Verse 8xafter 1816aakho ga))e
G3
1
as if anyone asks about the livelihood of those liver-heated by passion!
2
like a candle, they became their own food
is an archaic form of ( GRAMMAR )
'Living, life; — that whereby one lives, means of living, livelihood, subsistence'.
'Heated; melted; hot, burning; displeased, grieved; twisted'.
'Food, victuals, provisions; eatables; daily food, rations, diet, board, regulated allowance of food'.
| References | |
|---|---|
| Arshi, Imtiyaz Ali | Ghazal# 196 |
| Raza, Kalidas Gupta | 304 |
| Nuskhah-e-Hamidiyah | 278 |
| Hamid Ali Khan | Open Image |
For background see S. R. Faruqi's choices . This verse is NOT one of his choices; mostly for the sake of completeness, I have added it myself. For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in 4,8x .
This verse is so similar to 210,5 that it might almost be considered a variant form of it; that is how some editors do consider it. But Raza ( Raza 1995 p. 304 ) explains in a footnote that while it might indeed be taken to be an earlier, rejected form of {210,5}, in his own view it has 'a separate identity' []', so he has included it in his own compilation. Since I am following Raza's 1995 text, I am happy to respect his judgment.
All the more so since it's a chance for us to see the young poet's mind at work, casting about for possibilities, playing with different patterns of imagery that could convey a particular poetic idea.
graphics/candle.jpg