Today is Death Anniversary of Ghalib Chacha. I did not know it but the coincidence is I have been listening / reading to his Poetry / Ghazals since morning today…and I did find this time after months now !! Then I got to know from Sputnik that today happens to be his death anniversary…
He never got acclaim which he gets today or since after his death.
Couple of couplets of Ghalib which show he was against the idea of public funeral / gathering of ppl crying for the one who is no more and all…
Both are in different context and different Ghazals..
Mujh ko diyar-e gair me mara vatan se dur
rakh li khuda ne meri bekasi sharm.
bekasi == hopelessness, loneliness
He (God) killed me away from home, and I thank Him for that. If I had died at my home, I would have been left without shroud or burial and that would have been very embarrassing.
Away from home, though ..no one knows me and its OK 🙂 .. not much embarrassment.
[This in a way indicated that Ghalib is saying – hardly anyone appreciated him when he was alive]
Now the couplet which is in the song posted above at the Top:
hue mar ke ham jo rusavaa, hue kyo.N na Garq-e-dariyaa
na kabhii janaazaa uThataa, na kahii.n mazaar hotaa
Having died in disgrace, why didnt I just drawn in the ocean/river? (garq-e-dariyaa)
For then, no coffin had been raised (janaazaa) , nor any grave(mazaar) built.
Thanks @ritz for this lovely post. Loved both the couplets.
Good Post Ritz.
Thanks Aryan and Sputnik.
Simply wonderful Ritz !! Loved it.
Thank you Alfa.
Thanks liked your post but I do think differently though he did not get the deserved acclaim during his lifetime he was self contented as far as his creation was concerned. He knew consciously what he was composing was much ahead of his time and these are reflected in the verses:
“Huyi muddat ki Ghalib mar gayaa par yaad aata hai
Wo har ik baat par kehna ki yun hota to kya hota”
He was a true poet who also appreciated good poetry but at the same time his contentment with his creation is reflected in the couplet
Rekhtaa ke tumhi ustaad nahi ho , Ghalib
Kehte hain agle zamaane mein koi Meer bhi tha”
Thus the other side of the coin speaks about his self confidence that a day will come when he will be appreciated and his worth will be acclaimed by lovers of poetry.
However enjoyed reading your post.
My regards and tribute to Ghalib on this very day when he left this world and left behind a legacy a perennial source of nectar for the ears which will be cherished by all poetry lovers.
“Ghalib Faraz padh padh ke dil Gulzaar ho gayaa” SUSMITA BASU MAJUMDAR (Adaa)