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 send me an email request; I will email you back my previous explanations just for asking.

This is my 38^th 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 (sh’er) & its explanation in Urdu, Gujarati, and English

Aa ga_ilb nI dsmI g_zl no barmo xer 0e.

Nazar meiN hai hamari, jada-e-rah-e-fana, Ghalib!    I have set my sight on the trail leading to passageway of annihilation (Fana)                        Ke, yeh shiraza  hai aalam  ke  ajza-e-pareshaN  ka  For, Fana is a common string that binds all scattered parts of this world (we are all united in death) Jada=trail            rah-e-fana= passageway of annihilation          Shiraza=thread that binds pages of a book            ajza sing. juz= parts ParishaN=scattered            aalam=world         

 This is the 12^th verse of Ghalib’s 10^th ghazal. Verses 10th & 11th have been omitted.

Meaning: Oh! Ghalib, I have set my sight on the trail leading to the passageway of annihilation (Fana). I never let go  this thought from my mind. For, it is my conviction that every part of this world will get annihilated and will merge with its original matter. Meaning, every item of this world, however dissimilar and conflicting, or similar and agreeable, shall become annihilated and will merge into one matter; as if annihilation (Fana) is the thread that binds all scattered pages of this book, this world.

 This verse is thought provoking. America, Pres. Bush, those countries named axis of evil, oppressor, oppressed, Hindu, Jew, Christian, Muslim, animals, maggots, trees, plants, and all living things, shall annihilate and merge with air, water, and dust i.e. its original form. Those who died in Hiroshima atom bomb blast, and those who dropped that atom bomb, have died and become part of the same air, water, and earth. All of their animosity, hatred, and differences have ended. The day when this planet will be hit by a meteor or a star every particle of this earth shall be united in one vapor. 

 About two-three years ago an incident happened. Supreme priest of Bohra sect, Who is called Syedna (our Master), who his followers think is very close to Allah and believe with conviction that he has power of interceding with Allah, was traveling in a plane. By chance, his nemesis Mr. Engineer was also traveling in the same plane. Syedna’s followers abhorred closeness of this unclean (na-paak) Mr. Engineer with divinely Syedna. They created a mini riot. At that time the above verse popped up in my mind. Whenever people travel in the same plane they are tied by one common string, the air we breathe.  Israelis, Palestinians, Hindus, Muslims, Americans, Ladin folks, Syedna and Engineer, breath the same air. The air exhaled by our nemesis goes into our lungs. From there it goes into red cells of our blood and become part of our bodies. Thus each passenger (Ghalib would call them scattered pages) is tied by a common thread, the air. In India Brahmins wouldn’t touch lowest caste folks like Bhangis and Chamars. If a Shudra-Bhangi or a Chamar touches a Brahmin by an accident, Brahmin purifies himself by taking a purification bath. However the same Brahmin while traveling in Bus or train in close proximity with a Bhangi or Chamar would willingly inhale the exhaled breath of a Shudra. Brahmin wouldn’t stop breathing!

 Finer aspects of this verse: This verse echoes the saying “We are all united in death” However the way Ghalib has said gives a reader a different intoxication and a different charm.