The Life of Mirza Ghalib Born on December 27, 1797 in Agra, India, Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan is considered to be one of the most prominent and influential Urdu and Persian poets of all time. Mirza Ghalib’s family descended from the Aibak Turks, who many years prior migrated to India. His father, Mirza Abdullah Baig Khan was a high ranking military official, who died when Ghalib was five years old, leaving him to be raised by his uncle. As typical of Muslim upper class families during the early nineteenth century, Ghalib was married at the age of thirteen in an arranged marriage. He went on to have seven children, none of whom survived infancy. Ghalib’s turbulent life influenced his works greatly and was one of the biggest factors in his often skeptical and tortured view of the world and life. His discontent with his constricting and unsatisfying marriage was a common theme in his works, and was strengthened further by the futility he felt when his children died. This agonizing life was highly impactful on Ghalib’s poetry as it set a backdrop for his often controversial subject matter, one that questioned the mercy of God and described life and marriage as forms of imprisonment. He often felt hopeless, and was very conflicted in his loyalty to Islam and his feelings of despair towards the ineffectiveness of God, who he felt deserted him in his time of need. Furthermore, Ghalib was part of the old Mughal nobility, allowing him to pursue his conquests in poetry, (which he began writing at the age of eleven), without the need for a separate mode of financial support. Ghalib is accredited with the expansion of the ghazal, a traditional form of Urdu and Persian poetry. His unique poetic style often combined several aspects of the formerly strict structure of the ghazal, and integrated multidimensional themes and poetic devices, thus redefining the ghazal forever. Ghalib’s updated version of the Ghazal is popular globally even today, which with its universal themes and lyrical structure has an almost hypnotizing quality that draws the reader in, no matter what language it is read in. During Ghalib’s lifetime, India switched hands from the Mughal Empire to Britain and finally achieved its independence, a fact that was also very integral to Ghalib’s widespread poetic influence. The subject matter and themes present in Ghalib’s works were very controversial in India during the nineteenth century, as a large portion of the population was Muslim (as India had not partitioned into Pakistan and India due to British colonial rule) and Ghalib’s poetry often called into question traditional notions of religion. However, these advanced topics were widely reviewed, as at that time no one dared call into question religious matters and Ghalib’s thinly veiled viewpoints were extremely alluring. Ghalib’s dark skepticism was something that was hidden in the past, and something that people sometimes felt but did not state. As such, Ghalib was celebrated more after his death for his honest and raw accounts of his despair with life. One of the most unique characteristics of Ghalib’s poetry was his often conflicted emotions with his loyalty to his religion and his despairing view of the world. Ghalib was very famous for his religious Islamic poetry, which praised God and his prophets and remarked on the wonders of the world. On the other hand, Ghalib’s works often contained themes illustrating the constricting nature of life and the anguish present in all aspects of life, indicating his contrasting standpoints. Recognitions Mirza Ghalib gained the majority of his public esteem posthumously, although he was quite famous when he was living as well, as he was sponsored by many patrons, who supported and encouraged his works. Ghalib was awarded titles of nobility (including “Dabir- ul-Mulk”, “Najm-ud-daula” and “Mirza Nosha”) by Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II (the last Mughal Emperor) in 1850 which allowed him to be a part of Delhi’s aristocracy. Even the title of “Mirza” is historically known as reflecting the rank of a nobleman or aristocrat, indicating Ghalib’s position in society in his surname. The emperor also established Ghalib as his poet tutor and advisor in court in 1854 and placed him in charge of tutoring his son, Prince Fakhr-ud Din Mirza. Ghalib was later appointed as the royal historian of the Mughal court. Today, Ghalib’s works are studied and translated globally by many scholars, as his unique poetic style and controversial themes enthrall even now.
What Cannot Be Said originally Written in Persian There's one who took my heart away. But does she own it? I can't say.
See her as unjust though I may, Is she a tyrant? I can't say.
She strides a bloodless battlefield Where there's no battle-axe to wield.
She keeps a wineless banquet-hall Where there's no bowl to raise at all.
Although she serves wine ceaselessly, Her fingers bring no cup to me.
Her idol-carving hand is sure, But you cannot call her Azer
When riots quiet down, why must You brag of ousting the unjust?
There will be nothing you can say Of the unjust on Judgment Day.
Within the breast the secret lies Which none can ever sermonize.
How strange a thing it is that throws The mind askew till no one knows
How I Ghalib am no believer But can't be called unfaithful either.
What Cannot Be Said Analysis Mirza Ghalib’s poem, “What Cannot Be Said” discusses his struggle with recognizing the detrimental nature of the temptations which entice him. His almost unholy attraction to an unknown woman is the central topic of this Ghazal (a form of poetry that is commonly written in Persian or Urdu that favors a strong structure with apparent rime scheme and pattern in order to create emphasis upon the subject matter) and is reflected by Ghalib’s usage of rime and repetition. The poem consists of 11 couplets, or ashar (in Persian and Urdu poetry, it is the plural of sher, where the last word of each line in the sher/couplet rime with each other) and the rime scheme follows the pattern of AA, AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, AA, GG, HH, II. The words “I can’t say” are repeated throughout the poem, increasing the impact of the title, and illustrating the hold that the woman has over him as this inability always follows a statement declaring the woman for the tyrant that she is (2-4). The first lines in each couplet illustrate his awareness that she is not a positive compulsion, while the lines immediately after illustrate how he is still unable to state that she controls him. The poem thus takes us through the workings of Ghalib’s mind, and his train of thought as he thinks about the woman. A sense of futility and torture is given by Ghalib’s repetition of his almost captivity by the temptations the woman presents. Since he is unable to break free of her hold, his continued repetition of the facts that he cannot declare her as “a tyrant”, as “Azer” (the nonbelieving father of Prophet Abraham in Islam, who worshipped idols and tried to kill his son), or even as the “one who took my [his] heart away” and owns it, conveys his weakness very clearly and emphatically to the reader (1-12). As such, Ghalib’s usage of specific diction and religious allusions further emphasize the control the woman has and how he does not want to or simply cannot accept this because of her influence. His diction creates a tone of suffering and agony over his impossible love by using several words with negative connotations when speaking about the woman he desires. Whenever she is mentioned, words that hinder Ghalib’s ability to have self-control are integrated in order to highlight the influence of the woman. Ghalib relates her to Azer in order to make a reference that would be easily understandable to his audience at the time, which would be able to understand the influence the woman holds over him due to his inability to declare her for what she is. The woman might not necessarily be an idol worshipper; however, he makes this comparison in order to illustrate her unholy character and how he cannot clearly state her evil nature as she controls him. This allusion strengthens his illustration of how temptations can get ahold of him and influence his behavior, especially in the case of a woman. His powerful diction portrays the woman as a strong warrior, who has basically conquered his heart and holds it, causing him to be enticed by his temptations and lose his belief, but never his faith, as indicated by the couplet “How I Ghalib am no believer but can't be called unfaithful either” (21-22). As such, the internal torment that Ghalib feels is clearly visible, as he is faithful to his religion, however he has begun to doubt it and become skeptical, which has been caused by his dissatisfaction with his fate in life.
The World Is A Playground Originally Written in Urdu I perceive the world as a playground Where dawn and dusk appear in eternal rounds In His Universal form is a plaything the throne of Solomon The miracles of the Messiah seem so ordinary in my eyes Without name I cannot comprehend any form Illusionary but is the identity of all objects My anguish envelopes the entire desert Silently flows the river in front of my floods Ask not what separation has done to me Just see your poise when I come in front of you Truly you say that I am egotistical and proud It is the reflection, O friend, in your limited mirror To appreciate the style and charm of conversation Just bring in the goblet and wine Hatred manifests due to my envious mind Thus I say, don't take his name in front of me Faith stops me while temptations attract Inspite of Kaaba behind and church ahead I am the Lover, yet notorious is my charm Thus Laila calls names to Majnu in front of me 'Dies' not one though the union is a delight In premonition of the separation night Alas, this be it, the bloody separation wave I know not what else is in store ahead of me Though the hands don't move, the eyes are alive Wine and goblet, let them stay in front of me Says 'Ghalib' Conscience is companion and trusted friend Don't pass any judgments in front of me.
The World Is A Playground Analysis “The World Is a Playground” is one of Mirza Ghalib’s most famous works, as it was one of the most revolutionary poems of the late eighteenth century, what with its unique structure and controversial thematic subject matter. The poem combines the styles of ghazals as well as nazms (a more free style structure of Persian/Urdu poetry where the central focus is upon thematic elements) in order to create a very detailed poem that is more complex than a simple ghazal. There are no clear couplets or ashar in the poem and it reads as a continuous paragraph where there is no punctuation at all. The words “delight”, “night”, “playground” and “rounds” are the only words that somewhat rime (1-22) and there is a lot of space between the words. Ghalib’s internal struggle is a focal point in this poem, as his dwindling faith and despair with life is constantly presented in all aspects. The loose structure of “The World is a Playground” is thus very appropriate for the subject matter, as it is very indicative of the confusion and lack of organization that Ghalib sees in the world. The structure and syntax of the poem is thus symbolic of Ghalib’s outlook on life, and how he feels that anguish engulfs the world, making it jumbled and disorganized. Ghalib’s poem also contains several religious allusions as he first refers to Solomon, who was a revered prophet and king of Israel in Islam, in order to indicate the contrast between the world of the past and the present world in which he lived in. His view of the world is very negative and somewhat dark, as he feels agony and despair when looking at how people do not value life. This idea is cemented by Ghalib’s allusion to God and Islam, as he has begun to lose hope in the world. Furthermore, Ghalib references the Kaaba, in order to illustrate how his faith has begun to diminish due to lack of optimism. He writes of how his faith stops him from unholy temptation, yet he still is drawn to it, as demonstrated by his allusion to Laila and Majnun, who had a tragic love that was almost sinful. Ghalib’s tortured psyche can also be seen when he states that “the miracles of the Messiah seem so ordinary in my [his] eyes” and that he has seen many wonders in the world but has also been subject to numerous tragedies (4). The poem is highly indicative of his remorse and pain, as he has begun to doubt the purpose of his God, due to his confusion with how the world could be so mundane but so miraculous at the same time. Ghalib states “anguish envelopes the entire desert silently flows the river in front of my [his] floods” clearly conveying the pain he feels due to the loss of his children as well as his arranged marriage (7-8). His torment goes unnoticed by the world, causing him to be a skeptic and begin to lose his belief in God and his mercy. However, Ghalib’s continuous faithfulness to God and his religion emerges in this work as well, reinforcing the idea that even though Ghalib has faced so many trials, he still holds onto the hope and relief his religion provides. The updated version of the traditional Ghazal characteristic of this poem caused Ghalib to be accredited with the expansion of the Ghazal, as he interwove multidimensional themes and poetic devices in a manner that was completely original.
Errors in Translation In reading works originally written in foreign languages (as opposed to English) it is often very hard to distinguish the author’s motivation behind writing about certain topics, as well as the real meanings behind the works. This issue becomes even more prevalent when one tries to analyze poetry, as translations often can be reworded and are interpreted differently by all readers. As such, the best way to understand the purpose of the author in writing certain things is to read it in the original language. As the individual who analyzed Mirza Ghalib’s poems, Aleeshba Basil, is fluent in Urdu, she was able to translate “The World is a Playground” and find the most accurate translation present. However, the work “What Cannot Be Said” was originally written in Persian, causing it to be necessary to rely on other people’s translations of the work. The problem of mistakes in translation is a constant presence in the analysis of unknown global works as there are many differing ways of interpreting a poem, but this project sought to eliminate these to the highest degree through detailed research of various translations to find the most accurate translation that conveyed the author’s purpose as clearly as possible.