Mirza Ghalib: Criticism and plaudits

[Guest dada_rocks]

I peruse through the vernacular literature particularly poetry section of my little library whenever I am bitter and in utterly despondent mood. I can't remember in recent times when I was this faithless over future of my beloved country India. My heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives and best wishes for life ahead for those who are still fighting the eternal battle in hospitals. In this sombre mood let me share few words about Ghalib vuz a vuz critism and plaudits coming from his peers. Ghalib easily is the most popular name in the world of Urdu/Persian poetry. In early years he was more persian and less Urdu and later on succumbed to the public criticism and eased on servings of dilectic persian references in his verses. It's believed that he was not that arcane in early years. It would be pertinent to mention here when I say arcane I mean arcane for amateur afficianados for the real lovers of this genre of literature he remaines utter delight in all his myriad style forms chaset persian to chaste urdu. Coming back to the anecdote which changed the poetic style of Ghalib: Once another poet's verse with not much of oration came to his notice and people took it to be Ghalib's creation. Young Asad got worried that this common ppseudonym might do severe damage to his name not only changed his pseudonym from Asad to Ghalib but also started talking in words which were latin to the tyros but underlined his mastery of the langauge. This was not the only reason it's believed Ghalib knew he was master of the persian langauge and wanted to show it in order to distinguish himself from other erstwhile poets of considerable repute like -- Mir, dard, Zauq or Zafar. Exactly this was the common charge of some critic like Yagana Changezi a contemporary writer that Ghalib deliberately makes his poetry complex even where not called for in order to showcase his knowledge in vainglorious ways. Charges were not without substance. At the very opening of his Diwan stands that notoriously difficult poem which guards the portal of Ghalib's poetry and blocks the entry of uninitiated reader into highbrow poetic terrain. Sample the verse: नक्श फर्यादी है किसकी शोखी-ए-तहरीर का, काघजी है पैराहन हर पैकर-ए-तस्वीर का, Little detour here : Poems like this doesn't make complete sense even today to even the very keen followers of literauer like Kushwant Singh.You can find the mention of the same here in an article dedicated to the eulogy of that indomitable Parasi of Murree Brewery fame from Pakistan,Minoo Bhandara. <http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=ViewsColumnsSectionPage&id=f89f168a-42ed-4c9e-9e7d-c6902ff2ed42&&Headline=Secular+blunders&strParent=strParentID> Changezi not only accused him of obscurantism but also of plagiarism. As per him Ghalib was a thief who stole without apology, a wilfully obscure writer lost in the labyrinth of word and images, a versifier with little sense of metre and melody. In several of his rubaies Yagana makes Ghalib object of ridicule: दीवानों के ये जोर, ना देखे, ना सुने नादानों का ये शोर ना देखे, ना सुने झंडे पे चढ़ाने को चढ़ाते हैं मगर, गालिब से चाचा चोर ना देखे, ना सुने Charges of obscurantism may have some merit but plagiarism charge seems to be outpouring of an iconoclast , out to demolish the idols of popular adoration. When some of his contemporary poets including his disciple and friend Hargopal Tufta cast dooubts on originality of Ghalib's lines, He rejected the insinuations. He writes to Hargopal Tufta : " You say that I must have kept before my eyes Naziri's diwan while writing my ode, and must have built my poem after his model. Far from it. By God I wasn't even aware before I receives your letter that Naziri had also written a qasida eith this rhyme arrangement .. remember brother, poetry is not about finding rhymes and rhythms, but charging words with thought and meaning." He might have been influenced by ideas of his predecessor but then again , who is not? . Other critic and contemporary of Ghalib Agha Jaan Aish was relatively charitable in accusations of obscurantism. One can sense a hidden appreciation for his mastery over words even in the criticsm. This is evident from an oft-quoted satirial piece at one of Mushaira dedicated to the complexity and obscurity of his poetry. अगर अपना कहा तुम आप ही समझे तो क्या समझे, मज़ा कहने का जब है, इक कहे और दूसरा समझे. कलम-ए-मीर समझे, और ज़बान-ए-मिर्जा समझे, मगर इन का कहा, ये आप समझें, या खुदा समझे. Some might call it criticism whereas others may identify as back-handed praise. The most influential criticism orsuggestion came from great Mir. Looking at Ghalib's early verse Mir remarked: : If this boy finds an accomplished teacher he will become an incomparable poet, otherwise he will write nothign but poetic nonsense." Regarding charge of obscurantism Ghalib himself never denied it and even accepted that he has modeled himself on seventeenth century Persian poet Bedil. It was a difficult choice according to his own admission: तर्ज़-ए-बेदिल में, रेखता कहना, असद-उल्लाह खान, क़यामत है. He even penned a couplet expressing his indifference to the criticism. ना सिताइश की तमन्ना, ना सिले की परवाह, ना सही गर मिरे अशार में मानी ना सही| (I do not hanker after praise, nor seek reward. If my verses make no sense, I do not care a jot.) In few places he even indulges in self-aggrandisement. हैं और भी दुनिया में सखुन्वर बहुत अच्छे, कहते हैं के ग़लिब का है अंदाज़-ए-बयान और. This veneer of indifference and self-aggrandisement aside Ghalib did change his style while still maintaining his distinctive imprint in later of his verses. While on one hand he has written poems of naqsh-faryaadi type, he also has penned endearingly simple poems like Dil-e-naadaan tujhe hua kya , Koi umeed bar nahin aati. All said and done Ghalib was in altogether different class. Just sample how two poets one Ghalib and another Iqbal express same thought in different style. Ghalib: तैत में ता रहे ना मय-ओ-अंग्बीं की लाग, दोज़ख में डील दो कोई ले कर बहिश्त को. (Lest the lure of wine and honey taint worship's name, let someone thrust the paradise into the hell aflame.) Iqbaal: सौदागरी नहीं, ये इबादत खुदा की है, ऐ बे-ख़बर, जीजा की तमन्ना भी छोर दे. ( It's not business but worship of god, renounce, ye ignorant, even the hope of reward.) While Iqbal makes a bare and didactic statement denouncing the desire for reward in matters of worship Ghalib makes you detest the imagined fruits of piety , wine and honey and implores for the whole paradise to be cast into hell lest name of paradise get tainted. While criticism were far and few plaudits were showered on him and rightly so from all quarters. Syed Ahmed compares him with the famous persian poets Hafiz, Khaqani and Khusro, while Mohammed Hussain Azad calls him monarch of poetic kingdom. Even his contemporaries like Momim , Zauq ( he tipped Ghalib in race of royal poet) and Shefta couldn't help acknowldeging the supremacy of Ghalib. But the highest praise came from Dr. Abdul Rahman Bijnouri who expressed his praise in words like , "India owns two books of divine revelation: (1) the holy Vedas, and (ii) Diwan-e-Ghalib." Let me end the commentary where I began it , remembering the unfortunate victims of serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad with these words of Firaq Gorakhpuri. जब जब कभी सोंचा है , दिल थाम लिया मैं ने | इंसान के हाथों , इंसान पे जो गुजरी ||

[Guest dada_rocks]

I wanted to put this in blog but somehow my blog would not accept it.. Any idea why.........

[Lurker]

Quality post DR. Top notch!! For starters I am kinda disappointed that this thread did not enunciate more response. Suppose Ghalib, as well as quality writing, is dead as stump these days and people have more time for Dhoni chased by girls in Bihar. Anyway coming to Ghalib, what a true artists, one of the all time greats. I have tons of Ghalib's work that I absolutely love. Even though most of them was practically un-understandable when I started listening to them, there was often just a line, a mere verse that would make me fall in love with it. For ex: Bajeecha-e-atfaal hai duniya mere aage hota hai subah-e-shor tamasha mere aage. Mat pooch ke kya haal hai mera tere peeche tu dekh ke kya rang hai tera mere aage. What an astounding work right there! It conveys the trappings of despondents, as well as happiness so very well. You should probably start a ghazal/sher thread sometime. Would love to read, and share some nice Urdu couplets.

[Lurker]

I was humming the bajeecha-e-atfaal song and I remembered the second verse as well.. Go haath ko joonbish nahin aakhon mein to dam hai rahne do abhi sagar-e-mina mere aage... Wah!!

[Guest dada_rocks]

Quality post DR. Top notch!! For starters I am kinda disappointed that this thread did not enunciate more response. Suppose Ghalib, as well as quality writing, is dead as stump these days and people have more time for Dhoni chased by girls in Bihar. Anyway coming to Ghalib, what a true artists, one of the all time greats. I have tons of Ghalib's work that I absolutely love. Even though most of them was practically un-understandable when I started listening to them, there was often just a line, a mere verse that would make me fall in love with it. For ex: Bajeecha-e-atfaal hai duniya mere aage hota hai subah-e-shor tamasha mere aage. Mat pooch ke kya haal hai mera tere peeche tu dekh ke kya rang hai tera mere aage. shab-o-roj ( raat- din).. What an astounding work right there! It conveys the trappings of despondents, as well as happiness so very well. You should probably start a ghazal/sher thread sometime. Would love to read, and share some nice Urdu couplets.

We can't expect everyone to appreciate Ghalib ..... Ghalib is well Ghalib.. I am looking for persian poet Bedil's creations on which Ghalib by his own confession based his writings... Dhoni and Ghallib:--D

[Guest dada_rocks]

I was humming the bajeecha-e-atfaal song and I remembered the second verse as well.. Go haathon mein joombish na sahi aankhon mein to dam hai rahne do abhi sagar-o-mina mere aage... Wah!!

awesome my favourtie line.. pinnacle of darubaazi:--D

[sandtest]

Woww, that is some OP DR :hatsoff:....I fully immersed myself in it. talk of wine fest, I vaguely remember a couplet fromJigar Muradabadi -- the man, who I guess, use to consume alcohol like water and how well it reflects in poetry -- Mujhe uthaane ko aaya hai, aye waiz-e-naadaan!! Jo uth sakey toh, meraa sagar-e-sharaab Uthaa! Kidhar se bark chamakti hai dehe-aye-waiz mai apnaa Jaam uthaata hoon, tu kitaab utha!! The meaning of this poetry is enough ground to declare him atheist:--D

[Guest dada_rocks]

Give me more of athiests like these than pious ones.. Kahan maykhane ka darwaza Ghalib aur kahan Waaiz, Par itana janate hain kal wo jata tha to ham nikale.

[Lurker]

Give me more of athiests like these than pious ones.. Kahan maykhane ka darwaza Ghalib aur kahan Waaiz, Par itana janate hain kal wo jata tha to ham nikale.

Ghalib, the television serial, is perhaps Gulzar's finest works, and possibly the best theatre on Indian Telly alongside Mahabharta, Buniyaad etc. Atleast in terms of start power Gulzar-JagjitSingh-Naseeruddin Shah it was simply the pinnacle as far as I am concerned. Amongst many great things that the tv series did was to popularize Ghalib's ghazal. Personally I love to hear sher/shayari/nazm etc but if you ask me to recite a Bedil, a Daag, a Firaq my mind will draw blank. Ghalib is different, in my case because a lot of his ghazals are tattooed in my mind thanks to that tv serial.. Aashiqee sabr talab aur tamanna betaab dil ka kya rang karoon khoon-e-jigar hone tak....:(( Hum ne maana ke taghaful karoge lekin khaakh ho jaayenge hum tumko khabar hone tak...:((:((

[Lurker]

Woww, that is some OP DR :hatsoff:....I fully immersed myself in it. talk of wine fest, I vaguely remember a couplet fromJigar Muradabadi -- the man, who I guess, use to consume alcohol like water and how well it reflects in poetry -- Mujhe uthaane ko aaya hai, aye waiz-e-naadaan!! Jo uth sakey toh, meraa sagar-e-sharaab Uthaa! Kidhar se bark chamakti hai dehe-aye-waiz mai apnaa Jaam uthaata hoon, tu kitaab utha!! The meaning of this poetry is enough ground to declare him atheist:--D

Bhaiya, aadhe se jyaada Urdu greats to UP se hi huye hain..:hatsoff::hatsoff::hatsoff: Even Ghalib composed some of his best works at Benaras. If I am not mistaken it was at Benaras only that he wrote that famous line - Ek Brahaman ne kaha hai ke ye saal accha hai...dil ke khush rakhne ko Ghalib. Waise jaunpur/allahabad/Azamgarh ka aadmi reciting Moradabadi?? Whatever happened to Akbar Allahabadi, Kaifi Azami or even Firaq Gorakhpuri???

[Guest dada_rocks]

Ghalib, the television serial, is perhaps Gulzar's finest works, and possibly the best theatre on Indian Telly alongside Mahabharta, Buniyaad etc. Atleast in terms of start power Gulzar-JagjitSingh-Naseeruddin Shah it was simply the pinnacle as far as I am concerned. Amongst many great things that the tv series did was to popularize Ghalib's ghazal. Personally I love to hear sher/shayari/nazm etc but if you ask me to recite a Bedil, a Daag, a Firaq my mind will draw blank. Ghalib is different, in my case because a lot of his ghazals are tattooed in my mind thanks to that tv serial.. Aashiqee sabr talab aur tamanna betaab dil ka kya rang karoon khoon-e-jigar hone tak....:(( Hum ne maana ke taghaful na karoge lekin khaakh ho jaayenge hum tumko khabar hone tak...:((:((

In fact that serial played biggest role in my love for urdu poetry. Of course initial trigger came from those Qawali events whihc I used to attend with Chachaji and his colleague Taukid Saheb. Then there was influence of Ali Nana, my nanaji's independence-movement days friend. There were very few serials that we were allowed to see and Mirza Ghalib was one of them.

[Guest dada_rocks]

Woww, that is some OP DR :hatsoff:....I fully immersed myself in it. talk of wine fest, I vaguely remember a couplet fromJigar Muradabadi -- the man, who I guess, use to consume alcohol like water and how well it reflects in poetry -- Mujhe uthaane ko aaya hai, aye waiz-e-naadaan!! Jo uth sakey toh, meraa sagar-e-sharaab Uthaa! Kidhar se bark chamakti hai dehe-aye-waiz mai apnaa Jaam uthaata hoon, tu kitaab utha!! The meaning of this poetry is enough ground to declare him atheist:--D

All exalted ones if not athiest certainly come of as agnostics..... I will go on to say for any thinking person to have complete faith in any God is impposible.. Even great Omar Khaiyaam remained on run all his life from quran-thumper mullahs..

[Lurker]

In fact that serial played biggest role in my love for urdu poetry. Of course initial trigger came from those Qawali events whihc I used to attend with Chachaji and his colleague Taukid Saheb. Then there was influence of Ali Nana, my nanaji's independence-movement days friend. There were very few serials that we were allowed to see and Mirza Ghalib was one of them.

My love for Urdu perhaps started due to Urdu Service from Patna All India Radio. As was the wont in 80s early morning radio would be switched on, Mum would be busy making food for everyone, Dad busy shaving/getting ready for work. I suppose most of people of all generation listened to a lot of radio that way. I remember hearing Mir's ghazal first time on it, patta patta boota boota haal hamara jaane hai. Also Patna was quite stellar in Urdu poetry and had some fantastic poets. A poet that I remember was Shaad Azimabadi. A couple of line of his stand out in memory Ghar se masjid hai bahut door chalo kissi rote bacche ko hansaya jaaye. This line/emotion has been used in many Hindi songs, including the rage from Krissshhh tune chaand pe bhi jamaye kadam, dariya mein bhi ghar hai banaya par kya tunee ek rote huye insaan ko hai hasan sikhaya Another thingy that stood out was the programme on Doordarshan. It often featured bentbaazi(Urdu antakshri) and boy was it loads of fun! The only issue was it came late, almost 11 pm. And my family was firmly tucked in bed by 9:30pm. So me and my elder brother would wait for evryone to sleep and tiptoe to living room. One night my Mom found both boys missing, came down hurriedly and found us two wah-wahing at mushairas...:hatsoff::hatsoff:

[Guest dada_rocks]

My love for Urdu perhaps started due to Urdu Service from Patna All India Radio. As was the wont in 80s early morning radio would be switched on' date=' Mum would be busy making food for everyone, Dad busy shaving/getting ready for work. I suppose most of people of all generation listened to a lot of radio that way. I remember hearing Mir's ghazal first time on it, [i']patta patta boota boota haal hamara jaane hai. Also Patna was quite stellar in Urdu poetry and had some fantastic poets. A poet that I remember was Shaad Azimabadi. A couple of line of his stand out in memory Ghar se masjid hai bahut door chalo yun kar len kissi rote huye bacche ko hansaya jaaye. This line/emotion has been used in many Hindi songs, including the rage from Krissshhh tune chaand pe bhi jamaye kadam, dariya mein bhi ghar hai banaya par kya tunee ek rote huye insaan ko hai hasan sikhaya Another thingy that stood out was the programme on Doordarshan. It often featured bentbaazi(Urdu antakshri) and boy was it loads of fun! The only issue was it came late, almost 11 pm. And my family was firmly tucked in bed by 9:30pm. So me and my elder brother would wait for evryone to sleep and tiptoe to living room. One night my Mom found both boys missing, came down hurriedly and found us two wah-wahing at mushairas...:hatsoff::hatsoff:

9:30 ka curfew made us miss alot of things too.:--D.... Chachaji despite being connoisseur of urdu powetry cud not be expected to compromise on his schedule.....