Ghazal 174, Verse 9

Nazm:

It is in praise of Khizr Sultan, son of Bahadur Shah Zafar. (196)

== Nazm page 196

Bekhud Dihlavi:

Prince Khizr Sultan was a son of Bahadur Shah Zafar; this verse is in his praise. (253)

Bekhud Mohani:

May the Mighty Lord keep Khizr Sultan happy and thriving, may he flourish well. In the King's garden this small plant (child) is very good. (343)

Arshi:

Khizr Sultan was Zafar’s son and Ghalib’s pupil. He was born in 1831, and on September 23, 1857, was killed by a bullet from Major Hudson. Since this ghazal is from after 1847, this verse should not be understood as connected with the birth of Khizr Sultan. (318)

FWP:

SETS == WORDPLAY

Besides the (rare) personal flattery of two royal patrons, the verse is based entirely on wordplay around ;xi.zr , which means 'green' in Arabic. It of course also evokes Khvajah Khizr, who wears green robes and is associated with water and fertility. In the verse, sar-sabz -- literally 'green-headed'-- and baa;G , taazah , nihaal all echo these associations.

That doesn't make it a very interesting verse, since even minor poets can spin out such sets of associations by the yard. But it makes the verse slightly less mediocre than it would otherwise be. It's easy to see why Ghalib might have composed this verse to recite as part of his quest for patronage from the Mughal court.