Google on Wednesday celebrated with a special doodle one of Urdu literature’s most iconic and legendary poets, Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, popularly known as Ghalib (meaning conqueror). Born in 1797, this was Mirza Ghalib’s 220th birth anniversary. He is one of the most popular and influential poets in Urdu and Persian language, and he wrote at a time when the Mughal empire was entering its last quarter and the British were taking over India.
His ghazals have been interpreted and sung in many different ways by people through teh ages as his writing which is still extremely popular. Ghalib continues to inspire youngsters not just in India but across the world in the form of the diaspora.
The legendary poet’s poems are no less than a folklore which are passed down from generation to generation. Ghalib began composing poetry at the age of 11. His first language was Urdu, but he was equally efficient in Persian and Turkish. A descendant of Aibak Turks, Ghalib was born in Kala Mahal in Agra.
He received education in Persian and Arabic. Keeping with the conventions of the classical ghazal, in most of his verses, the identity and the gender of the beloved remained unknown. Bestowed with the honorific Dabir-ul-Mulk and Najm-ud-Daula, Ghalib lived in Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, in Old Delhi which is now known as “Ghalib Ki Haveli.”
His residence has been turned into ‘Ghalib Memorial’ and houses a permanent Ghalib exhibition. Mirza Ghalib breathed his last on February 15, 1869. His tomb is located near Chausath Khamba, Nizamuddin area in Delhi. On the occasion of his birthday lets enjoy some of Mirza Ghalib’s shayaris:
1) har ik makan ko hai makin se sharaf ‘asad’
majnun jo mar gaya hai to jangal udaas hai
2) teshe baghair mar na saka kohkan ‘asad’
sargashta-e-ḳhumar-e-rusum-o-quyud tha
3) hastii ke mat fareb man aa jaaiyo ‘asad’
aalam tamaam halqa-e-daam-e-Khayaal hai
4) aa hii jaataa vo raah par ‘Gaalib’
koii din aur bhii jiye hote
5) na bandhe tishnagi-e-zauq ke mazmun ghalib
garche dil khol ke dariya ko bhi sahil bandha
6) iss saadgi pe kaun na mar jaaye ae khuda,
ladte hain aur haath mein talwaar bhi nahin
7) hum toh fanaah ho gaye uskii aankhen dekh kar, Ghalib,
na jaanein woh aaina kaise dekhte hongey
8) Dard jab dil Mei ho toh dawa keejiye,
Dil hi jab dard ho toh kya keejiye
9) Dil se teri nigaah jigar tak utar gai,
Dono ko ik adaa razamand kr gai
10) Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai,