aate hain ghaib se ye mazaameen khayaal mein,
‘Ghalib’, sareer-e-Khaama nawa-e-sarosh hai.
Ghaib = hidden/mysterious,
mazaameen = topics,
sareer = scratching sound made by a pen,
Khaama = pen,
nawa = sound,
sarosh = angel
In this couplet Ghalib expresses:
When mysteriously topics or subjects come in ones thoughts,
Then the sound made by the pen, resonates like the voice or sound of angles.
Our interpretation to this couplet is that thoughts, ideas, subjects and topics mysteriously make their way into your subconscious, when you put these thoughts on paper it is like the voice of god or angels and thus the sound of the moving pen has a feeling of divinity.
I wonder if you know about Frances Pritchett and her website ‘a desertful of roses’…you find all of Ghalib’s couplets, in all scripts, commented etc…
This one is here:
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/169/169_13.html?
The entire Ghazal is here:
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00ghalib/169/index_169.html?
Dear Naveed,
Thanks for sharing it. This would be very helpful.