Previously, I have written about Mirza Ghalib when I had finished reading the book Mirza Ghalib: A Biographical Scenario by Gulzar. I read about his house and the lanes where he strolled. Here are a few pictures from the present day Ghalib Memorial at Ballimaran, Delhi. The nearest metro stop is Chawri Bazaar.
“Garcha hai mulke Deccan mein in dinon qadr-e sukhan
kaun jaye Zauq per Dilli ki galiyan chhor kar!”Who will now leave these lanes of Dilli
So what if prosperity camps in the Deccan!
Copyright: All pictures belong to me. Feel free to use and distribute.
Related Post: http://www.thedelhiwalla.com/2012/01/12/city-monument-ghalibs-haveli-ballimaran/
amarllyis 
“Ug raha hai dar-o-deevaar par sabza, Ghalib. Hum bayabaan mein hain aur ghar mein bahar aayi hai..”
WOW! Unfortunately the essence is lost in the translation. Plus, it is also wrongly translated.
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Really? What is your interpretation?
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I would say that Ghalib is saying that as long as he was in his house, there was no sign of fauna in his house. Now that he is out in the wilderness, a host of flowers and plants have flourished in his own backyard.
So it is like saying, you go searching for something out in the world only to find it in your backyard.
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Since it is open to interpretation, you cannot call it wrongly translated.
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That’s why it is called “transliteration” an not “translation”. There’s no way to retain the entire essence when the language changes. However, my translation would be:
Decrepit are the walls of my dwelling
In wilderness, has come the season of spring
Just an attempt to retain the “takhayyul” of the sher(it is still without the entire essence)
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I have told him translation causes the essence to be lost, but he won’t concede.
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My God…! when did you get into this?
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🙂 Haha. Oh yes this is your area of expertise, I almost forgot. I did when I read a book on Ghalib.
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And, what an irony…! i see Zauq’s sher (Ghalib’s bete noire) on a site dedicated to Ghalib.
🙂
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