Ghazal 216, Verse 3

{216,3}

suḳhan meñ ḳhāmah-e ġhālib kī ātish-afshānī
yaqīñ hai ham ko bhī lekin ab us meñ dam kyā hai

1) in poetry, the fire-scatteringness of Ghalib's pen--
2) even/also we are convinced of it! --but now, what breath/life is in it/him?

Notes:

Nazm:

In poetry/speech [suḳhan]-- that is, in the art of poetry. (249)

== Nazm page 249

Bekhud Dihlavi:

He says, 'In the art of poetry, we are certainly convinced of the magic-inscribingness of the pen of Ghalib. But now in him, because he has become old, no breath/life has remained.' (305)

Bekhud Mohani:

In this verse, through 'too' the poet has created the meaning that the way the world accepts it, I too accept it. Let people of insight examine it: how beautifully Mirza has contrived his own praise! (448)

FWP:

SETS == POETRY

An extra pleasure is the ambiguity of the us meñ in the second line: is there no breath left in the pen, or in the poet himself?

This verse was composed in 1858; the poet died in 1869.

 

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