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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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