Sunday 15 March 2015

Ghalib 53


āmad-e ḳhat̤ se huʾā hai sard jo bāzār-e dost

dūd-e shamʿ-e kushtah thā shāyad ḳhat̤-e ruḳhsār-e dost

ay dil-e nā-ʿāqibat-andesh ẓabt̤-e shauq kar

kaun lā saktā hai tāb-e jalvah-e dīdār-e dost

ḳhānah-vīrāñ-sāzī-e ḥairat tamāshā kījiye

ṣūrat-e naqsh-e qadam hūñ raftah-e raftār-e dost

ʿishq meñ bedād-e rashk-e ġhair ne mārā mujhe

kushtah-e dushman hūñ āḳhir garchih thā bīmār-e dost

chashm-e mā raushan kih us bedād kā dil shād hai

dīdah-e pur-ḳhūñ hamārā sāġhar-e sarshār-e dost

ġhair yūñ kartā hai merī pursish us ke hajr meñ

be-takalluf dost ho jaise koʾī ġham-ḳhvār-e dost

yih ġhazal apnī mujhe jī se pasand ātī hai āp

hai radīf-e shiʿr meñ ġhālib z bas takrār-e dost

This adolescent lucubration so stinks of the lamp as to make a fugitive of Truth 
Like a Platonic pederast back pedaling from a now bristly cheeked youth.

Oh my heart! Be thou, no mountebank Moses, but Mt. Tur to the vision of that face
As Ganga to Himavant; Torah's graven terrors let Shekinah's tears erase

So fleetly fled from that foot-print, mine eyes still mirror in amaze
No Adam's peak, far to seek, but a dazzled Arafat all my days

See how the envy of my rival, my one resource of survival, with mimetic unfairness fails
Now my death is at his door, all Hope's revival defames the eidetic plague Love entails

So her heart know Hedon, mine eyes grow bright & all arterial gout
Blood red wine to her cup over-brim & callow humanity rout

Ghalib, Tho' She is ever with thee... NOT!, she is far
Such be-takkalluf Borats is all Friends are
       





6 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi windwheel,

Interesting piece of work.
By the way, I read your blog on why Jews hate Hindus, and I agree with you on that. They hate everyone. I'm an ex-follower of Captain Ajit Vadakayil, and found some of your blogs a bit interesting.

SMME.

windwheel said...

Hi SMME
Is that a Korean anime? Looks fascinating.
As far as I know, Jews and Hindus have always had friendly relations. Rufus Isaacs, first Jewish Viceroy, was unfortunately mistrusted by Gandhi- however he put an end to color based discrimination in India. Had Congress understood that Jews like Montague and Isaacs were opposed to racial discrimination and wanted India to come up as a united country they would have co-operated with them thus permitting far more rapid and productive progress, both politically and economically.
The basis of anti Jewish feeling arises because they come from Asia, not Europe. However, such is their genius, they predominate in Arts and Sciences. Naturally this creates jealousy.
Jews in South India were initially welcomed as good martial artists- indeed, in Kerala, the 'kalaris' decided to close on the Jewish Sabbath because the Jewish martial artists couldn't attend. It is true that there was racial discrimination by the White Jews against the 'black' converts but the 'blacks' were equally prosperous and appealed to the Chief Rabbis of Palestine, both of whom pronounced the color bar as against halachah. You may be interested to read this story about a beautiful Jewish widow in Kerala from Maddy's blog- http://maddy06.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=jewish+heroine

The Sick, The Dying, And The Dead said...

This is an alternate account of mine, to SMME Son Mars Mother Earth (I'm Aries, so I named myself first as Son Mars, Mars rules Aries). I'm Iniyavel Sugumar. And that is "Japanese" anime, not Korean. The image is of Mitsuki Koyama from Full Moon o Sagashite. Interesting comment from your side. I am an ex-follower of Captain Ajit Vadakayil. He's not the same as he used to be a few years ago. He's going insane beyond imagination. I'll surely look into the story.
Really interesting history on the Jews. I wonder why some people are against them so badly, mainly the Captain.

CED.

windwheel said...

Hi Iniyavel- I envy you your name. It sounds suitable for a Romantic hero- even an Elvish or Anime one!
The plot of 'Full Moon'- as summarised on Wiki- is superb and full of meaning. How the ardent spirit of Bharati would have kindled at its message! I was surprised to learn that Shelley- who influenced Bharati- was himself influenced by a book called 'Empire of the Nairs' which showed the high status of South India at that time. The connection between Japan and South India is very ancient. Even more ancient than the every young Rajnikanth!
I must say that the Koreans, because they just put in more effort, can out do even the Japanese. But I don't know if they do anime yet. Perhaps it is next on their list.
I'm guessing you have a Romantic soul, fiery Imagination and high Intelligence. In Youth, 'Conspiracy theories of History' are bound to appeal to those of ardent spirit. However, as one grows older, one sees that 'hidden variables' point not to occult influence, of an infamous type, but all-loving, all-forgiving, all-sustaining 'entanglement' and interdependence. Some call this 'Divine'. Others are motivated to turn back to what ever subject they have studied or Art they have practised so as to 'tame wicked problems', find paradigm busting workarounds, or, more simply, to gain a type of understanding not different from that Gnosis of which one of our own Saints proclaimed 'satcitananda'.
Mental illness is a serious problem- but it has a lighter side. Better that 2 elderly nutjobs insult each other on the Internet and then get back to doing the grocery shopping or cooking a 'mirchi kum' dish for diabetes affected spouse or sibling. Most people who are capable of achievement and originality will at some point, and on some points, cross the border between eccentricity and hate speech. It doesn't matter much.
India lost a lot of Jews after '48. This was a pity. Still the one's who remained were distinguished as super-patriots- General Jacob, hero of Bangladesh War, joined BJP and served as Governor of Punjab. Nissim Ezekiel, the poet, was the only Indian to attack V.S Naipaul for his jaundiced view of his ancestral homeland. My own 'Guru'- who helped me deal with some traumatic event in my life- is a very humble person of Indian Jewish ancestry.
Captain isn't really against Jews. If a Jewish person suffered some hurt, he would be the first to lift him up and take him into his house to look after him. This is the paradox of a certain type of 'Paranoid' thinking. One of my best friends is much elder to me. He knows very well which community I come from. Still, when his sons bring him to see me, he will launch into long diatribes- such as were popular in Madras in late '50's against my community. His eldest son (who knows Tamil) at first would apologize to me. I'd just put 'Parasakti' on the video and we'd all enjoy Sivaji Ganesan speaking Karunanidhi's dialogues!
For you, I would say that Mathematics and Poetry- and this Anime you have very kindly introduced me to has a theme befitting the most sublime 'kavya'- not tendentious History or 'Activist' Journalism- will further kindle your ardent spirits and motivate the full flowering of your talents, potential and loving and affectionate heart towards those who nurtured you.

windwheel said...

(continued)
The British used to say that people from Kumbakonam (my ancestral place) could become arrogant rogues because of a 'big fish, small pond' mentality. However, Tamil people are fully aware of such weaknesses and in a very gentle way turn it into something good humoured and 'part of Life's rich tapestry'.
Ramanujan, you can say, was a typical Kumbakonam boy. He was 'arrogant' because he refused to mug up worthless subjects to get high marks and a scholarship. Maths was his second Mother. He served her only. What was the big shame in this? God is correctly called Nirlajja-ishvara! Straight he wrote to Prof. Hardy. By this action, he also helped people of more modest type like Vijayragavan.
It is good to have an ardent spirit. But a Kumbaknonam boy who neglects service of Mother- he will be a rogue because he will only serve his own ego.
Mitsuki Koyama appears to be just an adolescent wishing to achieve her goal. But is this really true? Is she not rather serving Music, that Mother of Mothers, and thus asking a boon only to make her service more perfect though she herself should be obliterated as a result? I don't know. Even if I watched this anime one hundred times, I won't be able to see it with the ardent eyes of Youth- not till, maybe in twenty or thirty years, being too weak for other work, I am the child minder of some ardent youngster who demands that this anime be repeatedly played on the 'holo-console' or whatever it is that we will have.
Sorry to have written at such length and also exposed my own stupidity and low attainments in a manner so naked.
When I was a kid, it was quite usual for elderly men to open and retie their veshti affording all a 'free show'.
I hated it. I would howl with anger if Dad wanted to come out of (my maternal grandmother's) house wearing veshti only. I was proud of my Dad and considered that so superior a personage should always be immaculate in 'suiting booting'.
God, however, is without Shame. That is why, His Devotees, have no space for 'hate' in their heart.
God bless you. What prayer can I make for you? What my generation considered difficult to achieve is simple and easy for yours. One point. For Tamils, there is no 'foreign'. If you go to Japan- what? Atthai's house isn't it? Enjoy simply.

Unknown said...

Sorry for the late reply, Mr. Vivek Iyer (windwheel).

My ancestral place is Thenaambadugai village near Kumbakonam. My mom is from Kumbakonam, my dad from Thenaambadugai. I do not blame you for what you've told me, in case they're inane. I myself have a lot of shortcomings.

My name Iniyavel is of God Murugan. My name comes from the Kandar Sashti Kavacham hymn sung in praise of him. And you've described me more or less accurately: "I'm guessing you have a Romantic soul, fiery Imagination and high Intelligence." Yes, I do.

I have only partially watched the anime Full Moon o Sagashite yet. I will watch it a bit later. The Koreans do not do anime yet. They do as good music as the Japanese for sure. I like the both of them. I also have quite a positive view on the Chinese.

I've currently finished only Sword Art Online and Guilty Crown, the latter of which I liked better. And this week, I'm watching Tokyo Ghoul.

I admire Srinivasa Ramanujan for whom he was. He was the greatest mathematician in recent times. Interesting story on the veshti/vetti.

Buddhism started in Japan after a Tamil Buddhist went there, in the 6th Century. The cultural influence of Tamil Nadu reached Japan that way, and it reached China via Bodhidharma teaching Kung Fu to the Chinese.

I agree regarding the ardent spirit exploring conspiracy theories. As maturity grows, one finds unnecessary worries useless, as rightfully as they are.

God is universal and open to all. I have no qualms regarding that. It's only us who do not see him for what he really is. This is what my ideology Saiva Siddhantha teaches me. I learned about this in Siva Gnana Botham by Meikandaar (when he was 5 years old, lecturing Arul Nandhi Sivachariar who was 95 years old, and who later on went to compose the Siva Gnana Siddhiyar).

Yes, I agree there is no concept of foreigner in Tamil. The whole world is our home. No wonder they create a unique influence across the planet. That is God Shiva's very character. For God Shiva, nothing is alien, same way for Tamils. After all, the Chola Empire region of Tamil Nadu alone has over 220 holy shrines which have received the Thevaram hymns. Hate is not the character of divinity. Ideologies with hate will fade away from the planet, no matter how hard they try to hang on.

SMME / Iniyavel Sugumar.