Mirza Baig Asadullah Khan Ghalib and his numerous shades of poesy
In the name of Allah (s.w.t) the most Beneficent and Merciful
Peace be upon Mohammad e Mustafa and his progeny
 |
| Versifier Mirza Baig Asadullah Khan Ghalib |
Dr.
Syeda Farhat Fatima
Lecturer
in English,
Department of English, Government Degree
College,
Khairtabad,
Hyderabad. Telangana, 500004
E-Mail: Farhat_fatima5@yahoo.com
Abstract
Mirza
Ghalib was a great Urdu versifier occupying a place of pride in the world
literature. He is one of the most
quotable poets having couplets for almost all situations of life. He was very talented, modest
and lover of Ahl Al-Bayt (Family of Prophet Mohammad). His love for Ahl Al-Bayt could even be
reflected in his Ghazals and other forms of poetry. His poetical surname is Ghalib and Asad. He is one of the last great Delhi poets, and
is the first of the modern poets. He
was born in Kala Mahal Agra on 17th December,1797 and expired on 15th
February,1869 in Delhi. He wrote poetry
in Urdu as well as Persian language. His
honorific was Najm-ud-Daula (star of the state) and Dabir-ul-Mulk (Secretary of
state) these honorifics were bestowed on him by the Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar
in the year 1850. He wrote mainly three types of Poetry: Ghazal, Masnavi and
Qasidah. Mirza Ghalib was also a gifted
letter writer. Some of his contemporaries were Zauq, Momin and Hali. This paper aims to present different shades of Mirza
Ghalib’s poetry and his love for Ahl Al-Bayt
Keywords:
Allah
(God) Ghalib (Dominant), Asad (Lion), Ahl Al Bayt (Family of Prophet
Mohammad), Ghazal (Lyrical poem), Masnavi (moralistic or mystical parable),
Qasidah (panegyric)
Preamble
Mirza Baig
Asadullah Khan Ghalib was one of the most acclaimed Indian Mughal Urdu
Versifier and he was popularly known as Mirza Ghalib. He occupies a place of
pride in world anthologies. He was very intelligent,
humble and lover of Ahl Al-Bayt (Family of Prophet Mohammad). His love for Ahl Al-Bayt could even be
reflected in his Ghazals and other forms of poetry. He is one of the most quotable poets of
nineteenth century having couplets for every situation of life. Ghalib was an
intellectual titan whose poetry is instilled with timelessness and
universality. He
was born in Kala Mahal Agra on 17th December,1797 and expired on 15th
February,1869 in Delhi. He wrote poetry
in Urdu as well as in Persian language.
His honorific was Najm-ud-Daula (star of the state) and Dabir-ul-Mulk
(Secretary of state) these honorifics were bestowed on him by the Emperor,
Bahadur Shah Zafar in the year 1850. This
paper aims to present different shades of Mirza Ghalib’s poetry and his love
for Ahl Al-Bayt
His pen
names were Ghalib (means dominant) and Asad (Lion). Ghalib is not only famous in Indian
subcontinent but also among Hindustani Diaspora around the world. He started
writing poetry at the age of eleven (11) years. As he was an important courtier
of the royal court therefore, he received the title of Mirza Nosha from the
Emperor thus enabling him to add Mirza to his name. He was also appointed as a royal historian
and poet tutor for twentieth and last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar (1854).
And his eldest son, Prince Fakhr -ud Din Mirza (1856). Some of the
contemporaries of Mirza Ghalib were Zauq, Momin and Hali. He was influenced by
his predecessor poets Abdul Qadir, Bedil (1642-1720) and Mir Taqi Mir
(1723-1810). He
wrote mainly three types of Poetry Ghazal (lyrics), Masnavi (moralistic or
mystical parable) and Qasidah (panegyric).
Ghalib took the concept of ghazals and changed them from an expression
of anguish in love to philosophies of life.
Mirza Ghalib was also a gifted letter writer. His letters paved the way to a simpler usage
of Urdu.
His Persian Divan (body
of work) is at least five times longer than his Urdu Divan, his fame rests
on his
poetry in Urdu. Today, Ghalib remains popular not only in the Indian subcontinent but
also among the Hindustani diaspora around the world. Hali’s biography
‘Yaadgar -e-Ghalib’ (a memorial to Ghalib, 1897) has been a marvellous
resource, it offers a truthful perceptive, compassionate but not hagiographical
explanation of the man, his life and his poetry ‘There are few poets in the
history of Persian and Urdu literature whose verses and prose are as deeply
filled with the whole heritage of Muslim Culture as his. Behind his lines lie the wisdom, the charm,
and the imagery of nearly years of Persian poetry and eight hundred years of
Muslim rule in the northwest of sub-continent. It is therefore; impossible to
know Ghalib without thorough knowledge of Persian poetical imagery, the strict
rules of meter and rhyme, the numberless rhetorical devices and, of course, the
religious background of mystically tinged Islam as it has lived in the hearts
of millions of people since the Middle Ages. (Rahbar, 9)1
The
ghazals of Ghalib are densely textured and delve deftly into the subtle nuances
of universal themes such as love, loss, betrayal and Sufi mysticism. Mirza Ghalib used to proclaim his love for
Prophet Mohammad. And his respect for Ali (the Prophets cousin and Son-in-law)
is also palpable. He for instance
honoured Prophet Mohammad as Abr e Gauharbar which means ‘Jewel bearing
cloud’ (Editors Fitzpatrick and Walker, 139)2.
Hasan Abdullah in his book ‘The Evolution of
Ghalib’3 also makes the following observations about Ghalib:
Ghalib’s Urdu ghazals attract a highly diverse set of people—rich and poor,
literary and scientific, uneducated and erudite, layperson and polymath, lover
and beloved, men and women, young and old, even the oppressor and the
oppressed, those sunk into the past and reactionary, as well as those who are
forward-looking and progressive. The plausible reasons appear to be that his
couplets, which are expressed in the most exquisite language using devices such
as wordplay, hyperbole, irony and paradox, reflect diverse situations, depict a
range of human emotions and provide deep insights into man’s life and his
relationship with Nature. Mirza Ghalib regarded himself as the servant of Imam
Ali, peace be upon him (Cousin and Son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad) and he
expressed his ardent love, devotion and empathy for the martyrs of Karbala—like
Imam Hussain, peace be upon him and his companions—and paid rich and glowing
tributes to them.
Poesy
Analysis
‘Allah
existed eternally and nothing else existed’4. This hadith (saying of
Prophet Mohammad) proves that only Allah existed without a beginning. i.e.,
before creating any of the creations. He is a necessary being, which is He
exists by Himself. ‘Allah is self-existing in the sense that
he does not depend on anyone for His existence.’ (Al-Islam.org)5 This is also based on what Allah said in
the Holy Quran; Surah al Ikhlas (112) Verse 2, Allahu as Samad (Allah is Self
Sufficient) which means, everything depends on Him while He doesn’t depend on
anything.6 Based on the above concept Mirza Ghalib construes the
following couplet of Ghazal (a lyric poem)
نہ تھا کچھ توخدا تھا کچھ نہ ہوتا تو خدا ہوتا
ڈ بویا مجھ کو ہونے نے نہ ہوتا میں تو کیا ہوتا
Transliteration
Na tha
kuch toh Khuda tha, Kuch na hota toh Khuda hota,
Dobaya
mujhko hone ne na mein hota toh kya hota. (Ghalib, 27)7
Translation
It is said that before Allah (God) there was
nothing, and before the world there was only Allah and nothing.
Because of my existence and my focus on my
objectives I was drowned. If I wouldn’t
be there nothing would have signified.
When there was nothing, there was God. Had there been nothing, God would have been
there. I was vanquished because I
existed. Had I not existed, what difference it would have made? Ghalib Philosophizes upon existence and
non-existence by keeping God at the centre and man alongside.
The subsequent lines of the Ghazal are known as
Maqta (the final couplet of the lyrical poem) in praise of Prophet Mohammad,
peace be upon him
اُن کی اُمؐت میں ہوں مؑیں، میرے رہیں کیوں کام بند
واسطے جس شہ کے، غالبؔ! گنبدِ بے در کُھلاؔ
Transliteration
Unki Ummat mein hoon mein
mere rahein kyun kaam bandh
Wastey jis shah ke Ghalib
gumbad-e-be-dar khula (Ghalib, 14)8
Translation
I am in his nation (i.e., his
follower), why my works should not be achieved
For whose sake Ghalib, Dome
without doors (i.e., sky) opened.
According
to world view and Keinath images the sky is gumbad-e-be-dar that means no ways
can be formed in the sky but for Prophet Mohammad Allah (s.w.t) made way in the
skies when the Lord Almighty called him up in the skies on Shab e Meraj (also
called Isra night and on this night, Prophet Mohammad went on a special journey
to meet the Creator of this Universe Allah, crossing the seven skies.)
Mirza
Ghalib says in this couplet that he is in the nation of Prophet Mohammad, peace
be upon him. He is his follower and for
his sake; the one (i. e, Prophet Mohammad) for whom the doors of the sky (which
is also known as dome without pillars) opened. His (Mirza Ghalib’s) works
should be done. He depends on Prophet
Mohammad for the solving of his works and problems.
The following
lines of Manqabat, a Sufi devotional poem in praise of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the
son in law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him are:
غالؔب! ندیممِ دوست سے آتی ہے بوے دوست
مشعولِ حق ہوں، بندگی بو تراب میں
Transliteration
Ghalib Nadeem-e-Dost se Aati
hai Bu we Dost
Mashghool e haq hoon
Bandagi-e-Bu-Turaab mein (Ghalib, 75)9
Translation
Ghalib, the fragrance of the friend
(Lord) emanates from the friend’s (Lord’s) Companion. (i.e., Ali ibn Abi Talib)
I am engaged in truthful obedience
of Ali (also named as father of Dust)
(Bu
Turab’ is a title of the Commander of the faithful, Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib,
Cousin and Son in Law of Prophet Mohammad.)
Ghalib
If I follow and obey Hazrat Ali, then it’s as if in reality I obey the Lord.
Because the aroma of a friend is certainly present with the companion of the
friend. That is, if Hazrat Ali is the
Lord’s friend than obedience to him is the obedience to Lord.
The ensuing
Ghazal (a lyrical poem) of Mirza Ghalib conveys his love for Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi
Talib, Cousin and Son in Law of Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him.
غالب میں نوش ہونے پر گار جنّت نہ جا سکوں
حسرت یہ ہے کے بعدِ مرگ کچھ کام اسکوں
اندھن بنا دے مجھ کو جہنم کا آۓ خدا
ہر دشمنِ علی کا کلیجہ جلا سکون
Transliteration
Ghalib mein nosh hone par gar
Jannat na ja sakoon,
Hasrat yahi hai ke
baad-e-marg kuch kaam aa sakoon;
Indhan bana de mujh ko
Jahannum ka aye Khuda’
Har dushman-e-Ali ka kaleja
jala sakoon. (Digital Akhbar “Imam Hussain…” 2020)10
Translation
Ghalib, if my intoxication
prevents me from entering Paradise
I pray that after demise I
may still be of some usage
My Lord, make me amongst the Burning
coals of Hellfire
So that I may be used to burn
the Livers of the Enemies of Ali
Ghalib!
If I can’t go to Paradise for being a wine bibber, I wish that I be of some use
after my death. I implore you to convert me into the fuel of Hell; so that I
can burn the hearts of the enemies of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and brother
of Prophet Mohammad. These lines of Mirza Ghalib illustrate his love for the
progeny of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad and abhorrence against the foes of
Ahl-Al-Bayt-e-Athar. (family of Prophet Mohammad)
The
subsequent lines portray the devotion Mirza Ghalib had for God and his beloved
Mohammad and his representative.
میں قیلِ خدا و نبی و امام ہوں
بندہ خدا کا اور علی کا غلام ہوں
Transliteration
Mein
Qail-e-Khuda-o-Nabi-o-Imam Hun
Banda
Khuda ka aur Ali ka Ghulam Hun (Wahid, pg.85)11
Translation
I
believe in God and Prophet and his representative
Servant
of God and I am a slave of Ali
The
above lines of Mirza Ghalib profess that he believes in the Unity and oneness
of God and he also believes in God’s Apostle, Prophet Mohammad and his
representative Ali Ibn e Abi Talib (cousin and brother of Prophet
Mohammad). He articulates that he is the
servant of Allah and the slave of his Prophets representative Ali ibn Abi
Talib.
Mirza
Ghalib was a lover of Ahl Al-Bayt. In
the following lines he portrays his grief of Hussain ibn Ali, the youngest
grandson of Prophet Mohammad who was martyred brutally in ‘the battle of
Karbala’ which took place on October 10th 680 AD, according to the
Lunar calendar it was 10th Moharram ul Haram, 61 Hijri. Hussain ibn Ali, the youngest grandson of
Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him was a righteous man. He was the holy authority of Muslim Ummah
(community). When Yazid ibn Muawiya
declared himself as an independent ruler over the Ummah, he demanded faith of
allegiance from Hussain ibn Ali, peace be upon him. Hussain ibn Ali flatly vetoed Yazid’s
rule. There was no way Yazid could
represent Islam as he was a deviant, sot, corrupt and one who went against the
rules of Islam. Hussain ibn Ali refused
to give allegiance of Loyalty. Yazid ordered his commanders to seize Hussain
ibn Ali’s allegiance of loyalty at any cost.
The commanders of Yazid surrounded Imam Hussain ibn Ali’s camp and
forcefully started cutting off his basic necessities. Thus, in the land of Karbala in Iraq, Hussain
ibn Ali, the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad sacrificed his family,
friends, followers and close relatives in a war against evil to let the truth
triumph. Hussain ibn Ali was martyred
mercilessly on the land of Karbala along with his seventy-two followers.
غمِ شبیؔر سے ہو سینہ یہاں تک لب ریز
کہ رہیں خونِ جگر سے مری آنکھیں رنگیں
Transliteration
Ghame
Shabbir se ho seena yahan tak labraez
Ke
rahein khoon e jigar se meri ankhein Rangaen (Ghalib, 183)12
Translation
With the
grief of Shabbir the chest should be filled to the extent
That my
eyes should be red coloured like the blood of liver.
Mirza
Ghalib mourns the martyrdom of the youngest grandson of Prophet Mohammad,
Shabbir (also known as Hussain Ibn Ali) and says with grief the eyes should be
red.
Mirza
Ghalib was a man of the world. Mostly he
has written romantic poetry and poetry on different situations of life. In the following couplets of Ghazal, he
portrays about desires and wishes.
ہزاروں خواہشیں ایسی کہ ہر خواہش پہ دم نکلے
بہت نکلے مرے ارمان ، لیکن پھر بھی کم نکلے
Transliteration
Hazaron
Khwahishen aisi ke har Khwahish pe dam nikle
Bahut
niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kum nikle (Ghalib, 163)13
Translation
Thousands
of desires are such, each worth dying for
Many of
my desires I have realized, Yet I yearn for more
This is
the first couplet of one of the poems of Mirza Ghalib. Here the poet conveys that there are
thousands of desires in lives of human beings which are Marvellous and are worth
dying for. Many desires are already
fulfilled yet he says he yearns for more.
These wishes or desires are endless in number and therefore they cannot
be fulfilled. Therefore, according to
Mirza Ghalib we should not run after desires as they are multitude in numbers.
At many
places in his couplets Mirza Ghalib shows us how to lead our life. The following is one among them:
کچھ اس طرح میں نے زندگی کو آسان کر لِیا
کسی سے معافی مانگلی، کسی کو معاف کر دیا
Kuch iss
tarah maine Zindagi ko Asaan kar liya
Kisi se
Mafi maangli kisi ko maaf kar diya (Deewan e Ghalib)14
Translation
Somewhat
like this I made my life easier
I
Apologised to someone and forgave someone
Mirza
Ghalib says he made his life easier by apologizing to people he has wronged and
forgave the people who have hurt him. Thus,
his poetry at some places teaches people moral values to lead a good life.
Death is
said to be an irretrievable termination of all biological functions that
sustain an organism. Mirza Ghalib portrays life and death very logically in his
following couplet:
زندگی اُسکی جسکی موت پر زمانہ افسوس کرے، غالب
یون تو ہر شاکس اتا ہے دنیا میں مرنے کے لیۓ
Transliteration
Zindagi
uski jis ki maut pe Zamana Afsoos Karey, Ghalib
Yun to
har Shakhs aata hai iss Duniya mein marne ke liye! (Deewan e Ghalib)15
Translation
Life is
of those on whose death the world regrets, Ghalib
As every
person comes in this world to die someday!
Every
living being is certain of one thing in their life and that is the foreseeable
death at one point of time. The thing
which most frightens to a human being is the thought of one’s death or the
death of a loved one. Mirza Ghalib
states in the above couplet that death is of that person; whose death news
makes everyone around pained. All of us
come in this world to die one day.
This
luminary expired in Delhi on 15th February 1869. His
tomb is located in a large open courtyard
adjacent to the Ghalib Academy. The area comprising of Chausath Khamba, Urs Mahal courtyard and Mirza
Ghalib Tomb, form the largest open space in Nizamuddin Basti. He has left many
lovers of his poetry from all walks of lives.
Work
Cited
1.
Rahbar, Daud Urdu Letters
of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib pg.9 State University of New York Press,
Albany, State University of New York, 1987 Print
2.
Editors Coeli Fitzpatrick and
Adam Hani walker Muhammad in History, in Thought and Culture (An Encyclopaedia
of the Prophet of God), Devotional poetry, South Asian pg.139, Publisher ABC-CLIO; Illustrated edition (25 April 2014)
Print
3.
Abdullah,
Hasan The Evolution of Ghalib (2017), Rupa Publications India Print
4.
Hadith
of Prophet Mohammad https://www.alamanah.nsw.edu.au/allah-exists-without-a-place/#:~:text=Al%2DBukhariyy%2C%20al%2DBayhaqiyy,creating%20any%20of%20the%20creation.15th February, 2024 Web
5.
Tusi,
Shaykh Tenets of Islam, The Attributes of Allah Al-Islam.org https://www.al-islam.org/tenets-islam-shaykh-tusi/attributes-allah 17th
February, 2024 Web
6.
Holy
Quran, Chapter Al-Ikhlas (112), Verse 2 Print
7.
Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan Deewan-e-Ghalib
(1999) Anjuman-e-Taraqqui Urdu (Hind) Ghazal 33, pg 27 ISBN: 81-7160-099-09
Print
8.
Mirza Asadullah Khan Deewan-e-Ghalib (1999)
Anjuman-e-Taraqqui Urdu (Hind) Ghazal 14, pg 14, ISBN: 81-7160-099-09 Print
9.
Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan Deewan-e-Ghalib
(1999) Anjuman-e-Taraqqui Urdu (Hind) Ghazal 99, pg 75 ISBN: 81-7160-099-09
Print
10.
Digital
Akhbar. “Imam Hussain in the Poetry of Mirza Ghalib”. digitalakhbar.com.
http://digitalakhbar.com/imam-hussain-in-the-poetry-of-mirza-ghalib/
(accessed 15 June 2020).
11.
Wahid,
Jamal Abdul Ghair Mutdavil Kalam e Ghalib https://www.rekhta.org/unpublished-sher/main-qaail-e-khudaa-o-nabii-o-imaam-huun-mirza-ghalib-unpublished-sher?lang=hi Web
12.
Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan Deewan-e-Ghalib
(1999) Anjuman-e-Taraqqui Urdu (Hind) Qaside, pg 183 ISBN: 81-7160-099-09
Print
14.
Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan Deewan-e-Ghalib
https://urduwallahs.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/thought-for-the-day-2/ 18/02/2024 Web
15. Ghalib, Mirza Asadullah Khan Deewan-e-Ghalib https://www.urdupoint.com/mobile/sms/detail/20663.html 17/02/2024 Web
English Translation
and Transliteration is done by Dr. Syeda Farhat Fatima, Guest Lecturer in
English, Department of English, Government Degree College, Khairtabad,
Hyderabad, Telangana.
This paper has been published in International Council of English and Literature Journal (ICELJ) ISSN: 2583-1232; An International Peer-Reviewed and Referred Journal, Delmont Publications, Andhra Pradesh, India Pg.117, ICEPTLELL-2024.,Impact Factor: 6.674 (SJIF) Vol:4. Special Issue-1 (February)2024, Proceeding of A Two-Day International Conference on “Emerging Practices in Teaching-Learning of English Language and Literature: A Journey from Theory to Praxis” on 1st and 2nd February,2024, Government City College, Hyderabad. Editor in chief Prof. P. Bala Bhaskar, Editor Dr. B. Krishna Chandra Keerthi, Department of English, Government City College(A) Hyderabad, Telangana.
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