Following is one of Mirza Ghalib’s famous ghazals. We think it will be interesting if we let our readers try to translate it. You can choose a language and style of your own. You can translate it in English or salees (easy) Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi etc. You can translate it funny, silly or melancholy. You can turn it into a ‘azad nazm’ or even make ‘nasr’ (prose) or a story out of it. Wanna take this challenge? Bring out your creativity. There is no wrong answer here.
Serious Ghalib lovers! Look at ATP’s related posts on Ghalib in the middle column of this page.
Luckily for Ghalib I did not understand 5 and 6 but the rest I have torn apart:
My heart! What’s wrong with you!?
Is there a cure for your ache?
Me eager but she weary
What’s amiss O’Lord! Enlighten me!
A tongue in mouth, I have too
Wish you ask what I desire?
When together with you and no one
Why this bedlam all around?
From whence come flowers and leaves?
From whence come air and cloud?
Hoping fidelity from the one
Who only knows infidelity!
There are no freebies Ghalib!
But don’t miss if you find one!
Many thanks for the appreciation Owais Sahab, I’d be a happy camper if instead of your whole deevan you give me
There is nothing such as ‘free lunch’ Ghalib
But if you ever get it, it is not bad at all
:))…great work!
Owais saheb,
I must say you are very creative, your translation of last couplet is very very funny.I enjoyed it very much.
Allah Wasaya. i am still laughing :) :) Very creative work by you
Allah Wasaya, you made me laugh out loud :) Just for your first ’sher’ i am willing to give you my whole deewan in exchange.
“Tenu ae ki pasoori pai gaee ae” - Waah saheb.
I thoroughly enjoyed your translation. You are very talented
Is this a dialogue between USA and Pakistan
With many apologies to the one and only Chacha Ghalib, my very azad rendition of the above ghazal in Punjabi..arz kita ae
meray pagal dil tenu ki hoya ae
Tenu ae ki pasoori pai gaee ae
Na sada naaN Mushtaq tey na oda naaN Bezaar
Pa Ji ae ki masla paida ho gaya ae
saday vi moo vich zubaan haigi janaab
tusee kadi sula hi naeeN mari
tusee aithay kallam-kallay ho sir ji
te ainni khup kon macha raya ae
ae sonay sonay log kithoN aa’y naiN
assi tay samjhaya si aithay siraf cheedaaN tay meedaaN raindiyaN naiN
ae tu hajamat kiday koloN karai ae?
teri akh tay kissay ghassunn tay naeeN maraya?
pa ji assi vi kiday naal akh-matakka ker baithay aaN
chitti un-parh nu ae vi naeeN pata key love ki honda ae
assi kissay nooN paisay udhar day kay bhullay naeeN
par tu apna yaar haiN jigar, ja maaf kita
O teray tay jaan vi qurban meri jaan day totay
hun shakal gum ker, koi gaal na sun laeeN meray koloN
O yaar O Haji Nazir vi bara heera banda ae
Per us to vada mufat khora kadi naeeN jamaya hona.
Ok here is my first try :) I don’t know the meanings of ‘ghamza’ and ‘ashwa’. Any help here will be appreciated.
O My silly heart, are you OK?
Because I don’t even know what is the cure for your ache?
We are anxious and they are bored
God! What is the story behind these moods?
I also have a tongue in my mouth
I wish you could ask, “What do I want?”
Even though there is no one but you
Then why is there so much chaos
Who are these fairy faced people?
What is ‘ghamza – o- ashwa’ and ‘adaa’?
Why are the long tresses a little bit bent?
Why is there some spread mascara in the eyes?
Where have the greenery and flowers come from?
What is a cloud and what is air?
We have faith in those
Who are unfaithful
There is nothing such as ‘free lunch’ Ghalib
But if you ever get it, it is not bad at all