Ghazals Of Ghalib

The Almighty Of Rekhta

Mirza Asadullah Khan (Ghalib)-27-12-1797(Agra) To 15-02-1869 (Delhi)

OTHER LINKS

Indian Classical Music
 

Interpretation-Ghazal-25



1.
Because of my sins, I could not obtain access to the court of God who bestowed upon me many kinds of grace and favour, now in return,
I present the gift of :Shame and failure", Even despite my sins, with those vain longings for sins that have turned to blood in my heart, I present the claim of purity.
(Since I could not succeed in some task and generally feel unworthy, my shame of failure and unworthiness is all I have to offer. And it indeed is a gift, because it shows the valuable rightness and humility of my attitude.)
2.
Since beauty is spectacle-loving, it looks at others and as a result others look at beauty,
And this very glance will make even the one who falls in love with beauty, a believer in beauty's purity.
(No glance has obtained access even as far as curtain. So who can challenge the truth of the claim of purity.)
3.
Give alms of beauty, that is, if even one-fortieth part of beauty would reach me in a whole year, then like the sun,
The begging bowl would be illuminated and would become the lamp of the Dervish's house.
(If the begging bowl is like the sun, then common feature is that after you have given us alms of your radiance to the bowl, it will glow with light like the sun and illumine my house like a lamp.)
4.
Considering me in-offensive, you did not kill me, so that you should not be blamed for the murder of an innocent,
But now on your neck, instead of the blood of the innocent, the right of friendship will remain.
(The same kind of guilt can result in one's owing a "Blood Price".)
5.
My longing is to have a tongue to express my situation in your court, but before this plea my tongue became absorbed into the praise of tonguelessness,
Because there was the benefit that I was not able to narrate in your court the complaint of helplessness, and contentment and acceptance bestowed upon me.
(Thanks to tonguelessness, Ghalib is saved from such humiliating self-abasement.)
6.
In the garden the scent of flowers are created by enthusiasm of the flowers,
And I, seeing the flourishing of the garden, begin composing colourful-voiced ghazals.
(By the power of the Lord, scent in the flowers and poetic imagination in the heart of poet appear.)
7.
Every sarcastic mouth is a link in the chain of disgrace, and they call the mouths of beautiful ones non-existent,
So when the mention of your faithfulness is in their mouths, it is as if it has arrived at nonexistence, and on the feet of your good name the chains of disgrace have been fastened.
(Mouths are gossiping about her faithfulness in all the worlds.)
8.
Oh Ghalib, do not lengthen the letter by writing laments and complaints, write a shortish sentence,
That I have in my heart a longing to express the tyrannies and the sufferings of being apart.
(He is a professional assessor of suffering.)
____