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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
31stth 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
Mar gaya
sadma-e-yak jumbish-e-lab se Ghalib
Ghalib died just by the (minute)
push of air from lips
Na-tvani
se,
harif-e-dam-e-Isa na hua
He was so weak he couldn’t bear this push of air from Jesus’
lips.
Sadma = Shock Jumbish
=movement, jump lab=lip
sadma-e-yak jumbish-e-lab=Shock caused
by the disturbance in air due to movement of lips
Na-tavani=weakness
(Tawan=strong)
Harif=rival
dam=breath
Isa=Jesus
harif-e-dam-e-Isa=rival the breadth of Jesus, couldn’t bear the movement
in air
This is the
7th and the end verse of Ghalib’s 9th ghazal.
Ending verse of a Ghazal is called Maqta; it holds the poet’s pen name
called takhallus. Also, the verse before any Maqta, is called last she'r
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
Meaning:
Let me
explain two aspects of this verse.
1. Muslims and Christians believe that Jesus Christ was endowed with
power of miracle. He could cure the sick and raise the dead. At the
moment of performing this miracle, he would utter, “Rise by the command
of Allah” then he would blow the breath over the dead/sick person. As
soon as these words were uttered, the sick became healthy and the dead
became alive. Both Christian and Muslims believe Jesus never failed.
2. Second aspect is
that Ghalib might have observed that if some blows mouthful of air over
any weak & tiny insect like an ant, it gets pushed away and gets
injured.
In this verse,
Ghalib describes a situation when he is extremely sick, weak, and
fragile; probably he refused food and drink and brought this condition
upon him, as he may have been shunned by his sweetheart. His friends
fetch Jesus Christ to make him healthy. When Jesus came to perform his
miracle and uttered the magical words, “Qum be Izn-i-Allah (Rise by the
command of Allah)”, and then blew his breath, the blow of breath proved
to too much for this weak Ghalib. He couldn’t bear this minute shock of
air and died by its push. It is like someone very sick, dies just by the
prick of an injection that his doctor gave him to cure!
Ghalib is an
iconoclast. In this verse he cleverly refutes the fundamental belief
that Jesus always succeeded in curing sick. He presents a highly
exaggerated situation when the remedy of Jesus proved to be a killer.
Finer aspects
of this verse:
This verse is
full of Ghalib’s magic of imagination and exaggeration.
Ghalib always
likes to poke fun at established beliefs in such a way that he is not
accused of blasphemy. Look at his power of imagination, exaggeration,
and choice of words. Ghalib always use biblical and Qur’anic references
to tell a huge story in just two lines. Elsewhere he mentions that his
problems are too many; one Jesus is not enough! Or, Jesus is helpless
when it comes to Ghalib. By questioning Jesus capacity to cure, Ghalib
glorifies his problems to nth degree. |
