Wednesday, July 25, 2012

About Sins


آتا ہے داغِ حسرتِ دل کا شمار یاد
مجھ سے مرے گنہ کا حساب اے خدا نہ مانگ
غالب 

आता है दाग़-ए हसरत-ए दिल का शुमार याद
मुझ से मिरे गुनह का हिसाब अय ख़ुदा न मांग

Aataa hai daaGH-e-hasrat-e-dil ka shumaar yaad
Mujh se merey gunaah ka hisaab, ay KHuda na maaNg
~Ghalib


The count of wounds sustained in the grief of longing come to mind,
Oh Lord, please don't ask for an account of my sins.


This couplet is another example of Ghalib's superior skills at word play and how he was able to quickly flip the scenarios in just 2 lines. 2 possible interpretations can be derived here:


The import of the above couplet is that every sin that he has committed was a result of some desire or longing. The very thought of those sins invokes the memory of those longings and desire. Hence, he pleads with Lord to be merciful and not ask him to account for his sins as they invoke the memory of pain and grief.


The second meaning is more of classic Ghalib wherein he expertly flips the blame back on God himself and absolves himself of all guilt: 
All the sins that I committed were a result of the temptations and grief that you (Lord) put in my path. So, Lord, it's very ironic that you should ask for an account of my sins. There would have been no sins if you (Lord) had been kind to me.

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