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Muslim / Sufi

19th Century

India
(Indian Subcontinent)

Mirza Ghalib

Timeline (1797 - 1869)

Poems by Mirza Ghalib
Books - Links

Mirza Ghalib, Mirza Ghalib poetry, Muslim / Sufi, Muslim / Sufi poetry, poetry, poetry, poetry

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Ghalib was the pen name of Mirza Asad Ullah Khan. He was court poet to the last Mughal Emperor in Delhi.

Mirza Ghalib was born in Agra to a Turkish family that had originally relocated to Samarkand to avoid political upheaval in Turkey. His grandfather then moved to India in the late 1700s. His family became a military family, his grandfather, father and uncles all serving as officers in the Indian army. Ghalib's father was killed in battle when Ghalib was just a boy; he was subsequently raised by his uncle and other distant relatives.

Ghalib was married at a young age, apparently not a happy marriage, and all seven of his children died in infancy. These terrible sorrows seem to have inspired his interior exploration, through doubts and grief, but also to moments of profound clarity and artistic beauty.

Ghalib's life bridged several cultures, traditions, languages, and social strata. He is called the last of India's classical poets, and the first of the moderns. He was of Turkish descent, but an Indian poet. He was a court poet who often wrote in the courtly language of Persian, but he is best known for his couplets written in the popular local tongue of Urdu. He wrote at the end of the Mughal Empire and the beginning of British rule in India. His poetry spoke to Muslims and Hindus alike. His willingness to wrestle with modern doubts in his writing have caused some to call him an atheist, while his mystical love poetry makes him a favorite of Sufis.

Poems by Mirza Ghalib

	Let the ascetics sing of the garden of Paradise
	The Candle Flame
	The drop dies in the river
	The Footprint
	The Rose with its redolent petals
	These divine verses

Recommended Books

	East Window: Poems from Asia, Translated by W. S. Merwin Amazon.com
	The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry, by Stephen Mitchell Amazon.com
	Lightning Should Have Fallen on Ghalib, by Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib / Translated by Robert Bly Amazon.com
	Mirza Ghalib: A Creative Biography, by Natalia Il'inichna Prigarina Amazon.com
	The Oxford India Ghalib: Life, Letters and Ghazals, by Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib / Edited by Ralph Russel Amazon.com
	Poems By Ghalib With William Stafford, by Ghalib Amazon.com
	The Soul is Here for its Own Joy: Sacred Poems from Many Cultures, Edited by Robert Bly Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Ghalib - Poet and Poetry - The Ghazal http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/Ideas/ghalib.html A few selected verses along with some illustrations.
	mirza ghalib http://www.indiaprofile.com/religion-culture/ghalibacademy.htm A brief article on Ghalib and his poetry.
	Byjameela Siddiqi: Mirza Ghalib: The "Godless" Lover http://www.sufism.ru/eng/txts/a_godless.htm An article on Ghalib, including several poem selections.
	Asadullah Khan Ghalib http://www.poetry-portal.com/poets16.html Snippets of information about Ghalib and his poetry, along with several links.

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Mirza Ghalib

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Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

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