Ghalib (1797 – 1869), born Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, was a prominent Urdu and Persian poet during the last years of the Mughal Empire. He started composing poetry at the age of 11, and was also a gifted letter writer, but he is most famous today for his Urdu ghazals. There are numerous interpretations of Ghalib’s ghazals, the first complete English translation being Love Sonnets of Ghalib. A large part of Ghalib’s poetry focuses on the praise and veneration of Muhammad. He lived most of his life in Delhi, and was a chronicler of a turbulent period.
Quotes by Ghalib…
The Veil
My yearning has loosened
the veil hiding Beauty.
She is now mine — but alas,
My own sight is there blocking the view.
The beat of my own heart sounds in my ear.
The wish to live as others do has long been silenced.
What does their world have to offer?
Nothing but the echo of voices yelling, “more, more.”
