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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 28th
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) & its explanation in
Urdu, Gujarati, and English
To listen
to this Ghazal sung by Lata, please click
here:
http://lists.elistx.com/archives/blank/200507/mp3EITZJjRNcv.mp
Dil guzer gah-e-Khayal-e-mai
va saghar hi sahi
It is all right,
if my heart is a walkway for thoughts of wine and
chalice
Gar nafas
jada-e-sar-e-manzil-e-taqva na hua
I don’t regret, if my life didn’t march the
path of piety!
guzer gah = walkway Khayal=thought,
reflection mai = wine, liquor va=and
saghar= chalice, cup
gar= agar=if
nafas=breath, life Jadah=path,
trail sar-e-manzil=peak of goal
-e-=of
taqva=piety
This is the 4th
verse of Ghalib’s 9th ghazal.
This ghazal is a popular ghazal. It has 7 verses and all of them are
beautiful and are bursting with great thoughts. It has been sung by many
artists including Lata. For audio, please click here
http://lists.elistx.com/archives/blank/200507/mp3EITZJjRNcv.mp3
Meaning:
In this verse Ghalib has come
up with a new comparison. He says that each person ultimately becomes
some thing.  Take
example of Ghalib. If Ghalib’s life didn’t march the way to zenith of
the goal of piety, why fret? Look! His heart became a walkway for the
thoughts of wine and chalice. Meaning if Ghalib didn’t become a pious
person; so what? His heart became a highway of thoughts of wine and
goblet! Thus Ghalib sees no difference between a pious person who
is lost in thoughts of piety and a worldly person who is lost in
thoughts of wine and goblet.
Finer
aspects of this verse:
In the first line Ghalib uses the word “guzer gah” for path or trail. In
second line he uses another word “jada” for path or trail. Look at his
use of related set of words. When he talks about path and trails he
doesn’t miss the word “Manzil” or the goal. Mark the combination of
Khyal (thoughts) with Guzergah (walkway) and Nafas (breath) with Jadah
(path). It is because; thoughts and breaths are like a traffic running
on a walkway or a path. Appreciate the rich thoughts and charming words
entwined in this verse. Ghalib is teasing the pious person by saying
that there is no difference between him and the pious person. The pious
person excelled in piety; not a big deal! Ghalib’s heart also excelled
in some thing: thoughts of wine and chalice!
Such provocative
thoughts make this verse a very intoxicating one.
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