Deewana-e-Ghalib on Deewan-e-Ghalib

Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan also known as Ghalib was born on Dec. 27, 1797 in Agra to parents of turkish aristocratic ancestry. Not many of us know that Ghalib's earlier pen-name was 'Asad'. But when Ghalib came across this sher which used the same pen-name('Takhallus')


"Asad us jafaa par butoN say wafaa ki

Meray sher shabaash rahmat kHuda ki."

(Asad worshipped idols after being betrayed. My couplets are great, by mercy of God)
Ghalib apparently said that whoever authored this 'sher' should get lots of mercy(rahmat) of God but if it is mine then lots of shame(laanat) on me, And consequently he changed his 'Takhallus' to Ghalib which literally means a conqueror.

Enough of introduction and let's move to the works of Ghalib



A piece of art which is rarely read,heard or sung by any aficionado of Ghalib.

Balli maarhah ke mahalle ki wo pechida daleeloN ki see wo galiYan
saamne Taal ke nuKkad pe baTeroN ke posheede
guD-guDaati hui paaN pi peekoN meiN wo daad wo waH-waH
chand darwaaze par laTke huye boshida se kuch TaaT ke parde
ek baKri ke mamiyaane ki awaaZ
aur dhoondhlaayi huyi shaam ke be-noor andhere
aise deewaroN se mooH joD kar chalte haiN yahaN
chuDi-waala unke katri ke badi bee jaise
apNi boojHti hui aaNkhoN se darwaaze TaTole
aisee be-noor andheri see gali qaasim se
ek quran-e-sukhan ka safa khulta hai
asad allah Khan 'GHalib' ka patha milta hai.

Great one isn't it?
There are many in the list. Let us have a look at few very famous 'sher' of the maestro

1)har ek baat pe kehte ho tum ke  'too kya hai'
tumheeN kaho ke yeh andaaz-e-guftgoo kya hai
guftgoo = conversation


One more...

2)baazeechaa-e-atfaal hai duniya mere aage
hota hai shab-o-roz  tamaasha  mere aage
baazeechaa = play/sport, atfaal = children

mat pooch ke kya haal hai mera tere peeche
too  dekh  ke  kya  rang  tera  mere  aage

One more...

3)bus ki dushwaar hai har kaam ka aasaaN hona
aadmee ko bhee muyassar naheeN  insaaN hona
dushwaar = difficult, muyassar = possible

kee mere qatl ke baad usne jafa se tauba
      haay us zood_pashemaaN ka pashemaaN hona
jafa = oppression, zood = quickly, pashemaaN = ashamed/mortified

haif  us chaar girah kapDe  ki qismat 'GHalib'
      jis ki qismat meiN ho aashiq ka girebaaN hona
haif = alas!, girah = one sixteenth of a yard, girebaaN = collar

The Last one...

4)hazaaroN KHwahishaiN 'eisee ke har KHwahish pe dam nikle
      bohot  nikle  mere  armaaN  lekin  fir  bhee  kam  nikle

nikalna KHuld se aadam ka sunte aayaiN haiN lekin
        bohot  be_aabru hokar tere  kooche  se  ham nikle
KHuld = heaven, be_aabaru = disgrace, koocha = street

magar likhwaaye  koee usko KHat, to hamse likhawaaye
      huee subah aur ghar  se kaan par rakhkar qalam nikle

KHuda  ke  waaste  parda  na  kaabe  se  uThaa zaalim
      kaheeN 'eisa na ho yaaN bhee wohee kaafir sanam nikle

kahaaN maiKHaane ka darwaaza 'GHalib' aur kahaaN waaiz
      par itana  jaante haiN  kal wo jaata tha ke ham  nikle
waaiz = preacher/advisor

I selected few 'sher' as selection was left to my discretion,
though there are many other 'sher' which you would prefer or
rate them as better than those provided here. All in all
Ghalib will be remembered for the centuries to come and no
one can replace him. Hats off to Ghalib.

"haiN aur bhee duniya  meiN suKHanwar bohot achche
         kehte haiN ki 'GHalib' ka hai andaaz-e-bayaaN aur"
[suKHanwar = Poet]

when my PC rocks

This is Mital, a pratap purian with endless energy to drive. He knows all the roads to everywhere and all the roads know him very well. He is the best driver I have ever seen driving live in my life.





This is khobcha group in Mt. Abu. Had a nice time there especially under the aegis of Mother nature as this place was ready to be explored by us. But when we went there last time CRPF people had captured this drunkard's indegenous.




There was a hole in that rock and it is an old adage that where there is a hole there is modi :)
Doesn't he look like a zombie in this image? Trust me he is a good looking brat.




This is Brijesh aka Birju Murali adulterated by Computer Graphics. He knows the wisest words to say and the wisest things to do. His timing for everything is so perfect that you will notice that you are the one being screwed by the anecdote only when he is about to finish or already finished.




This is Me. Suffering from anorexia and wandering agape. All in all it was a fun time there at Mt Abu. Before the words start flowing in the tears because of nostalgia let me stop it.

We all believe:
Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature's child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die
-steppenwolf rocks too besides my P-III