Ghalib's Bazeecha e atfal
Bazeecha-e-atfal hain duniya mere aage.
Hota hain shab-o-roz tamasha mere aage.
“Bazicha” means game and “–e-atfal” is from tifl=child
“Shab” is night, “roz” is everyday - used as day here.
“tamasha” drama/trick/play
Ghalib: Oh lord, you are trying to pacify me like a child, touting your universe as a toy. God, day and night and everyday you do the same trick. (Rotate the earth; make the sunrise, sunset, moonrise etc) . Small babies have a universe like rotating toy hung over their cradle. Don't remember what its called now !
Ek khel hain aurang-e-sulemaan mere nazdeek
Ek baat hain ijaz-e-masiah mere aage.
(lines not in the video)
“Khel”-play “aurang”-kingdom/throne “sulemaan”-king Solomon.
“Ijaz”-miracle “masiah”-messiah/prophet “ijaz-e-masiah” miracle of the messengers
Ghalib: Solomon was a gifted king, and was enthroned by god himself. All prophets did some miracle or the other. Ghalib thinks Solomon’s throne and every miracle from the prophets is a just another trifling thing.
Hota hain niha gard mein, sehra mere hote
Ghista hain jabi khak pe dariya mere aage
“ni ha”=disappear/hidden/vanish “gard”=dust “sehra”=desert
“Ghista”=rub jabi=forhead or could be jabeen=grand"
Ghalib: The desert is just moving/disappearing dust for me. Your(god's) grand oceans fail to awe me.
Mat pooch ki kya haal hain mera tere peeche
Tu dekh ke kya rang … tera mere aage
“rang”=color, but the meaning in this context is a trait/opinion/impression. Like if someone disappoints shocks or betrays the impression you have of him, you would say “what color of your personality I’m I seeing ?” Yeh kya rang dikha rahe hoon.
Ghalib: (This is where every other interpretation differs, there is no girl involved in this verse). Ghalib definitely asked for something from God and did not get it. So he addresses god saying, "Oh don’t you worry about my state, since you already have your turned your face away from me. You(God) should now worry about what impression(rang=color) I (Ghalib) will form of you(God)". Now the dislike/disparaging of god and his creations should make sense.
Imaan mujhe rooke hain jo kheeche hain mujhe kufr
kaaba mere peeche kalisa mere aage
“imaa/imaan” faith/belief in the unseen “kafir” disbeliever “kufr” act of disbelieving.
“Kabaa” a black stone building in Mecca, the direction in which muslim pray.
“Kalisa” church/cathedral
Ghalib: My faith is holding me back from completely disbelieving(kufr) in you (god). I have already turned away from you (kabaa), and I'm facing some other god (kalisa).
Go haat ko jumbish nahi, aakhon mein toh dum hain
Rehne do abhi sagaron-meena mere aaage
jumbish:movement/ability
sagaron: chalice meena:wine etc.
Ghalib: My hands definitely are inefficacious in attaining what I desire for. But .. my eyes can imagine what ever impossible desire I wish for. So at least let the alcohol be served to me.
-Faraz.
(Disclaimer: All views hypothetically attributed to Mr Mirza Assadullah Khan Ghalib.
Labels: Mirza Ghalib Galib Bazeecha Bazicha atfal meaning tifl jabi niha gard sehra
posted by Faraz Ahmed Shaikh | 10:10 PM
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