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.
Translator, kia baat hai! Loved it!
Oh the crazy global economy, why are you going down the drain?
Why are trillions of dollars not enough to ease your pain?
Why are they so apathetic, to all our enticement?
Please God, an explanation, some enlightenment?
I have my own problems as you might imagine, you dunce
Couldn’t you just ask me about them, for once?
God, since You are the only Omnipresent deity
What is all this tumult, bedlam and anarchy?
What kind of people are the beautiful, you think?
Whazzup with the eyelash batting, hip swinging, the wink?
Why are there blonde curls, generator of sighs?
What are these for, the dark brooding eyes?
Where did we get the prairie, the patch of wildflowers?
What do these mean, the gentle breeze, the cool showers?
Why are we looking for integrity in people who we know?
Won’t even know the word, in reality or for show
I know there is no reality, ain’t that kind of sad
But getting something for nothing is not that bad
Luckily for Ghalib I did not understand 5 and 6 but the rest I have torn apart:
My heart! What
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
Owais saheb,
I must say you are very creative, your translation of last couplet is very very funny.I enjoyed it very much.