The Moving Finger

Please contribute

I would welcome if anyone wants to post anything related to poetries on this blog. I think my life is too short to write about Ghalib alone, leave apart some other legendary poets such as Faiz, Faraz and others.

Please email your contributions to n i s t h a . t r i p a t h i @gmail.com and I’ll be glad to put it up here. Enjoy.

ki yun

guncha-e naa-shiguftah ko dur se mat dikha ki yun
bose ko poochhtaa hun main muh se mujhe bataa ki yun

-Ghalib

For detailed analysis and other works, check out this.

Shakespeare’s curse

Shakespeare’s curse, originally uploaded by dgj103.

As I found a respite from tiring applications and worldly affairs, I couldn’t wait to get back to some of Ghalib’s works. However, I stumbled upon this as I was browsing. The tragedy of artists, as rueful it is, is also as intriguing and captivating. And if tempting the fate is the price to pay for being able to write with such fervor, I could die a thousand times

sher kehte ho bahut khoob tum ‘Akhtar’, lekin
achchhe shaa’ir, yeh sunaa hai, ke jawaan marte hain

- Jahaan Nisaar Akhtar

The picture is of Shakespeare’s tombstone with his famous curse engraved-

Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To digg the dust encloased heare.
Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And curst be he yt moves my bones.

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear*,

To dig the dust encloséd here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones,

And cursed be he that moves my bones.

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear,
To dig the dust encloséd here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.

I so wish to personally pay a visit to Stratford where the Bard of Avon conceived his great works. Someday.

Ibn-e-Mariyam hua kare koi – II

kya Kiya Khijr ne Sikander se
ab kise rahnuma kare koi

rahnuma=guide
After seeing what Khijr did to Sikander (Alexander), whom can anyone trust now? So, what did Khijr do? – the verse alludes to fountain of youth which was visited by Khijr and Alexander but while Khijr drank his water, Alexander returned without drinking. As per this, Alexander gets lost looking for the spring, but al-Khidr finds it and gains eternal life.

jab tavaqqo hi uth gayi Ghalib
kyun kisi ka gila kare koi

tavaqqo=hope
Ending on another disappointed note, Ghalib says that what is left to complain when one has lost all the hope ie one complains in expectation off getting the wrongdoer to suffer or getting redresses for one’s own wounds but if I know that my wrongdoer will never come around, what is the point of lamenting him.

And this ‘maqta’ brings us to the end of this not-so-intricate, yet delicious ghazal. Here’s Abida’s version on YouTube, enjoy-

Kiya bhi Faiz to kis but se dostaana kiya

 

lone saxophone by the quay, originally uploaded by Chewy Chua.

ye kis khalish ne phir is dil mein aashiyaana kiya
phir aaj kis ne sukhan hum se gaayebaana kiya

[gaayebaana=hidden/invisible]

vo hilaagar jo vafaaju bhi hai jafaakhu bhi
kiya bhii “Faiz” to kis but se dostaana kiya

[hilaagar =one who makes excuses; vafaaju =faithful (in love)]
[jafaakhu =unfaithful by habit]

-Faiz Ahmed Faiz