Acknowledgments
I would like to offer thanks to Aijaz Ahmad from myself and all his other readers. In his book, "Ghazals of GHALIB, Versions from the Urdu," Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1992, he edited and provided literal translation, with certain explanations, of this selection of ghazals written by Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan, known as Ghalib. In that book, eight, respected, English-speaking poets strove to render the words of Ghalib into our tongue, either as more poetic translation or as new poems inspired by Ghalib. It was this last goal, which I selected.
Though these words may often resemble Ghalib’s very little, let there be no doubt that the heart-work was done by the great Urdu-speaking poet. None of the western poets attempted versions of all the ghazals presented by Aijaz Ahmad, as I have here. Though a ghazal may be of almost any length, for the purposes of his book Professor Ahmad had selected only five hemistiches from each ghazal. I was able to supplement certain of the ghazals with additional lines found (again with sketched translations) in, "Masterpieces of Urdu Ghazal, From 17th to 20th Century," by K. C. Kanda, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1992. In professor Kanda’s book I also found several additional ghazals.
The work of Ghalib is exceeding difficult to come by in English and my sparse familiarity with Urdu does not allow me to read it in the original. At least when I set out on this job of work, I felt safe in claiming that no adequate English translations existed. My own work constitutes a transformation of Ghalib’s work rather than an attempt at translation. For that reason, I too eagerly await that scholar who will finally offer us Ghalib in our own tongue.
– William Dennis
I would like to offer thanks to Aijaz Ahmad from myself and all his other readers. In his book, "Ghazals of GHALIB, Versions from the Urdu," Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1992, he edited and provided literal translation, with certain explanations, of this selection of ghazals written by Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan, known as Ghalib. In that book, eight, respected, English-speaking poets strove to render the words of Ghalib into our tongue, either as more poetic translation or as new poems inspired by Ghalib. It was this last goal, which I selected.
Though these words may often resemble Ghalib’s very little, let there be no doubt that the heart-work was done by the great Urdu-speaking poet. None of the western poets attempted versions of all the ghazals presented by Aijaz Ahmad, as I have here. Though a ghazal may be of almost any length, for the purposes of his book Professor Ahmad had selected only five hemistiches from each ghazal. I was able to supplement certain of the ghazals with additional lines found (again with sketched translations) in, "Masterpieces of Urdu Ghazal, From 17th to 20th Century," by K. C. Kanda, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1992. In professor Kanda’s book I also found several additional ghazals.
The work of Ghalib is exceeding difficult to come by in English and my sparse familiarity with Urdu does not allow me to read it in the original. At least when I set out on this job of work, I felt safe in claiming that no adequate English translations existed. My own work constitutes a transformation of Ghalib’s work rather than an attempt at translation. For that reason, I too eagerly await that scholar who will finally offer us Ghalib in our own tongue.
– William Dennis
Table of Contents
All Praise Becoming in Black Your Loss Again Strong Vision That is Thou Like Nothing Else This Little Wealth Wit Alone Ornament the Heart In the Tippler's Face |
Till Doomsday! The Tale in the Carpet Done! Winter Buds That Lonesome Pitch That Child, My heart Candy Heart Bouquets Mazed Vision Recognize Signs |
The User's Life Forgetting Hard Lunar Ruin The Left Knows Not My Poor Kind Sound and Light Just for Failure Chequered Board My Grateful Heart Meaning's Magic's Treasure |
The Rest of Me The Sinner Aside Sweet Tooth I May Not Call Wail Back Dress for the Mirror The Seraph's Power In Spite of All Open-Mouthed Mourn for My Wife |
A Real Macher Deaf at Work If with the Birds Ungrateful Frog Nothing Comes Better than Truth Written on Your Cup Brim-Full Spring is Born |
The following poems were printed in LYNX, A Journal For Linking Poets: "All Praise," "Becoming In Black," "Your Loss Again," "Strong Vision," "That Is Thou," "Like Nothing Else," "This Little Wealth," "Wit Alone," "Ornament the Heart," "In the Tippler’s Face," "Till Doomsday!" "The Tale in the Carpet," "Done!," and "That Child, My Heart."
The web site called, "The Ghazal Page," published, "This Little Wealth," "Wit Alone," "Winter Buds," "That Lonesome Pitch," "Written On Your Cup" and "Brimfull."
Contemporary Ghazals published, “OpenMouthed,” “In The Tippler’s Face” and “That Lonesome Pitch.”