Shayar-e-Azam "Mirza Ghalib" : A Tribute from Layman

hazaaro.n Khvaahishe.n aisii ki har Khvaaish pe dam nikale;
bahut nikale mere armaa.N lekin phir bhii kam nikale;

I have a thousand desires, all desires worth dying for

Though many of my desires were fulfilled, majority remained unfulfilled.

nikalanaa Khuld se aadam kaa sunate aaye hai.n lekin;

bahut be-aabaruu hokar tere kuuche se ham nikale;

We had heard of Adam’s expulsion from Paradise

With great disgrace I came out of your street.

Wah, Ghalib Saheb Wah ! 

Who else can write such lines. None can. Who can be in this world, be rich or poor, atheist or believer, literate or illiterate, belonging to any class, specially Hindi-Urdu speaking person, who might not have recited these lines once or more in his life even if he does not knows about Mirza Ghalib.  

Only Mirza Ghalib can write like Mirza Ghalib. No one can ever wrote like him either before him or after him. By his imitable style, by his choice of theme, by his choice of word, by his unique configuration,Mirza Ghalib changed the impact , the course of Urdu poetry, Shero-Shyari,  forever. His all ghazals can be song in simple tune. 
Urdu Poetry, in particular & Urdu Literature in general into can be divided into two parts. 1. Pre-Ghalib period & 2. Post-Ghalib period. This is my division. You have right to agree or disagree. But I am sure you can't disagree over the revolution, the furor, the reach to the last men of the society cutting across all religious, social, class, caste & creed barrier, Ghalib created by his Shero-Shyari. The whole India & its neighboring countries, Hindu-Muslims-Sikh-Christian, had & still have many difference over many thing, but they will always agree that Mirza Ghalib was the greatest Shayar ever produced in Indian peninsula. Ghalib was not only poet of par-excellence, his prose, in his letter, is another hall mark in urdu-Parisian literature. Experts claim that Ghalib prose was enough to make him immortal but his poetry rose him to heavenly level.

Mirza Ghalib full name, along with the titles boasted upon him, was "Dabir-ul-Muq, Naim-ud-Daula Mirza Asaduallah Baig Khan (Urdu/Persian: مرزا اسد اللہ بیگ خان). But non of his lovers ever called by this name. For general public, he was simply Mirza Ghalib or Chacha Ghalib. Though we know Nehruji as Chacha Nehru but Ghalib was original Chacha of Indian public that time. 

Before Ghalib, India saw many great names in Urdu Shayari. Such as Mir Taqi Mir. During his own time there were other great name like Zauq, Momin were well recongnized. It was Last Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar-II at the Delhi throne. He was a powerless, a poor Emperor in terms of materialistic things. But in terms of patronage of literature, Bahadur Shah was richest among all Mughal Emperors India had. Bhahadur Shah was himself a noted name on Shero-Shayari & he used to write by pen-name "Zafar". His court was devoid of even simple luxury  But his court was illuminated by big names & jewel of Urdu poetry. But Kohinoor, among all jewels, Mirza Asaduallah Baig Khan Ghalib was not there. Thanks to court conspiracy.  

Although Ghalib was an expert in Persian language & he was proud of his poetic achievement in Persian, but he was & is famous for his Urdu Ghazals. Before Mirza Ghalib, Urdu shayari, like other poetry of the time, was generally expression of love attributed to God & under influence of Persian language, Urdu poetry was intoxicated by wine too, as an expression of Madhosi in love of God. Most of the time, it was love for physical body & wine as real wine, but society was not ripe enough to accept it. Ghalib, being rebellious, broke this shackle. He expressed not only his love for physical body, love for wine in actual life but also all type of emotions. He had philosophical approach to life like Sufi. He gave poetic words to to the expression to anguish, happiness, lust, love is real sense. He spoke the language of general public. Apart from philosophic, Ghalib expressed the travails & mysteries of life and wrote ghazal on many other subject, touching nearly all subjects, thus expending the scope of ghazal. He broke the bondage of Urdu poetry approach from "Poems about love" & expended it to "Love Poems". Soon he became darling to public. Right from village folk to urban public, nautch girls to beggars roaming in Delhi street, was singing his ghazal. But Royal Court of Bahadur Shah Zafar was far off from the sweetest smell of Urdu shayari. The Emperor wanted to extend patronage to Mirza who was living without any income, living on contribution given by friends, on unsecured loan on high interest & also some time on gambling income. Though he was darling to public but was out outcast to establishment of that day.

Mirza Qoqan Baig Khan, parental grandfather of Ghalib, moved to Delhi after Samarkand downfall of Seliuk Kings. After working in Lahor, Delhi & Jaipur he settled in Agar.  Mirza Abdullah Baig Khan, father of Ghalib, married to Umrao Begum, daughter of Mirza Qoqan Baig Khan & started to live with his in-laws in Agra. In Agra, Miraza Ghalib was bless to this couple in 1797. His father died in battle of Alwar. Then Ghalib was 5 years old. He was raised by first by his uncle Mirza Nasrullah Baig Khan. At age of thirteen, Ghalib was married to Umrao Begum, daughter of Nwab Illahi Bakhsh. Ghalib moved to Delhi soon under patronage of his father-in-law. In due course of time Ghalib couple had seven children but non of them survived. Loss of children & no steady income, except a pension of Rs. 62.50/- per month which was nothing seeing he nawabi expenditure, always weighed on his mind & reflected in his poetry. The idea that life is one continuous painful struggle which can end only when life ends, is recurring theme in his poetry. 

Yeh na thee haari khismat, koi bisaale yaar hoataa,

Agar aur jeete rahte, Yahi intizaar hoataa;  

(It was not my destiny to have a confidential companion,

Were I to live longer this world, still be longing for it;)

Ghalib was child prodigy. He started shayari, that too of highest class, at age of 11 by pen-name "Asad". Soon he discovered that an another Shayar, not a good shayar, too using the same pen name, so he decided to change his pen-name as Ghalib which means "Victorious".  He got education at young age. His master was Abdus Samad who stayed in Ghalib's father-in-law house for more than 2 years. Being highly educated, he taught Ghalib well Persian, Arabic, philosophy & logic. His relation with his wife was not at the best. She was a God-fearing, namazi & pious lady who wants to run her house hold in simple way. But Ghalib was Ghalib. Though his income was nearly nothing, he use to take heavy loan from market without thinking how to return, to fulfill his love for wine & lavish parties. He was also ladies man & never tried to hide it. At the same time he was very generous person too. He was always in front line when someone was to be helped. What so ever he was but there is no denying he was not hyprocrate but a brave man in accepting his faults. Once he was tried for non-return of loan. When the magistrate who knew Mirza very well, asked him why he took loan inspite of knowing that Allah arranges food for all. Mirza replied, as only he can reply in his imitable way that though he knew Allah arranges food for all but as He does not arrange for wine, so Mirza had to take loan. The Magistrate deposited the the fine & loan money from his own pocket as he was also lover of Mirza poetry. Soon he was arrested on gambleing charge & sent to jail. There he was more worried about "Aam season" than the misery in jail. This episode effected Ghalib moral. He had expressed it in following line :-

"Karz ki peete the main haan, samajhte the,

Rang laayegi humari faaka masti ek din;"

(I use to take loan to drink, though I knew,

One day it will bring shame on me;"

Perhaps he left drinking from that day but habits die hard. At one place he write:- 

"Ghalib' chuti sharab par ab bhi kabhi-kabhi, 

peeta hoon roj-e-abro shab-e-maahtaab mein;"

As mentioned earlier elsewhere in this post, Ghalib services was not being recognized in Royal circle due to his attitude towards "Elite Circle" & his rebellious poetry & statements. His first appearance in Royal court was disastrous one. He got angry over  Zauk's, the Master Poet of court, attitude & left the mushayara in nearly disrespectful way though the Emperor himself was presiding. His rivalry with Zauk continued in literary field. While Zauk was popular in "Elite Class & Royal Court", Ghalib was darling to general public. It is said that once he taunted Zauk openly by saying "Banna hai shaah kaa mausaahib, phire hai itaraata". It was too much for Zauk. He arranged to call Ghalib in Royal Mushayara with intention to humiliate him in front of Emperor. Zafar, the Emperor  directly asked Ghalib about that incident. Ghalib emphatically denies & stated that he was reciting last line of his new ghazal that day which Zauk misunderstood. The Emperor got angry & ordered to recite the Ghazal in his presence so that authenticity of Ghalib statement is checked. In fact there was no such ghazal written by Ghalib. But Ghalib immediately produced a Ghazal in extempore manner as below

“Har ek baat pe kahete ho ki Tu Kya Hai,

Ab tunhi kaho ey andaaz-e-guftguu kya hai; "

(Andaaz-e-Guftaguu=Talking style)

(At everything that I say, you say "Who art thou"?

Tell me what kind of talk is this?  

“Na shole main ye karishmaa, na barq main ye adaa,

Koii bataao ki vo shokh-e-tundakhuu kyaa hai;”

(karishma: Miracle, Barq: Lighting, shokh-e-tundakhuu : Mischievous/Coquettish ill tempered)

(Neither the flame has this miracle, nor the lightning the grace,

Will anyone tell me, what is that ill tampered  mischievous/coquettish one;)  

In last he completed the ghazal with that stanza like this :

"Banaa hai Shaah kaa musaahib, phire hai itaraataa,

Varnaa shahar main "Ghalib" kii aabaruu kya hai;" 

(Musaahib: Officer, Associate; Aabruu: Dignity)

(Having become the king's associate, he is putting on airs,

Otherwise what dignity does "Ghalib" have in city;) 

Though Ghalib had planned it but his brilliance, ability for extempore poetry, simple but most effective poetry, the attitude & fearless manner, won heart of all including Zauk & The Emperor. In 1850, The Emperor appointed Ghalib ad "Master Poet of the court" & conferred the tiltle of "Dabir-ul-Mulq, Naim-ud-Daula" along with good amount as pension & asked him to write history. This happened only after death of Zauq. Though Bahadur Shah was expelled out of this country & sent to Ranggon jail after 1857 war, but English masters continued the pension. 

Ghalib was not very religious minded. He always mocked traditional Mulla's way. He write:

Yaa to mujhe pine de masjid main baith kar,

Ya fir mujhe wo jagah bata, jahna Khuda na ho; 

(Either allow me to drink in Masjid itself,

Or let me know the place where God is not;)

Ghalib was a very liberal mystic who believe that search for God not limited to narrow orthodox Islam. It is not in scope of this post to give details of Ghalib's work for which volumes upon volumes have been written & continued to be written. I will quote only few his couplets. His mood use to swing from one end to other end. In deep depression he wrote:-

Zulmat kade mai mere, shab-e-ghum kaa josh hai,

Ik shammaa hai daliil-e-sahar, so khamosh hai;

(Zulmat: Darkness, Obscurity; Kada: A Place; shab-e-Ghum: Night of Sorrow; Josh: Enthusiasm, Zeal; Shamma: Lamp; Daliil: Proof, Witness; Sahar:Dawn; So: Compare too; Khamosh: Quiet)

He was very witty. After 1857 war, he was produced before English administrator. He was wearing Central Asian Turkic style headdress. The colonel, benused at his appearance, inquired in broken Urdu, "Well? You Muslim?", to which Ghalib replied, "Half" The Colonel asked "What does it mean?" In reply Ghalib said, "I drink wine, but I don't eat pork". The colonel laughed & let him go.

Ghalib always confessed his weakness for wine. He taunted himself too; He writes:

"Yeh Masail-e-Tasawwuf, Yeh tera bayaan Ghalib,

Tujhe ham wali samjhte, jo na baadakhwaar hota;"

(These profound philosphies that you profound Ghalib, We would have taken you for a saint if you were not a drunkard) 

In last lag of his life he was a broken man, seeing death, murder of his beloved friends & relatives during 1857 war. He writes: 

Rahiye ab aisi jagah chal kar jahaan koi naa ho,

Hamasukhan koi na ho, aur ham-zubaan koi na ho;"

Padiye gar bimaar to koi na ho timaar-daar,

Aur agar mar jaaiye to nauhakwaan koi naa ho;"

There are many sites where you can read Ghalib poetry & its translation in English. Enjoy reading Ghalib. As always you are welcome to send your comments, suggestions to improve this Blog.

Acknowledgement : It post would have not been possible without contents/inputs available online. I would like to thanks specially Rana Dafi @iamrana and @urdualfaz (both twitter accounts) for providing encouragement & inputs for this post.

Pradeep Shanker

(NGO Reporter)