Tag: Mirza Ghalib

Love Sonnets of Ghalib–Ghalib in translation

January 7, 2014 / / 0 Comments

If you are a fan of Urdu poetry and haven’t had a chance to read Ghalib may be it is the time to do that. Understanding Ghalib is no easy task, though. You may not the get the real context what he wants to say in the verse. That is where some translation helps. Most of the translations from Urdu to English do kill the real essence but Love Sonnets of Ghalib (Translated by Sarfaraz Niazi) doesn’t do that. I think it is the best reference out there on Diwan-e-Ghalib; at least in English. It is a must have for any Ghalib poetry lover especially people for whom Urdu is not the native language. But I am sure people having Urdu as their native language will also enjoy reading the translations. He provides with the verse translation first and then goes on to explain the context of that verse in detail. Reading Ghalib from this book has been an absolute pleasure.

Go get it !

Here is a link on flipkart.com and amazon.com .

aa k meri jaan mein qaraar nahi hai

February 14, 2009 / / 1 Comment

Beauty of Mirza Ghalib

aa k meri jaan mein qaraar nahi hai
taaqat-e-bedaad-e-intezaar nahi hai
(bedaad=injustice)

dete hain jannat hayaat-e-dahar k badle
nasha ba-andaaza-e-khumar nahi hai
(hayat=life, dahar=world)

giriya nikaale hai teri bazm se mujh ko
haaye k rone pe ikhtiyar nahi hai
(giriya=crying, ikhtiyar=control)

ham se abas hai gumaan-e-ranjish-e-khaatir
khaak mein ushshaq ki gubaar nahi hai
(abas=indifferent, gumaan=suspicion, ushshaq=lovers, gubaar=clouds of dust)

dil se utha lutf-e-jalva haaye maani
gair-e-gul aaina-e-bahar nahi hai
(gul=rose)

qatal ka mere kia hai ahad to baare
vaaye agar ahad ustavaar nahi hai
(ahad=promise, baare=at last, ustaavar=determined)

tune qasam mai-kashi ki khai hai Ghalib
teri qasam ka kuch aitbaar nahi hai

mere shauq da nahi aitbaar tainu…

September 19, 2008 / / 16 Comments

A beauty by Ghulam Ali. First a little bit about history of this ghazal. It was originally written by Mirza Ghalib in Persian. Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum translated it to Punjabi and then Ghulam Ali added to the beauty by rendering it with perfection. Enjoy the masterpiece from the legends:

mere shauq da nahi aitbaar tainu
aaja vekh mera intezaar a ja
avein laran bahanane labhna en
ki tu sochna en sitamgaar a ja
mere shauq da nahi aitbaar tainu…
(sitamgaar – oppressor)

bhavein hizar te bhavein visaal hove
wakho wakh dohan diyan lazztan ne
mere sohnia ja hazaar wari
aaja pyaria te lakh waar a ja…
(hizar – seperation, visaal – union,meeting)

eh rivaaz e masjidan mandiran da
uthe hastiyan te khud-parastiyan ne
mai-khaane wich mastiyan hi mastiyan ne
hosh kar banke hoshiyaar a ja…

tu sada te tera dil sada
tainu avein raqeeb qurah paya
je tu mere janaaze te nahi aya
raah takdae teri mazaar a ja…

sukhi wasna je tu chauna e
mere ‘Ghaliba’ es jahaan andar
aaja rindan di bazm wich a beh ja
ethe baithde ne khaaksaar a ja…
(rind – one who likes to drink, bazm – mehfil, khaaksaar – low)

mere shauq da nahi aitbaar tainu
aaja vekh mera intezaar a ja
avein laran bahanane labhna en
ki tu sochna en sitamgaar a ja
mere shauq da nahi aitbaar tainu…