Verse 11816aar-ena;Gmah hai
G1
1
intoxications, verdant/succulent with color/mood; and [musical] instruments, drunk with melody
2
the glass of wine is a cypress of the verdure of the convergent-stream of melody
'Full of water or moisture, moist, humid, succulent; fresh, verdant; pleasant, agreeable'.
'A large river formed by many smaller streams; a large body of water, a flood'.
'A soft, sweet voice; — a musical sound or tone; — melody; song; modulation; trill, shake'.
| References | |
|---|---|
| Arshi, Imtiyaz Ali | Ghazal# 166 |
| Raza, Kalidas Gupta | 264-65 |
| Nuskhah-e-Hamidiyah | 253 |
| Asi, Abdul Bari | 260-261 |
| Gyan Chand | 378-380 |
| Hamid Ali Khan | Open Image |
Intoxication is verdant with color upon color, and the musical instrument is overflowing with melody. That is, intoxication is so pervaded with melody, and melody with intoxication, that the wineglass is a cypress of the bank of a convergent-stream of melody. The simile of a cypress for a wineglass is old, and the river/flood for melody is new and captivating. (239)
== Nazm page 239
He says, 'Intoxication has become verdant with color upon color, and the musical instrument is seen to be overflowing with melody. That is, intoxication is so pervaded with melody, and melody with intoxication, that the wineglass is a cypress of the bank of a convergent-stream of melody.' (298)
That is, if the pleasure of intoxication increases with melody, and the pleasure of melody increases with intoxication, then it's as if the verdant glass of wine is a cypress on the bank of the water-channel of melody (cypresses on the banks of water-channels are extremely verdant). In short, intoxication is a good thing and melody too, but their pleasure increases even more when both would accompany each other. (429)
[See his comments on Mir's M 602,2 .]
The unusually specific refrain gives this ghazal an uncommon feeling of lyrical unity. (In this respect compare 49 , with its refrain of .) Because of this special and (literally) 'musical' quality, I am here adding to the two divan verses all six of the unpublished verses from this ghazal. In the full, original ghazal the opening-verse was 211,3x ; the closing-verse was 211,8x . The two divan verses appeared right before the closing-verse. This ghazal might be thought of as Ghalib's tribute to the possibilities of music, and I dedicate it especially to the musical members of our poetry group.
This is a powerful verse of mood ; its imagery is so luxuriant, and its general effect so voluptuous, that it actually itself feels intoxicated. It is celebratory but also languid, admiring but also enjoying. The verse itself seems to sway a little as it is recited. A word like , with its rich and verdant meanings, is a perfect center for it, and its banks are just where a wineglass-cypress would most luxuriantly grow.
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