Ghalib’s immortal and complex poetry transcends time and sometimes even the boundaries of human thought.
The translation of this ghazal was found in Mirza Ghalib A Creative Biography by Natalia Prigarina. Cited as an apt self-introduction, this is a timeless composition brings together myriad facets and moods of Ghalib. What a fascinating post-modern ‘unpacking’ of the self (that too in the nineteenth century)!
ghalib would be the one person in the world that i would love to meet if time travel was possible; diction captures a modern sensiblity which you were aptly have observed; may be not as poets but there are ghalibs out there in our inner cities; people with fresh take on life; people with unconventional ideas; translation being an impossible art; this is a brilliant attempt. thanks for sharing
Naveed, many thanks for liking the translations. I am also sure that there are many people who look at the world in an unconventional manner.
Nice post Rumi- Ghalib is my favorite poet. One aspect of Ghalib poetry is its kaleidoscopic flow. You can’t guess what is next on his mind. He will be weeping in the start but in the next stanza he will laugh like a child. his stanzas are fresh like morning keep sharing good stuff
Indeed. Great post Rumi. The greatness of Ghalib shines forth in this fine translation. Your discriminating taste is a gift to the internet.
I must comment that this translation of Ghalib has made him comprehensible to ordinary people like myself. While I was growing up and being educated at the Convent Lahore on the British Examination curriculum there was hardly any emphasis on Urdu as a language let alone urdu peotry. Consequently my generation is deprived of the sense of apprecaiton for the beautiful language used in Ghalib’s poetry. I always wanted to make an effort to read and understand Ghalib and Iqbal successfully. Your post reminded me of my goal and promises an effort free realization of it.
What a wonderful translation of Ghalib’s exquisite poetry. A sublime and beautiful selection, one any Sufi would appreciate. Thank you for posting it 🙂
Ya Haqq!
Raza, sorry if this is on a complete tangent but have you read Muzaffar Ghaffar who has 3 or 4 books on English verse & 3 volumes on Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain, Baba Fareed, Guru Nanak (All by Ferozsons)? This has to do something about our earlier discussion on translations
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful poem.
Please see if you could correct translation for
“Daam-i-chakeeda” to stretched-cut snare, and not
possibly “share”.