Ghazal 211, Verse 1

Nazm:

Intoxication is verdant with color upon color, and the musical instrument is overflowing with melody. That is, intoxication is so pervaded with melody, and melody with intoxication, that the wineglass is a cypress of the bank of a convergent-stream of melody. The simile of a cypress for a wineglass is old, and the river/flood for melody is new and captivating. (239)

== Nazm page 239

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, 'Intoxication has become verdant with color upon color, and the musical instrument is seen to be overflowing with melody. That is, intoxication is so pervaded with melody, and melody with intoxication, that the wineglass is a cypress of the bank of a convergent-stream of melody.' (298)

Bekhud Mohani:

That is, if the pleasure of intoxication increases with melody, and the pleasure of melody increases with intoxication, then it's as if the verdant glass of wine is a cypress on the bank of the water-channel of melody (cypresses on the banks of water-channels are extremely verdant). In short, intoxication is a good thing and melody too, but their pleasure increases even more when both would accompany each other. (429)

Faruqi:

[See his comments on Mir's M{602,2}.]

FWP:

SETS
MUSIC: {10,3}
WINE: {49,1}

The unusually specific refrain na;Gmah hai gives this ghazal an uncommon feeling of lyrical unity. (In this respect compare {49}, with its refrain of mauj-e sharaab .) Because of this special and (literally) 'musical' quality, I am here adding to the two divan verses all six of the unpublished verses from this ghazal. In the full, original ghazal the opening-verse was {211,3x}; the closing-verse was {211,8x}. The two divan verses appeared right before the closing-verse. This ghazal might be thought of as Ghalib's tribute to the possibilities of music, and I dedicate it especially to the musical members of our poetry group.

This is a powerful verse of mood; its imagery is so luxuriant, and its general effect so voluptuous, that it actually itself feels intoxicated. It is celebratory but also languid, admiring but also enjoying. The verse itself seems to sway a little as it is recited. A word like juu))ibaar , with its rich and verdant meanings, is a perfect center for it, and its banks are just where a wineglass-cypress would most luxuriantly grow.