Date: Mon, 22 Jul 96 10:20:00 PDT
From: Ramesh Hariharan (rameshh@tp.ac.sg)
Subject: Ghalib! na tha kuch tho KHuda tha...

Hi
Am back with a gem from who-else-but Ghalib! This ghazal contains only 3
shers(a rare one from Ghalib), and is one of my favorites. Pay attention to
the way in which Ghalib plays around with words! I took help from
U.V.Ravindra, of RMIM fame, for the last sher.

1. na tha kuchch tho KHuda tha, kuchch na hotha tho KHuda hota
duboya mujhko hone ne, na hota maiN tho kya hota ?

[When there was nothing, there was God; if there was nothing, there would have been God
My existence/living/life sank/destroyed me, if I was not there, what would have happened?]

A brilliant sher! Ghalib says that when there was nothing or if there was
nothing, there was always God. Further, he says that in my case, my being
alive or being there brought me all the problems. What would have happened,
if I was not there? Why was I created in the first place(just to be sunk in
despair & sorrows for the whole life), when nothing would have changed (God),
even if I were not there?

2. huaa jab GHam se yooN behis to GHam kya sar ke katne ka
na hota gar juda tan se tho zaanooN par dhaRa hota

[When one has been so stunned/shocked by sorrows, then why feel sad of the head being cut off
If it(the head) were not seperated from the body, then it would have been held on the knees]

3. huee muddat ke 'GHalib' mar gaya par yaad aata hai
wo har ek baat pe kehana, ke yooN hota to kya hota ?

[It has been a while since 'Ghalib' died, but he is still remembered
That, his opinionating on every point, that if it had been the other way, then what would have happened?]

Ghalib is trying to allude to the accepted notion of his as a social
non-conformist. He was a largely castigated man. Ghalib, as is his usual
wont, is saying "See I am great. I died aeons ago, but to this day [people]
remember my questioning the ways of Society". Basically,
[tum kahte they ke] yooN hai - you used to say, "it is this way"
[aur maiN kahta tha ke] yooN hota to kya hota - and I used to say, "what if it had been this way"
[aur mujhe mare hue ek muddat ho gayee hai] - and it has been a long time since I died
[phir bhi tum aaj tak mere alfaaz yaad karte ho] - even then, to date, you remember my words.

Dictionary : behis = shocked/stunned; zaanooN = knee; muddat = duration/period