Thanks to exponents of ghazal gayeki [singing] such as K.L. Saigal, Begum Akhtar and Mehdi Hasan — and also to Sohrab Modi, the filmmaker who presented Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib on the large screen, and more so to poet and filmmaker Gulzar, who made a memorable television serial on inarguably the most towering figure in Urdu literature — the 19th century poet became a familiar name all over the Subcontinent and the South Asian diaspora around the world.

Ghalib is known for great depth and meaning in his verse and with every decade the bard, born in 1797, has attracted greater attention and appreciation alike. One cannot disagree with currently the most senior literary critic of Urdu literature, Professor Gopi Chand Narang, when he states that “Ghalib towers above scores and scores of Urdu poets like a ‘victor’, as his nom de plume suggests.

“He is as complex a poet as he is charismatic. His ghazals are unique not only for the intensity of emotions and thoughts they express, but also for their exquisite charm, and the profound feeling for the beauty of the world which they express.”

The repertoire of books on Ghalib is vast, and a truly noteworthy addition to this is Thinking with Ghalib: Poetry for a New Generation. It has been jointly authored by two scholars of economics — yes, economics, you read it correctly — Dr Anjum Altaf from Lahore and Amit Basole from Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) in India. Both writers are affiliated with highly reputed educational institutions: Altaf was with the Lahore University of Management Science (Lums) when he was working on the book under review, while Basole is associate professor at Azim Premji University.

Two economists from Pakistan and India delve into the intellectual aspects of Ghalib’s Urdu poetry and offer a primer for a shared understanding of his genius

These two professors of a subject far away from poetry ran into each other while surfing the internet. Both were interested in the intellectual aspects of Ghalib’s poetry, content to leave the aesthetic part for literary critics to dwell upon. Interestingly enough, Altaf and Basole have never met each other in person, though they have been seen together on Zoom while participating in discussions on their jointly authored book.

The authors make no claim of tackling the genius of Ghalib in its entirety. His verse in Persian is voluminous and the poet held it higher in esteem than he did his muse in Urdu. Also, Ghalib is known for the highly readable letters that he wrote to various people, particularly to his favourite pupil, Munshi Hargopal Tufta. Altaf and Basole have confined themselves to Ghalib’s Urdu poetry which, in terms of volume, is not too large, but its range of thought is vast.

Every couplet of Ghalib’s conveys a lot of depth and is entirely self-contained. The authors have proved this point by expanding and presenting each of the 30 couplets they have selected in 30 dedicated chapters.

In order to make it readable for a wider audience, the verses are written in Perso-Arabic, Devnagri and Roman scripts and then interpreted in more than one way, relating them to the present-day world.

Take these widely quoted lines as an example: “Hum ne maana ke taghaful na karogey lekin/ Khaak ho jayengey hum tum ko khabar honay tak.” In the simplest terms, it conveys the same meaning as the oft-quoted English idiom ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.

A conventional interpretation would convey a lover hoping against hope that the beloved would revert to him but, in the second line, Ghalib concedes that the reversal would be too late. The author duo finds a parallel with the attitude of the governments in their respective countries, who make promises galore, but don’t bother to fulfil them.

Once again we are treated to Ghalib’s ability to think far ahead of his times. Remember, he lived in the age of patronage; artists especially were almost completely dependent on their patrons for their livelihoods. And the patrons were quite willful, withdrawing their stipends at the slightest provocation. To be able to think of a relationship of social equality in such a social milieu was quite remarkable. — Excerpt from the book

The theme of realising one’s own possible plight when watching someone else suffer is aptly depicted in another of Ghalib’s oft-quoted couplet: “Main ne Majnoon pe larrakpan mein Asad/ Sang uthaaya tha keh sar yaad aya.” It is a superb depiction of realising one’s own vulnerability. Altaf and Basole give some pertinent examples — from the Subcontinent as well as the West — to prove the validity of Ghalib’s viewpoint.

While analysing yet another oft-repeated couplet — “Baazeechah-i-atfaal hai dunya miray aagay/ Hota hai shab-o-roz tamaasha miray aagay” — Ghalib draws a parallel with the famous lines in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth: “[Life] is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

One can, however, dispute the subtitle of the book: ‘Poetry for a New Generation’. This reviewer has time and again browsed through Divaan-i-Ghalib for almost 65 years and, yet, there is much that I am learning from Altaf and Basole’s slim volume.

In the comments by men and women of letters, one is likely to disagree with some. Take the comment of eminent writer-critic Muneeza Shamsie, when she laments: “I wish my daughters had had a book like this to introduce them to Ghalib when they were at school.”

The fact remains that, even at her age, Shamsie herself can draw pleasure out of reading the poet’s couplets and appreciate the wide range of thinking that permeates Ghalib’s poetry, placing him head and shoulders above almost every poet versifying in Urdu.

It is very gratifying to note that the book has been published on both sides of the Wagah border — in India by Roli Books, New Delhi, and in Pakistan by Folio Books, Lahore. No one on either side of the divide should miss out on such a book.

One feels like concluding this review by quoting eminent historian Rajmohan Gandhi, who hopes this book “…will bring Indians and Pakistanis closer to Ghalib’s genius and, InshaAllah, to one another.”

The reviewer is a senior journalist and author of four books, including Tales of Two Cities

Thinking with Ghalib: Poetry for a New Generation
Anjum Altaf and Amit Basole
Folio Books, Lahore
ISBN: 978-9697834297
108pp

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, March 27th, 2022