TABLE OF CONTENT

Table of Content............................................................................................1
Introduction of Ghazal..................................................................................2
Introduction of Poet Mirza Ghalib..............................................................3
Ar Hote Tak...............................................................................................4-6
Appreciation.................................................................................................7
Conclusion......................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Ghazal! The word originates from Arabic, meaning, "way or
mannerism of talking to or talking about women." Thus in fact it s an
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expression of love! But in this ever changing world the ghazal has
become a reflection of the life around us, and now there is hardly any
sphere of human interaction which the ghazal has not touched.
To better understand the finer nuances of Urdu ghazal it is
imperative to understand the structure around which a ghazal is
woven! Ghazal in short, is a collection of Sher's which follow the rules
of'Matla', 'Maqta', 'Beher', 'Kaafiyaa' and 'Radif'. So to know what
Ghazal is, it's necessary to know what these terms mean.
A sher is a poem of two lines.
Beher' is the 'meter' of the Sher's.
In a Ghazal, second line of all the Sher's *MUST* end with the
same word/s. The repetition of common word is the 'Radif' of the
Ghazal.
Kaafiyaa' is the rhyming pattern which all the words before
'Radif' *MUST* have
So Ghazal is a collection of Sher's of same 'Beher', ending in
same 'Radif' and having same 'Kaafiyaa'.

MIRZA GHALIB

Mirza Asad Ullah Khan (1797-1869) was born in Agra into a military
family of Central Asian immigrants; he lost his father and then his
uncle in childhood, and lived for most of his life on his share of a
pension from the British East India Company (his uncle had served
as a Company military officer). He was well-educated and
precocious: by the age of twelve, he claims, he was already writing
prose and poetry. In both Persian and Urdu, he wrote most
extensively in the traditional mystical-romantic genre of lyric poetry
called ghazal.
The following is one my favorites amongst his ghazals.

ar hote
tak
aah ko chaahiye ik ((umr a;sar hote tak
kaun jiitaa hai tirii zulf ke sar hote tak
1)A sigh needs a single/particular/unique/excellent lifetime until

the coming of an effect

2) Who lives until being subdued by your curls?
A sigh needs a lifetime to create an effect, and by the time the
effect has taken effect; your curls will become aware of my
anxious condition. How will I be able to remain alive till that time?

aam-e har mauj me;N hai ;halqah-e .sad kaam-e nihang

dekhe;N kyaa guzre hai qa:tre pah guhar hote tak
1)In the net of every wave is a circle of a hundred crocodilemouths
2)let's see what happens to the drop until its becoming a pearl
The meaning that has been expressed in this verse is only to this
extent: that man, in reaching the level of accomplishment, has to face
severe difficulties.
aashiqii .sabr-:talab aur tamannaa betaab
dil kaa kyaa rang karuu;N ;xuun-e jigar hote tak

 1)lover-ness is endurance-demanding, and longing is restless

2a) what color/mood would I make of the heart, until its being
'blood of the liver'?
2b) what a color I would make of the heart, until its being 'blood
of the liver'!
2c) how would I make a color of the heart, until the being of
'blood of the liver'?
That is, the affairs of passion are such that they can not be
accomplished quickly, and longing is restless and is in a hurry. In
short it's very difficult to control the heart.

ham ne maanaa kih ta;Gaaful nah karoge lekin

xaak ho jaa))e;Nge ham tum ko ;xabar hote tak
1)We agreed that you will not show negligence, but
2) we will become dust, by the time of the news reaching you
The meaning is that when the news reaches you, you will take
heed, but while the news is on its way to you-- here, we are
finished off.

partav-e ;xvur se hai shabnam ko fanaa kii ta((liim

mai;N bhii huu;N ek ((inaayat kii na:zar hote tak
1)From the ray of sun is, to the dew, an education in oblivion
2) even I exist until the occurrence of a unique glance of favor
My existence is like that of dew, and your glance is a ray of
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sunlight. With one single glance from you, I can no longer have
any stability or foundation, the way dew is obliterated by a ray of
sunlight.
yak na:zar besh nahii;N fur.sat-e hastii ;Gaafil
garmii-e bazm hai ik raq.s-e sharar hote tak
1) Not more than a single glance is the leisure of existence,
heedless one!
2) The warmth of the gathering is during the existence of a
unique dance of a spark
Your duration is to look at the world for not longer than a single
glance, the way a spark cannot remain established longer than to
look at the gathering with a single glance.

Gam-e hastii kaa asad kis se ho juz marg ((ilaaj

sham((a har rang me;N jaltii hai sa;har hote tak
For the grief of life, Asad, from what would be the cure, except
death?
2) The candle, in every condition, burns until the coming of
dawn
No matter what kind of color and joy there might be in the
gathering, there can be no cure in it for the candle's burning. Only
its extinguishing (death) is the cure for its burning.

APPRECIATION
When we speak of ghazal, its Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhass name
which come to my mind. However, when we speak of an urdu Poet, it
is only Ghalib saabs name which pops in my mind. May be its
because he is that famous or simply because Jagjit Singh has sung
some of his most famous ghazals. Well it does not really matters
because I really like some of his Ghazals.
The reason I chose "Ar Hote Tak"for my assignment is due to its
length firstly and also because it reminds me of movies like Devdas
and Sharabi whereby the main characters are so engrossed in love of
their beloved that even alcohol can not offer them any solace in the
absence of the former.
In addition to this, it wonderfully explains how a lover misses his
beloved. The affairs of passion are such that they can not be
accomplished quickly and separation is so filled with restlessness.
The analogy of sunlight and dew is very similar to that of a drop of
water on a very mobile lotus flower leaf whereby both are ephemeral.
It also explains how a lover hankers in order to have a glance of his
beloved. It just makes me think of those beautiful moments before my
wedding when I would be so impatient to meet my beloved. The last
phrase is so metaphorical and can be compared to the fact that thirst
can only be vanquished by drinking water not merely by the sight of
water.

CONCLUSION
To conclude I strongly believe that Ghalib's poetry, from his teenage
years onward, created a sensation. Written both in Persian and Urdu,
it was lavishly praised by its admirers, and bitterly attacked by those
who thought he was taking what should be lyrical, romantic, and
mystically yearning poetry and twisting it into something far too
cerebral and convoluted.
Mirza Ghalib is regarded as one of the greatest Urdu Poets. Ghalib's
poetry is distinguished by its intense feelings, wistfulness and a
strong romantic mood which has a charming effect on me.