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For those who have
joined now, let me say few words about this Ghalib series.
Ghalib, his
Ghazals, his poems, his genius, and his wits have always fascinated
millions of Urdu lovers including myself. Those who want to read my
previous work please Ctrl + click or copy and paste in internet address
window, the following link:
http://www.mirza-ghalib.org
or, if you choose, you may send me an email request; I will email back
my previous explanations just for asking.
This is my 19th installment. I have
received excellent response from lot of friends; both Urdu and non-Urdu
speakers. Please know that this is my own, Asghar Vasanwala’s, work and
not a forwarding of someone else’s work as some you thought. Please
forward this to your friends. Also please send me your
comments/complements. I will
appreciate if you forward me emails of your Urdu/non-Urdu friends.
Here is today’s
verse (she'r) in Urdu, Gujarati, and Roman script.
Tha
zindagi meiN marg ka khaTka laga hua
During life I was always mindful of my death. (this awareness had made
me pale)
uDne se peshtar bhi mera raNg zard tha
Death robs color and makes skin pale; but, I cheated death; I was
already pale.
(The death was defeated; it even couldn’t rob me of my color).
Marg = death,
Khatka= fear, awareness
Peshtar =
before hand, war
Zard=pale, yellow
This is the 2nd verse of Ghalib’s 7th ghazal.
This ghazal is not popular at street level but it has a Sufi touch; and, I love it
for that.
 Meaning:
This verse is celebrated for its Sufi color. It has deep meaning and
shows a way, how to live our lives. We are always advised by our elders
to be conscious of death and fear God and that life is fragile and
temporary. Yet, we get charmed by this colorful world, and forget that
one day we have to die and that we have to answer almighty about our
deeds.
Reflection on
death and awareness that our deeds have consequences, keep us on
straight path.
When the angle of death descends, it robs our beautiful skin color and
our charming smile. They become pale. Ghalib in above verse says, “I
lived differently. When I lived I was always aware of my death and
feared Angle of Death. Because of this fear, my color was always pale.
So, when finally death arrived, I cheated it, as it couldn’t rob me my
color. I had no color to be robbed!”
Look at the charming skin color of those who collect funds, taxes, Zakat
etc and embezzle it rather giving it to rightful people. Those in public
private high positions rob poor and rightful people through deceits and
frauds; most have dazzling glamour and
glittery
color. Angel of death will be
delighted
robbing them of their color.
Ghalib has used uDne se peshtar = before getting pale; however if we
change that to marne se peshtar = before death, the verse become easy to
understand. Our Mirza Ghalib used uDne because it goes with the color
scheme of the verse. uDne, rang, and zard, fits his color scheme.
Ghalibologists’ opinions:
Bekhud:
I dissolved my self (Fana fillah) before the death could do so.
The imagery of this verse can be enjoyed by people with Sufi bent only.
Capturing of such a huge thought in such a small meter is a fete that
only Mirza Ghalib, a Master with complete control, can perform.
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