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Urdu poetry has
several forms — ghazal (a lyrical poem of six to 26 lines,
even longer), qasida (ode of praise), rubayee (a
quatrain with specific rhyme and topic), masnavi (a long
reflective poem and tale in verse), qita (a four-line poem)
etc. However, the sher forms the basic unit of all these
poetic forms. A sher is distich or two-line verse (a
couplet), treated as an independent poetic unit; both lines must be
in the same metre and must make a complete poetic effect of their
own, without regard to the rest of the poem. The second line must
end with rhyming elements. A nazm deals with one specific
topic, while a ghazal is addressed to the Almighty or the
beloved. A quawwali, too, is sung in the praise of the Lord,
but it can also take the form of a dialogue between
lovers.
Dr Farman Fatehpuri
points out that Ghalib's philosophy transcends the immediate and the
mundane and takes on a more profound tone while investigating life's
mysteries. In fact Ghalib's poetry has different layers. On the
surface some of his couplets' subjects sound so mundane, and yet on
reflection one discovers a deeper meaning. But he had another
quality — his ability to laugh at his own foibles — that placed him
among the all-time greats of the subcontinent's intellectuals. Here
I recall an incident mentioned in Intkhab-e Kalam-e Ghalib
edited by the Haryana Urdu Akademi's Kashmiri Lal Zakir and
Shams Tabrezi. The poet wrote the following couplet when he shifted
his last residence to the vicinity of a mosque (Ghalib always lived
in rented house): Masjid kay zere saya ik ghar bana liya hai /
yeh banda-e-kameena humsaya-e-khuda hai. (By making home near a
mosque the scamp puts on the airs of being the Almighty's
neighbour/companion).
In these lines he mocks
at man's tendency to bask in reflected glory. At another level he
highlights man's desire to arrogate divine attributes to himself
through proximity to a place of worship.
Elsewhere he is in a more
contemplative mood: daryae maasi tunuk abi se hua khushk / mera
sar-e daman bhi abhi tar na hua tha (Though the river of sins
dried out for scarcity of water / The edge of my garb had not even
become wet).
This verse by the poet is
intriguing: ai andlib yak kaf-e-khas bahr-e-ashiyan /
tufan-e-amad amad-e-fisl-e-bahar hai (O nightingale! Collect a
fistful of straw for making your nest, as / The arrival of a storm
indicates the coming of the spring season). Was the poet making a
mundane statement? Was he using the 'storm' metaphor to indicate
some violent socio-political upheaval relating to the coming of the
British era? Niazi does not make it clear in his explanation of the
couplet.
Ghalib was said to be
enamoured of a courtesan. Others say that he had had several love
affairs. Perhaps this is why his poetry dwells on the beauty of the
female form; as also the coquetry of the woman. His ardor for the
beloved is manifest in these words: sadgi par us ki hasrat dil
mein hai / bas nahin chalta kih phir khanjar kaf-e-qatil mein hai.
Niazi explains the poet's condition thus, "My desperate desire
to sacrifice my life because she is so innocent remains unfulfilled.
Every time I express this desire, she picks up the dagger, but doing
so causes her to lose her innocence, and thus the desire to have my
life taken away by someone innocent remains. This is a typical
contrary situation. If she does not kill me, the desire remains, but
if she does, the desire remains unfulfilled for she is no longer
innocent".
Unlike his peers, the
philosopher poet, says Fatehpuri, felt no need to stick to eastern
orthodoxy. Perhaps that was why he could appreciate the new
(British) culture, even while he preached against the British
domination. He was progressive in his worldview and was inevitably
denounced by his contemporaries. It is in the genre of ghazals
that Ghalib is peerless. These have been rendered by great
classical singers; depicted in cinema and television serials and
performed on stage. Says Niazi, "Ghalib's poetry reflects a movement
of thought, the product of a civilisation standing on the brink of
change, as he remained fully yet remorsefully conscious of it". It
is often said that poets reflect contemporary society while great
poets mould future generations. Ghalib's verse has certainly
influenced the successive generations' mindsets.
Here is a book that is worth its weight
in gold. Excellent translations, coupled with lucid explanations
will perpetuate the general interest in Ghalib. For the research
scholar there are brief but well-researched details of Ghalib's life
and times, as well as of the development of the Urdu language and
verse. Of course, the layman will appreciate, after reading the
book, why Ghalib's poetry retains its freshness even after his
predecessors and contemporaries have faded away from public
memory.
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