I really feel I should acknowledge Mirza Ghalib's birth anniversary here after reading this tribute.
Here's a lesser-known couplet that has haunted me for a while. I have realized that one of the special qualities of Ghalib's couplets is that instead of losing their appeal on repeated reading and mulling over, their value is actually enhanced...every time a new door of meanings, insinuations and perspectives opens up on revisiting the same couplet.
Often, such a couplet becomes a prism through which one continues to see everything in life for days and days. Even his lesser-known couplets are packed with such rich poetic flavor:
Umr har chand ki hai barq-e-khiraam
Dil ke khoon karne ki fursat hi sahi.
[By Mirza Ghalib]
Life’s moments are but lightning flashes,
And yet suffice to slay the heart. [1]
[Interpretive translation by Siyaah]
[1] "dil ke khoon karne" literally means to 'turn the heart to blood', but the metaphor is lost on an English audience. I have used the direct meaning of "khoon karna" as ' to slay'.
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9 comments:
Wonderful tribute!
Indeed, we derive new meanings everytime we read his couplets. They kind of take the shape of our 'self' at that moment, they are instantaneous and adaptive. We see them from the light of our dynamic and ever-changing thoughts.
Very good one and as always very well translated. It is amazing how many of his sheyrs deserve to be better known.
Isn't Ghalib talking of some ephemeral beauty/woman?
but as you said,new perspectives open up everytime we read ghalib
tapasya:
"take the shape of our 'self' at that moment"...nice way of putting it!
bhupinder:
It is certainly amazing...his well-known sheyrs so dominate the landscape that other ones are overshadowed...but there are many wonderful pieces hidden out there.
introvert:
What a wonderful and new interpretation you have given the sheyr! It can certainly be read that way. In a way, the 'ephemeral beauty' is life itself.
Great job as always Siyaah!
guess my previous comment dint get registered ... neways, looking forward to more from you.
aah ghalib :). I am ususally uncertain whether i really understand ghalib :)
Galib is my favourite!
ps. the translation was a hellova good one!
Mirza ghalib..
Hmm..
Why dont' you join Shayari forum at Yoindia .. :)
arfi:
thanks! sorry your comment didnt post...might have been due to blogger problems.
illusionist:
is anyone of us really certain?!
jappanun:
he is certainly the all time favorite...
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