Ghalib's closest rival was poet Zauq, tutor ofBahadur Shah Zafar II, the then emperor of Indiawith his seat in Delhi. There are some amusing anecdotes of the competition between Ghalib and Zauq and exchange of jibes between them. However, there was mutual respect for each other's talent. Both also admired and acknowledged the supremacy of Meer Taqi Meer, a towering figure of 18th century Urdu Poetry. Another poet Momin, whose ghazals had a distinctly lyrical flavour, was also a famous contemporary of Ghalib. One of the towering figures in Urdu literature Altaf Hussain Hali was a disciple of Ghalib. Hali has also written a biography of Ghalib titled Yaadgaar-e-Ghalib.
Ghalib was not only a poet, he was also a prolific prose writer. His letters are a reflection of the political and social climate of the time. They also refer to many contemporaries like Mir Mehdi Majrooh, who himself was a good poet and Ghalib's lifelong acquaintance. The Poems written by Ghalib were tough to understand. He sometimes made the sentence syntax so complex that people had hard time in understanding that. Once Hakeem Agha Jaan Aish,[26] a poet of Ghalib's era, read a couplet in Mushaira for Ghalib:[27]
Ghalib was not only a poet, he was also a prolific prose writer. His letters are a reflection of the political and social climate of the time. They also refer to many contemporaries like Mir Mehdi Majrooh, who himself was a good poet and Ghalib's lifelong acquaintance. The Poems written by Ghalib were tough to understand. He sometimes made the sentence syntax so complex that people had hard time in understanding that. Once Hakeem Agha Jaan Aish,[26] a poet of Ghalib's era, read a couplet in Mushaira for Ghalib:[27]
- اگر اپنا کہا تم آپ ہی سمجھے تو کیا سمجھے
- مزا کہنے کا جب ہے اک کہے اور دوسرا سمجھے
(It is not praised if you are the only one to understand what you speak
interesting is the situation when you speak and the others understand):
Ghalib felt bad for this and wrote:[28]
- نہ ستائش کی تمنّا نہ صلے کی خواہش
- گر نہیں ہیں مرے اشعار میں معنی نہ سہی
(I don't need appreciation neither do i need any return
let not be if there is no meaning in my couplets)
This style was the definition of his uniqueness
In prose Ghalib brought a revolution in Urdu literature by developing an easy, simple and beautiful way of writing. Before Ghalib Urdu was a complex language, Ghalib introdued a simple style of prose in Urdu which is like a conversation.[29]
Ghalib’s grave
Ghalib was buried in Hazrat Nizamuddin near the tomb of Nizamuddin Auliya. The side view of Mazar-e-Ghalib is shown in the image.
Side view of Mazar-e-Ghalib
”
maze jahaan ke apnee nazar meiN KHaak naheeN
siwaa-e-KHoon-e-jigar, so jigar meiN KHaak naheeN”
[30]
(The happiness of the world is nothing for me
for my heart is left with no feeling besides blood.)
maze jahaan ke apnee nazar meiN KHaak naheeN
siwaa-e-KHoon-e-jigar, so jigar meiN KHaak naheeN”
[30]
(The happiness of the world is nothing for me
for my heart is left with no feeling besides blood.)
Wah
जवाब देंहटाएं