Home | September '98 Index

Most poets have odd, scattered pieces of poetry which, though they may 
seem incomplete, are complete in themselves. Ghalib, too, has numerous 
verses in his 'diivaan'  which at first glance, seem to be parts of a 
ghazal, but which are just the way he left them. Maybe he tired of it, 
or maybe his muse, hsi inspiration deserted him at that point. Who 
knows? However, they are in no way less effective for that. Here is an 
example:


bahot sahii Gam-e-getii sharaab kam kyaa hai
Gulaam-e-saaqii-e-kausar huu.N mujhako Gam kyaa hai

[Gam-e-getii = sorrows of the world]
[Gulaam-e-saaqii-e-kausar = servant of the person who serves drinks from 
'kausar', a river which flows in heaven]

tumhaarii tarz-o-ravish jaanate hai.n ham kyaa hai
raqiib par hai agar lutf to sitam kyaa hai

[tarz-o-ravish = behaviour and character; raqiib = rival]
[lutf = benevolence; sitam = torture]

suKhan me.n Khaamaa-e-Gaalib kii aatash_afashaanii
yaqii.n hai hamako bhii lekin ab us me.n dam kyaa hai

[suKhan = poem; Khaamaa-e-Gaalib = Ghalib's pen]
[aatash_afshaa.N = to pour fire; yaqii.n = trust; dam = pride]


It is interesting to note that most of these short ghazals have the same 
"radeef" as other longer ghazals. For example, this ghazal has the same 
radeef as "har ek baat pe kahate ho tum ki tuu kyaa hai" and 
"dil-e-naadaan tujhe huaa kyaa hai".