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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 my webpage:
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
30th 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.mp3
Kis
se mehroomi-e-qismat ki Shikayat ki
je ?
Who do I complain about my luckless self?
Hum ne chha tha ke mr jaeN, so
who bhi na hua!
I wished for death; it even didn’t come my
way!
mehroom =
devoid (it comes from word haram=banned) mehroomi-e-qismat=emptiness
of luck,
luckless
Shikayat =complaint
This is the 6th
verse of Ghalib’s 9th ghazal.
Ending verse of a Ghazal is called Maqta; it holds the poet’s pen name
called takhallus. The verse before maqta, which is this verse, is called
Aakhri sher or last verse of a ghazal.
This 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:
This
verse is full of pain. It narrates the moments of extreme suffering,
agony, and torment in a human life in very simple words. In this verse,
Ghalib has captured those moments when he was ignored, refused, and
rejected by his sweetheart; or, by the treacherous and mean world. In
this mood, Ghalib seeks refuge in death. He thought that death would
embrace him just for asking. Alas his luck! Death also rejected him. It
also didn’t embrace him. Now, who do Ghalib complain about such an awful
luck? When even death has rejects, who else would accept him?
Ghalib is
saying, “Look how helpless is I? I want to die; yet, even death is
rejecting me!”
Finer aspects
of this verse: In this verse,
Ghalib has captured a perfect picture of terrible moments in a life a
person when he faces rejection from every where and loses all hopes;
he/she then thinks that death is the only panacea. However, death is
also not easy to come. In USA and other western countries, many cancer
patients and patients suffering from many dreaded diseases, want to
trash their tubes and oxygen masks and embrace death; but, the
Government and its laws force him/her to live in suffering; law wouldn’t
allow ending the suffering by euthanasia. This verse projects exact
picture of those suffering minds. |
