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

This is my 54^th installment. I have received excellent response from many 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 of you might have thought. Please forward this to your friends. Also, please send me your comments/complements. I will appreciate if you forward me email addresses of your Urdu/non-Urdu friends.

Here is today’s verse (She’r) & its explanation in Urdu, Gujarati, and English.  For past issues and much more please do visit my Ghalib website http://www.mirza-ghalib.org I guarantee, you’ll enjoy

ये ग़ालिब की ७१वीं ग़ज़ल के शेअर नंबर ४ और ५ हैं। बहुत ही खूब सूरत अश्आर हैं ।
शेअर नंबर ४:
मौज-ए-सराब-ए-दश्त-ए-वफ़ा का न पूछ  हाल
हर ज़र्रा, मिसल-ए-जौहर-ए-तेग़, आब दार था
मौज = लहर   सराब = रेगिस्तान की धूप में प्यासों को पानी और बाग़ का धोका होना  दश्त इवफ़ा= वफ़ा का रेगिस्तान
तशरीह: मेरे दोस्त! मुझ से वफ़ा के रेगिस्तान का हाल मत पूछ। वो तो एक सराब की जादूगरी है जो प्यासों को पानी और बाग़ दिखा कर अपनी तरफ़ खींचती है और पानी के धोके में पियासे को हलाक कर देती है। युं समझ लो कि दश्त-ए-वफ़ा का हर ज़रा जौहर-ए-तेग़ की तरह आब-ए-दार है। भला दश्त-ए-वफ़ा में गामज़न हो कर कोई कहां तक बच सकता है? मतलब ये है कि वफ़ा जान लिए बग़ैर नहीं रहती।
शेअर की खूबियां: ग़ालिब ने रेगिस्तान की रेतके ढेरों को समुद्र की मौजों से तश्बीह किया है जो खूब है।
मौज, सराब, जौहर, और आबदार का ताल्लुक़ पानी से है। ये एक खूब बंदिश है।
शेअर नंबर ५:
कम जानते थे हम भी ग़म-ए-इश्क़ को, पर अब
देखा,  तो   कम   हुए   पे,  ग़म-ए-रोज़गार   था
तशरीह: ना तजरुबाकारी की वजह से ग़म-ए-इश्क़ को हम कुछ कम ख़याल करते थे लेकिन जब सच मुच इश्क़ में कमी हुई तो दुनया की तमाम आफ़तों ने घेर लिया। इससे ये साबित हुआ कि दुनया की तमाम आफ़तें, आफ़त-ए-इश्क़ के बराबर हैं। इश्क़ दुनया के ग़मों से कईँ ज़्यादा है कि इश्क़ के मुक़ाबले में कोई और आफ़त नहीं आती।
शेअर की खूबियां: ग़ालिब एक शेअर में एक लफ्ज़ दो बार इस्तेमाल नहीं करता। इस शेअर में कम और ग़म दोबार इस्तेमाल किए गए हैं, लेकिन वोह बतौरे मुहावरा हैं, जो जायज़ है।

These are 4^{th &} 5^th verses of Ghalib’s 17^th Ghazal

Moj-e-sarab-e-dasht-e-vafa ka na pooch haal                                                                                               Do not get me started on dunes of love mirage                                                                                                                          Har  zarra,  misl-e-johar-e-tegh,  aab-dar  tha                                                                             Every grain of its sand was like a spirited, sharp sward                                                                                               sarab=mirage       dasht=desert      vafa=faithfulness (to love)   Zarra=grain, particle                                                                     misl=like   johar=sharpness, mettle, shine   tegh=sward   aab-dar=sharpened, quenched

Meaning 4^th verse: My friend: Do not ask me about the wilderness of love and its mirage. Devotion to love is a mirage that attracts thirsty with its illusion of water and greenery; then kills him of thirst and exhaustion. Know this much: every grain of sand dune of this mirage is like a spirited sward. If so, how could someone putting foot in wilderness of love, save himself. It will ultimately take toll of his life

Finer aspects of this verse: Ghalib has likened sand dunes with waves in ocean, which is unique. Words wave, mirage, quenching, and aab-dar, all have connection with water, a terrific selection of words.

 Kam jante the hum bhi gham-e-ishq ko, par ab                                                                   Inexperienced me had a reduced idea about perils of love                                                                                               Dekha,  to  kam   hu-e  pe   gham-e-rozgar  tha                                                                           I realized: when love sorrows ebb, mundane sorrows surround                                                                                              Gham-e-ishq=love perils      Gham=trouble, sorrow, pain      gham-e-rozgar=sorrows of livelihood

Meaning 5^th verse:  Having zero inexperience in love, I underestimated its perils. However, when my love ebbed, all other livelihood problems surrounded me. Then only, I realized that no worldly perils came close to love pain; love pain rules supreme. In one other verse Ghalib says, “Gham-e-ishq na hot to ghame=e-rozgar hota” meaning if love problems had not befallen on me, livelihood problems would have surrounded me. It is better having one sorrow, love, than having millions mundane sorrows.

When one chases his goal with single mindedness, he forgets the world and its problems. However, when one fails, or gives up that goal, he feels vacuum. He realizes that now he has to faces other challenges, sorrows of world.

Finer aspects of this verse: Ghalib does not repeat words in a verse. In this verse, Ghalib has repeated Kam and Gham. However, he uses both words as compound words and as phrases. Such usage is permitted.

Asghar Vasanwala                                                                                                              asgharf@att.net                                                                                                                        October 5, 2007