Reflections on Ghalib's Ghazals

The Book I Own

Today’s blog post is going to be different from my regular musings. Over the past week, I have spent some time reflecting on a few verses from Mirza Ghalib’s ghazals. I own a beautiful copy of his selected works, rendered into English by T. P. Issar, with a foreword by the great Khushwant Singh. There is something profoundly moving about Ghalib’s words—his effortless blending of philosophical inquiry, wit, and the raw emotions of love and loss. Here are some verses that left an impression on me.

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یہ مسائل تصوف یہ ترا بیان غالبؔ

تجھے ہم ولی سمجھتے جو نہ بادہ خوار ہوتا

ये मसाईल-ए-तसव्वुफ़ ये तिरा बयान 'ग़ालिब'

तुझे हम वली समझते जो न बादा-ख़्वार होता

ye masā.il-e-tasavvuf ye tirā bayān 'ġhālib'

tujhe ham valī samajhte jo na bāda-ḳhvār hotā

I absolutely love the way Ghalib describes that he could have been regarded as a saint, if only he weren’t a bāda-ḳhvār (a liquor consumer). There’s a certain irreverent charm in his confession—an acknowledgment of human indulgence wrapped in poetic grace.

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زباں پہ بار خدایا یہ کس کا نام آیا

کہ میرے نطق نے بوسے مری زباں کے لیے

ज़बाँ पे बार-ए-ख़ुदाया ये किस का नाम आया

कि मेरे नुत्क़ ने बोसे मिरी ज़बाँ के लिए

zabāñ pe bār-e-ḳhudāyā ye kis kā naam aayā

ki mere nutq ne bose mirī zabāñ ke liye

The sheer brilliance of describing the act of uttering someone’s name as nutq ne bose (speech placing kisses upon the tongue) is poetic genius. Ghalib elevates the experience of speaking a beloved’s name to something almost sacred.

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تھا خواب میں خیال کو تجھ سے معاملہ 

جب آنکھ کھل گئی، نہ زیاں تھا نہ سود تھا

था ख़्वाब में ख़याल को तुझ से मुआ'मला

जब आँख खुल गई न ज़ियाँ था न सूद था

thā ḳhvāb meñ ḳhayāl ko tujh se muāmla

jab aañkh khul ga.ī na ziyāñ thā na suud thā

This is a great ghazal to remember when falling in love. The fleeting nature of a dream, where love and loss hold no real consequence, makes it a deeply reflective piece. Ghalib’s understanding of love in dreams—as an ephemeral, unreal yet meaningful engagement—is a sentiment I find incredibly poignant.

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عشق سے طبیعت نے زیست کا مزا پایا

درد کی دوا پائی درد بے دوا پایا

इश्क़ से तबीअत ने ज़ीस्त का मज़ा पाया

दर्द की दवा पाई दर्द-ए-बे-दवा पाया

ishq se tabī.at ne ziist kā mazā paayā

dard kī davā paa.ī dard-e-be-davā paayā

This has to be my favourite ghazal so far. The way Ghalib says that love has given him both the medicine for his pain and the pain for which no medicine exists is simply breathtaking. It encapsulates the paradox of love—its power to heal and wound in equal measure.

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شور پند ناصح نے زخم پر نمک چھڑکا

آپ سے کوئی پوچھے تم نے کیا مزا پایا

शोर-ए-पंद-ए-नासेह ने ज़ख़्म पर नमक छिड़का

आप से कोई पूछे तुम ने क्या मज़ा पाया

shor-e-pand-e-nāseh ne zaḳhm par namak chhiḌkā

aap se koī pūchhe tum ne kyā mazā paayā

O preacher, all your words profound were salt rubbed in my wound. 

Now tell me, if you do not mind: what pleasure in that did you find?

To every mentor in any subject, this ghazal is the perfect response! Ghalib’s wit shines as he addresses the nāseh (preacher) whose moral advice stings like salt on a wound. Yet, in a stroke of defiant humour, he asks the preacher—what pleasure did you derive from my pain?

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یہ ہم جو ہجر میں دیوار و در کو دیکھتے ہیں

کبھی صبا کو کبھی نامہ بر کو دیکھتے ہیں

ये हम जो हिज्र में दीवार-ओ-दर को देखते हैं

कभी सबा को कभी नामा-बर को देखते हैं

ye ham jo hijr meñ dīvār-o-dar ko dekhte haiñ

kabhī sabā ko kabhī nāma-bar ko dekhte haiñ

A magnificent portrayal of longing—a lover waiting, searching in every corner, looking at the walls, at the wind (sabā), at the messenger (nāma-bar), hoping for a sign from the beloved. It captures the stillness and aching passage of time in separation.

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Ghalib’s words continue to resonate across centuries, capturing emotions we all have felt at some point. His wit, his depth, and his ability to articulate the inexpressible make his poetry timeless. Reading his ghazals is like engaging in an intimate conversation with a soul that understood life in all its complexity. I wish to one day be able to quote any ghazal from his diwan.