Aashiqi Sabr Talab

By Perwez Abdullah *Spreading the genius of Ghalib in English* - The News International - Karachi, Pakistan
Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Karachi: 'I want to inform the new generation, which is born and bred in Canada and other western countries, about Ghalib, his poetry and his genius. I want to tell them about the Urdu Language and its rich poetry traditions and that is the reason for me translating Ghalib in English', said Ziauddin Ahmed earnestly.

Ahmed is a writer who has been living in Canada for more than 20 years but, as he says, “I am embedded in family roots and literary traditions and that has allowed me to retain my love for Urdu besides trying my hand in English writing. In this translation of Ghalib, my attempt has been to cover two aspects, translate verse into verse and portray the essence and theme of Ghalib’s thoughts, of course as I understand them,” he explained.

He agrees that he might have drifted a little to capture the essence of poetry while translating the verses but reminded that “this makes the narration more palatable and attractive. A translation can never equal the original, yet making it attractive, perhaps motivates the reader to prod along to the end”.

Ahmed spoke about the Urdu-speaking Diaspora in Canada and said that there are families who try their best to acquaint their children of their language and tradition.

“The parents, most of them, want to teach Urdu to their children but living in a community with different languages and a completely different environment, it becomes very difficult. So it is my idea and endeavour to acquaint the younger generation with Ghalib and the background in which he (Ghalib) composed his poetry. I also intend to elaborate the hidden and concealed meaning of some of the verses. It would reveal the extent of depth and emotional experience Ghalib was capable of fathoming, expression and narration,” he said.

Ahmed acquired a literary taste and linguistic excellence, among others, from his aunt, the acclaimed Urdu novelist A.R. Khatoon and his uncle Professor Ahmed Ali, a diplomat and scholar. “I am indebted to both of them. It was not possible to be with them and not to be ‘intoxicated’ by the beauty of Urdu literature,” he remarked.

Another fact about Ahmed is also surprising. Other than having a Masters in Physics, he has also written a collection of essays titled ‘Thought Provoking Essays: For the Rational and Curious Minds’ and compiled ‘Celestial Marriage’, a new age commentary on Islamic thought.

He has also translated various Urdu poems, based on Sufism and Philosophy, in English. Ahmed’s translation penetrates into the soul of the verses of Ghalib while translating them. A couplet in the translated manuscript will speak for itself:

Aashiqi sabr talab
aur tamanna baytaab,
Dil ka kya rung karoon
khoon-e-jigar honay tak.

Love endears patience,
But desire is a restless flood.
What should I give to the heart?
Till my soul bleeds.

Poignantly explaining the verses, Ahmed said, “Love matures slowly, but it is difficult to control desire. What should one do is get peace (at heart) while the process of love is under process. Urdu poetry has given both heart and soul (represented by liver, which is a deep-rooted organ in the human body) prominence and importance in the human psyche.”

[Picture: A photograph of Mirza Ghalib. Source: Wiki.]