Mirza Ghalib

Today I received a false trigger in one of the WhatsApp groups that it was 220th birth anniversary of Mirza Ghalib. False because Wikipedia tells me that the great man was born in Agra on 27th December 1797 and obviously it’s an old message forwarded afresh as this 27th December would be his 222nd anniversary. Nevertheless, the very mention of his name changes one’s mood from that of gloom and depression to one of hope and mysticism that his poetry always conveyed. Who else but him could have written:

ख़ुदा की मोहब्बत को फ़ना कौन करेगा?

خُدا کی مہبت کو فنا کون کریگا؟

सभी बन्दे नेक हों तो गुनाह कौन करेगा?

سبھی بندے نئک ہوں تو گناہ کون کریگا؟

ऐ ख़ुदा मेरे दोस्तों को सलामत रखना

اے خُدا میرے دوستوں کو سلامت رکھنا

वरना मेरी सलामती की दुआ कौन करेगा

ور نہ میری سلامتی کی دُعا کون کریگا

और रखना मेरे दुश्मनों को भी महफूज़

اور رکھنا میرے دُشمنوں کو بہی مہفوذ

वरना मेरी तेरे पास आने की दुआ कौन करेगा…!!!

ورنہ میری تیرے پاس آنے کی دُعا کون

🌹 ✍ کریگا۔۔۔۔!!!🌹

He was colourful who hated the duality of civilised society. He took pride in being called a rake or ladies man and lived life on his own terms that’s very evident from what he wrote:

इश्क़ पर जोर नहीं है ये वो आतिश ‘ग़ालिब’,

कि लगाये न लगे और बुझाये न बुझे

रगों में दौड़ते फिरने के हम नहीं क़ायल

जब आँख ही से न टपका तो फिर लहू क्या है

It’s amazing that what he wrote continues to be popular even 150 years after his death.