Recently one of my friends chanced upon my blog and has managed to convince me into writing an explanatory note on some Ghazals of Ghaalib. I must start with the disclaimer that neither am I an expert on Ghalib, nor on Urdu language. In fact, I am not even an expert on poetry. So all which ways, I am not qualified to write. But as a famous couplet goes
"NaaKhudaa door, hawaa tez, qaree.n kaam-e-naahang
waqt hai, phenk de lehro.n me.n safeenaa apnaa"
"नाख़ुदा दूर, हवा तेज़, क़रीं कामे नाहंग
वक़्त है फेंक दे लहरों में सफ़ीना अपना"
i.e. the boatman is far away, the winds are blowing fast, crocodiles are close by with their open mouths
ok, time to throw your boat to the waves"
I know a lot of Internet based experts will rip me apart (like crocodiles). But as Salman said in Wanted (or Vijay in Pokkiri) - 'ek baar maine commitment kar lii, to phir mai.n apne aap kii bhii nahee.n suntaa'(एक बार मैंने कमिट्मॅंट कर ली, तो फिर मैं अपने आप की भी नहीं सुनता) or "oru vaaTTi mudivu paNNiTTen naa en pechhai naane kekka maaTTen (ஒரு வாட்டி முடிவு பண்ணிட்டேன் நா என் பேச்சை நானே கேட்க மாட்டேன் )". So here goes.
"Hazaaro.n Khwaahishe.n aisee ki har Khwaahish pe dum nikle
bahut nikle mire armaan lekin phir bhii kum nikle"
हज़ारों ख़्वाहिशें ऐसी कि हर ख़्वाहिश पे दम निकले
बहोत निकले मेरे अरमान लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले
This is an oft used couplet which is the first couplet of this famous Ghazal. The first couplet is called 'matlaa' in poetic terms. There are no difficult words in this couplet. Hence getting down to the meaning.
A thousand desires - and each desire is worth dying for
Many of my desires have been fulfilled, but the heart yearns for more"
