. Obviously, it implies that no neighbors exist. It is like living in a desert or an island without people. Obviously again no doorman would be needed in such an existence. All these requirements are needed by Ghalib because he has had enough grief with people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Ghalib Sher 23:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>pa\u1e5bye gar b\u012bm\u0101r to ko\u02be\u012b nah ho b\u012bm\u0101r-d\u0101r<\/em><em><br \/>\naur agar mar j\u0101\u02beiye to nau\u1e25ah-\u1e33hv\u0101\u00f1 ko\u02be\u012b nah ho<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><em><strong>Translation:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em>if one would fall sick then there would be no sick-attendant<br \/>\nand if one would die then there would be no lament-reciter<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Discussion:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Ghalib does not want any attendant to help him, if he got ill. Nor would he want any lament-reciter to lament his death, as was required by the prevalent culture. It is all because he is so sick and tired of human society. He has had enough of it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>General Discussion on The Above Three Verses:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The above three verses are considered among the worst of Ghalib\u2019s poetry. Such negativity, such emotionalism. He wants to live in an unpopulated place, where he won\u2019t see even the face of a human being, as he has been deeply hurt by them. Such a childish emotion.<\/p>\n<p>In 1862 Ghalib is supposed to have written to some Ala\u2019i:<\/p>\n<p>I envy the situation of island-dwellers in general, and of the lord of Farrukhabad in particular, whom they put off the ship and left on the shore of the land of Arabia. Hah! [<em>ah\u0101h\u0101h\u0101<\/em>]: {127,3}. (Arshi 246)<\/p>\n<p>What he is expressing is that he would like to live on an island, cut-off from the commotion of the world. But in the above three verses he has gone even beyond that in wanting to live without human beings around him.<\/p>\n<p>These three verses are independent of each other, but thematically they are similar, so they are like a ghazal.<\/p>\n<p>Their popularity also stems from Suraiya\u2019s singing of them.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ghalib Sher 20:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><em><strong>go h\u0101th ko junbish nah\u012b\u00f1 \u0101\u00f1kho\u00f1 me\u00f1 to dam hai<\/strong><\/em><strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong><em><strong>rahne do abh\u012b s\u0101\u0121har-o-m\u012bn\u0101 mire \u0101ge<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>Translation:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em>although there is no movement in the hand but eyes have power<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\nlet the wine glass and flagon remain before me<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\n<\/em><strong>Discussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Due to old age or dissipation of passion the body feels weak, but<\/p>\n<p>still the eyes have power. It is not all over yet. So, let the wine glass<\/p>\n<p>and the flagon (a large container of wine, which has a handle and<\/p>\n<p>a spout) stay on. Man\u2019s life is dependent on the vigor of body, but<\/p>\n<p>beyond that the mind still exerts power over his existence.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Ghalib Sher 19:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><em><strong>b\u0101z\u012bchah-e at\u0324f\u0101l hai duny\u0101 mire \u0101ge<\/strong><\/em><strong><br \/>\n<em>hot\u0101 hai shab-o-roz tam\u0101sh\u0101 mire \u0101ge<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><strong>Translation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>a game of children the world is before me<\/p>\n<p>happens night and day a spectacle in front of me<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Ghalib sees the world as games that children play. The spectacle goes on day and night. He does not think much of it, he is unaffected by it. This means that he has an inner life that he lives for and by it. His division of his internal and the external lives is strong. This is clearly different from run of the world people.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Ghalib Sher 18:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><em><strong>ham ne m\u0101n\u0101 kih ta\u0121h\u0101ful nah karoge lekin<\/strong><\/em><strong><em><br \/>\n\u1e33h\u0101k ho j\u0101\u02bee\u00f1ge ham tum ko \u1e33habar hote tak<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>Translation:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>I concede that you won\u2019t show negligence but<\/p>\n<p>dust I will become by the time the news reaches you<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>The lover has come to concede that his beloved will not be negligent in taking care of him when he is in some dire condition, but the problem is that she may have gone so far away or is in some difficult situation such that his bad news may not reach her in time. So, this is the dark cloud hanging over the lover\u2019s head.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 17:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><em><strong>ham ko un se vaf\u0101 k\u012b hai umm\u012bd<\/strong><\/em><strong><em><br \/>\njo nah\u012b\u00f1 j\u0101nte vaf\u0101 ky\u0101 hai<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>Translation:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em>we have hope for faithfulness from the one<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\nwho doesn\u2019t know what faithfulness is<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\n<\/em><strong>Discussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Ghalib says that the irony is that we are expecting faithfulness from a beloved who does not know what faithfulness means. It could be that she is so young yet to know what it is, or that she is old enough to know what it is, but does not think it is required of her. That is faithfulness is not a requisite in love. On one hand the lover is going in the full fever of love with all its trappings, but on the other hand the beloved does not seem to care for faithfulness.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Ghalib Sher 16:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><em><strong>ishq mujh ko nah\u012b\u00f1 va\u1e25shat h\u012b sah\u012b<\/strong><\/em><strong><em><br \/>\nmer\u012b va\u1e25shat tir\u012b shuhrat h\u012b sah\u012b<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>Translation:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em>love it may not be let it be madness<\/p>\n<p>my madness your fame let it be<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Ghalib tells his beloved that let it be his madness as she feels his love is. But his madness has imparted a fame of specialness on her. In other words, even though she thinks his passion for her is madness, but nevertheless it has cast her as a special person in society.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Ghalib Sher 15:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\nyih nah th\u012b ham\u0101r\u012b qismat kih vi\u1e63\u0101l-e y\u0101r hot\u0101<\/strong><\/em><strong><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\nagar aur j\u012bte rahte yih\u012b intiz\u0324\u0101r hot\u0101<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>this was not our destiny that union with the beloved would take place<\/p>\n<p>if we had kept on living there would have been the same waiting<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Ghalib laments that it has not been his luck to have had a union with his beloved. Also, he has come to the realization that had he and his beloved waited longer, the union between them would still not materialize. This is so because it is their destiny.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Ghalib Sher 14:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\nishq se t\u0324ab\u012b\u02bfat ne z\u012bst k\u0101 maz\u0101 p\u0101y\u0101<\/strong><\/em><strong><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\ndard k\u012b dav\u0101 p\u0101\u02be\u012b dard-e be-dav\u0101 p\u0101y\u0101<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>through passion the being found the relish of life<\/p>\n<p>found cure for a pain found an incurable pain<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ghalib says that by means of passion a human being can make life enjoyable, but that passion is not easy to cultivate and hold on to, because of the problems associated with it. So, while the enjoyment in life is cultivatable, but the fuel to support it is problematic.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Ghalib Sher 13:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\nmu\u1e25abbat me\u00f1 nah\u012b\u00f1 hai farq j\u012bne aur marne k\u0101<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>us\u012b ko dekh kar j\u012bte hai\u00f1 jis k\u0101fir pah dam nikle<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>in love there is no difference between living and dying<\/p>\n<p>seeing her we live the infidel who would make us die<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>Ghalib says that in love one lives as well as dies, as it is a challenging experience that involves a relationship with another person. Depending on her state of mind one\u2019s feelings can swing from living to dying.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 12:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>baskih dushv\u0101r hai har k\u0101m k\u0101 \u0101s\u0101\u00f1 hon\u0101<\/strong><\/em><strong><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\ndm\u012b ko bh\u012b muyassar nah\u012b\u00f1 ins\u0101\u00f1 hon\u0101<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>it is difficult for every task to be easy<\/p>\n<p>even for man it is not easy to be human<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><em>It is difficult for every human task to be easy. For man also to be human is not easy. Man is the physical aspect of the human race, being human is his qualities of love, sacrifice, compassion, etc.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 11:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\nnah th\u0101 kuchh to \u1e33hud\u0101 th\u0101 kuchh nah hot\u0101 to \u1e33hud\u0101 hot\u0101<\/strong><\/em><strong><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\n\u1e0duboy\u0101 mujh ko hone ne nah hot\u0101 mai\u00f1 to ky\u0101 hot\u0101<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>when there was nothing there was God if nothing happened God would be created<\/p>\n<p>I was drowned by my existence if I didn\u2019t exist what would happen<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Discussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>It is a deeply philosophical sher by Ghalib. He says that when there was nothing in the universe, there still existed God; and if nothing was going on in the universe, the phenomenon of God would still be occurring. Ghalib says that his existence has ruined him. Because if he had not existed, he would be a part of God, a superior situation than his human situation.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>Ghalib Sher 10:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em><br \/>\nhaz\u0101ro\u00f1 \u1e33hv\u0101hishe\u00f1 ais\u012b kih har \u1e33hv\u0101hish pah dam nikle<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>bahut nikle mire arm\u0101n lekin phir bh\u012b kam nikle<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>all the thousands of longings are such that over every longing I would die<\/p>\n<p>many of my wishes were fulfilled but still few were fulfilled<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ghalib says there are thousands of desires in life such that, for each of them one would sacrifice his life. Many of his desires were fulfilled, but still they turned out to be few.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><em><strong>Ghalib Sher 9:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><br \/>\nko\u02be\u012b v\u012br\u0101n\u012b-s\u012b v\u012br\u0101n\u012b hai<\/strong><\/em><strong><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\ndasht ko dekh ke ghar y\u0101d \u0101y\u0101<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>it is a desolation like desolation<\/p>\n<p>seeing the desert home came to mind<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is a famous sher known for its vast ambiguity. Is Ghalib reminded of his home seeing the desolation of the desert? Or is he longing to be at his home, seeing the desolation of the desert? Or, is he in a state of the mood of desolation; then, seeing the desert he is reminded of his home, as a state of relief. We cannot understand what Ghalib had in his mind writing this couplet.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 8:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>ko\u02be\u012b mere dil se p\u016bchhe tire t\u012br-e n\u012bm-kash ko<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nyih \u1e33halish kah\u0101\u00f1 se hot\u012b jo jigar ke p\u0101r hot\u0101<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>let someone ask my heart about your half-drawn arrow<\/p>\n<p>where would this romantic pain have been if it had gone through beyond the liver<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The half-drawn arrow thrown by Ghalib\u2019s beloved at him, whether by amateurishness or by design, has produced a beautiful pain in him. On the other hand, had it been thrown fully by her, he would have been dead, but without any pain. This pain is what produces the feeling of love. So, he is better off in pain than being dead.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 7:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n\u0121ham-e hast\u012b k\u0101 asad kis se ho juz marg \u02bfil\u0101j<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nsham\u02bfa har rang me\u00f1 jalt\u012b hai sa\u1e25ar hote tak<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>for the grief of life Asad what would be the cure except death<\/p>\n<p>the candle in every color burns until the coming of dawn<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ghalib asks what is the cure of the unavoidable grief of life. He answers his question by saying it is death. He laments further that life is like a candle, which keeps on burning all night till dawn. Then when its wax runs out it extinguishes. When the flame of life is burning it can encompass everything imaginable. This is the inherent tragedy of human life. The second line of the sher is awesome, as it tells that while alive a man can be an element in all the possibilities. That is, the scope of human life is great; man\u2019s consciousness can take him\u00a0 anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>Notes:<\/p>\n<p>Asad is the middle name of Ghalib. His full name was Assad Ullah Khan Ghalib.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 6:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u0101h ko ch\u0101hiye ik \u02bfumr a\u1e61ar hote tak<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nkaun j\u012bt\u0101 hai tir\u012b zulf ke sar hote tak<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>a sigh needs a lifetime until the appearance of an effect<\/p>\n<p>who lives until the subduing of your curls<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is among the most famous as well as popular shers of Ghalib. Most of its translations into English have been marred by the translation of the second line of the sher. They have been given to the effect: \u201d who will live until she deigns to pay attention to her lover.\u201d The word \u201csar\u201d means subduing or disentangling or softening. So, \u201czulf ke sar hote tak\u201d means \u201d until the hair curls are disentangled, subdued, or softened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ghalib says that his sighs for his beloved will need a lifetime to be effective, as it is the nature of human life. But while he is waiting miserably, his beloved does not pay any attention to him, as she is busy disentangling the curls of her hair. This is the utterly painful contrast between the two.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 5:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nham ko ma.al\u016bm hai jannat k\u012b haq\u012bqat lekin<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>dil ke \u1e33hush rakhne ko \u2018\u0121h\u0101lib\u2019 ye \u1e33hay\u0101l achchh\u0101 hai<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>we know the reality of paradise but<\/p>\n<p>to keep the heart happy Ghalib this idea is good<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nDiscussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is one of Ghalib\u2019s famous shers. It says that we know what paradise is actually, an illusion; but to keep oneself happy and distracted this idea is good.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 4:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nmer\u012b qismat me\u00f1 \u0121ham gar itn\u0101 th\u0101<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\ndil bh\u012b y\u0101-rab ka.\u012b diye hote<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>in my fate if so much sorrow was ordained<\/p>\n<p>hearts Oh God many should I have been given<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\ndil h\u012b to hai na sa\u00f1g-o-\u1e33hisht dard se bhar na aa.e kyuu\u00f1<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nro.e\u00f1ge ham haz\u0101r baar ko\u012b hame\u00f1 sat\u0101.e kyuu\u00f1<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong>it\u2019s just a heart no stony shard why shouldn\u2019t it fill with pain<\/p>\n<p>I will cry a thousand times why should someone complain<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nGhalib Sher 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nishq par zor nah\u012b\u00f1 hai ye vo \u0101tish \u2018\u0121h\u0101lib\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nki lag\u0101.e na lage aur bujh\u0101.e na bane<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>love we do not have power over it is that flame Ghalib<\/p>\n<p>it may not ignite when we ignite it nor it may extinguish when we try<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ghalib Sher 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nishrat-e-qatra hai dariy\u0101 me\u00f1 fan\u0101 ho jaan\u0101<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\ndard k\u0101 had se guzarn\u0101 hai dav\u0101 ho jaan\u0101<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nTranslation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>the desire of a drop is to obliterate itself in a river<\/p>\n<p>pain growing beyond limit becomes its own cure<\/p>\n<p><strong>Discussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ghalib says that the ecstasy of a drop of water is to lose its little identity by merging with the much larger expanse of a river, thereby enriching its existence vastly. Let us say there is a man who lives in a small village, where he leads an ordinary life. Then he decides to migrate to a large metropolis as he feels he is not living fully. Though by moving to the metropolis he loses his identity but he vastly gains in the scope of his profession and culture. It is this expansion of mind what Ghalib is referring to.<\/p>\n<p>The second line says that when a human being suffers very much due to something, the suffering elevates his fortitude to tolerate it. Great suffering challenges the human spirit, giving birth to a high threshold of forbearance in him.<\/p>\n<p>Suffern, N.Y., April, 2024<\/p>\n<p>www.kaulcorner.com<\/p>\n<p>maharaj.kaul@yahoo.com<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0test<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; Maharaj Kaul translates and discusses Mirza Ghalib\u2019s (1797 \u2013 1869) most popular and famous shers: &nbsp; Ghalib Sher 24: \u00a0qafas me\u00f1 mujh se r\u016bd\u0101d-e-chaman kahte na Dar hamdam&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1351","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-essays"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1351"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1351\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stagingserver3.com\/Maharaj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}