Great poet Mirza Ghalib occupies a place of pride and honour in world literature being one of the most quotable poets having shers for almost all situations of life.
Hain Aur Bhi Duniya Mein Suḳhan-Var Bahut Achchhe
Kahte Hain Ki ‘Ghalib’ Ka Hai Andaz-E-Bayan Aur
Today commemorates and marks the 225th birth anniversary of Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, famous for his poetical surname, ‘Ghalib’. Born in Agra in 1797, Mirza Asadullah Khan became an orphan when he was only five years old. After his father Mirza Abdullah Khan Baig’s death, he was taken care of by his uncle Nasullah Beg Khan, but when Ghalib was nine he, too, died. Ghalib henceforth lived with the rich parents of his mother whose lenience towards him resulted in his developing unfrugal habits and dipping towards youthful excesses, which in later years were responsible for many of his troubles. He did not receive any systematic education and learned all he knew mainly by his own personal effort and extraordinary intelligence. At the age of thirteen, he was married to a respectable family of Delhi and in 1812 moved to Delhi permanently. Ghalib’s life was full of uninterrupted affliction, suffering and grief except for a brief period in his early youth. Adversity followed him there too after marriage. He had no regular source of income and always looked to patrons for help and lived on borrowed money, which always created more problems. He never had a house of his own and his domestic life was far from happiness. He and his wife, Umrao Begum, were unfortunately unsuited to each other and seven children were born of this couple, but all of them died in their infancy. Ghalib then adopted his wife’s nephew Zain-ul-Abidin Khan ‘Arif’, but unluckily he too died young.
Ranj Se Khugar Hua Insan To Mit Jaata Hai
Ranj Mushkilen Mujh Par Padii Itni Ki Asan Ho Gaiin
Unke Dekhe Se Jo Aa Jaati Hai Munh Par Ronaq
Wo Samajhte Hai Ki Beemaar Ka Haal Achhaa Hai
Ghalib was an aristocrat, a man of broad sympathies, warm-hearted, humble, considerate, generous and carried his self-respect and independence to an extreme. He was absolutely free from dogmatism, and intolerance coupled with his liberality, his conduct was characterized by frankness and candour. He was not frugal, and loved the good things of life- wine, women, chess, mangoes and company. He was legitimately proud of his lineal descent at a time when noble birth still mattered and being himself a man of meagre means, he wanted to live in the style of his ancestors and this is where most of his troubles started.
Bazicha-E-Atfal Hai Duniya Mire Aage
Hota Hai Shab-O-Roz Tamasha Mire Aage
Bas-Ki Dushvar Hai Har Kaam Ka Asan Hona
Aadmi Ko Bhi Muyassar Nahin Insan Hona
Being a gifted poet, Ghalib wrote more in Persian than in Urdu and considered his Persian poetry and prose to be more important, and, in fact, wished to be judged by his Persian works. Although he is rightly accepted as the last classical Persian poet of India, he is more loved and remembered for his Urdu works. He started writing poetry when he was barely ten and was fond of excessive imitation of Persian poets, especially Bedil, and wrote highly Persianized and obscure poetry. This was criticized and parodied by his contemporaries and by the age of 25, he discarded much of his scholastic verse that offended good taste. After having once discovered his style, Ghalib wrote with effortless abandon in much simpler and purer language.
Hazaron Khvahishen Aisi Ki Har ḳhvahish Pe Dam Nikle
Bahut Nikle Mire Arman Lekin Phir Bhi Kam Nikle
Aah Ko Chahiye Ik Umr Asar Hote Tak
Kaun Jiita Hai Tiri Zulf Ke Sar Hote Tak
Ghalib is a complex poet and his world of poetry is too vast and too contradictory to fit into any one category of things. Not only his Ghazals are unique having intensity of emotions but also famous for their perfect form, their attractive melody, and the profound feeling for the beauty of the world that they reveal. Ghalib sang ‘all the phases of life’ with such a depth of feeling no other Urdu poet had. His love is not idealistic and self-surrendering, but purely rich.
Ashiqi Sabr-Talab Aur Tamanna Betab
Dil Ka Kya Rang Karun Khun-E-Jigar Hote Tak
Dil Hi To Hai Na Sang-O-ḳhisht Dard Se Bhar Na Aae Kyuun
Roenge Ham Hazar Baar Koi Hamen Satae Kyuun
Ghalib is also known for his letters in Urdu which he started writing in 1849 or a little earlier normally written in Persian having four different collections, and scholars keep discovering new ones so their number is steadily increasing. Ghalib discarded the artificial rhetoric of feudal politeness, aiming at the joy of communication, and wrote in a startingly simple, intimate and informal style and no man ever wrote more graceful and lucid Urdu than him. The witty turn of Ghalib’s genius gave every page of his letters an irresistible charm and abiding interest.
Ishq Ne Ghalib Nikamma Kar Diya
Varna Ham Bhi Aadmi The Kaam Ke
Mohabbat Mein Nahin Hai Farq Jiine Aur Marne Ka
Usi Ko Dekh Kar Jiite Hain Jis Kafir Pe Dam Nikle
This legendary poet died in 1869 but even today, researchers are studying various aspects of poetry and the life of Mirza Ghalib and his life’s events are celebrated every year. He is – and will be – honoured for many years to come.
Ragon Mein Daudte Phirne Ke Hum Nahin Qail
Jab Aankh Hi Se Na Tapka To Phir Lahu Kya Hai
Na Tha Kuch To Khuda Tha Kuch Na Hota To Khuda Hota
Duboya Mujh Ko Hone Se Na Hota Main To Kya Hota
The writer is a Lecturer in Chemistry at BHSS Arihal Pulwama. He can be reached at [email protected]

Dr Nisar Farhad