Citation : Singh AR (2024). Darkened Memory of The Nights of Separation. In :Ghalib, Psychology and Human Behaviour - 2 (A.R Singh and S.A Singh Eds), Mens Sana Monogr; 22:1. pg 22-23
سیاہی جیسے گر جاوے دمِ تحریر کاغذ پر
مری قسمت میں یوں تصویر ہے شبہائے ہجراں کی
सियाही जैसे गिर जावे दम-ए तहरीर काग़ज़ पर
मेरी क़िस्मत में यूँ तस्वीर है शबहा-ए हिज्राँ की
siyaahii jaise gir jaave dam-e ta;hriir kaaghaz par
merii qismat mein yuun ta.sviir hai shab’haa-e hijraam kii
(DG 228.1: 1375)
Meaning
Just as ink that spills over on the essence of writing over paper,
In my fortune such is the memory of the image of the nights of separation
Explanation/Comment:
Ghalib is reminiscing on his state after separation from his beloved.
As he looks back in life and tries to remember the nights of separation, it’s as though ink had spilt over all the writing done.
In other words, if we campare the many moments of joy and sorrow that were part of his love life to the writing, the ink falling over it and effacing (besmirching) it was the effect of the nights of separation.
Just as ink falling over paper obliterates the writing and leaves an ugly blot, through which hardly any writing can be seen, the nights of separation had left such a blot in his life, through which memories of his earlier love life could be hardly seen.
People claim to retain clear memories of love even after separation, but often times the mermeries are blurred and just leave an ugly blot, especially if the separation has been painful.
Ghalib probably is reminiscing about such a separation in his life.
Citation : Singh AR (2024). Darkened Memory of The Nights of Separation. In :Ghalib, Psychology and Human Behaviour - 2 (A.R Singh and S.A Singh Eds), Mens Sana Monogr; 22:1. pg 22-23
سیاہی جیسے گر جاوے دمِ تحریر کاغذ پر
مری قسمت میں یوں تصویر ہے شبہائے ہجراں کی
सियाही जैसे गिर जावे दम-ए तहरीर काग़ज़ पर
मेरी क़िस्मत में यूँ तस्वीर है शबहा-ए हिज्राँ की
siyaahii jaise gir jaave dam-e ta;hriir kaaghaz par
merii qismat mein yuun ta.sviir hai shab’haa-e hijraam kii
(DG 228.1: 1375)
Meaning
Just as ink that spills over on the essence of writing over paper,
In my fortune such is the memory of the image of the nights of separation
Explanation/Comment:
Ghalib is reminiscing on his state after separation from his beloved.
As he looks back in life and tries to remember the nights of separation, it’s as though ink had spilt over all the writing done.
In other words, if we campare the many moments of joy and sorrow that were part of his love life to the writing, the ink falling over it and effacing (besmirching) it was the effect of the nights of separation.
Just as ink falling over paper obliterates the writing and leaves an ugly blot, through which hardly any writing can be seen, the nights of separation had left such a blot in his life, through which memories of his earlier love life could be hardly seen.
People claim to retain clear memories of love even after separation, but often times the mermeries are blurred and just leave an ugly blot, especially if the separation has been painful.
Ghalib probably is reminiscing about such a separation in his life.