Re: Poet of the Month - Mirza Ghalib
Apart from the infant deaths of his children and his never-ending financial struggles, Ghalib’s life was characterized by notoriety. He was known for gambling, drinking and being in debt.
The first edition of Ghalib’s Urdu diwan was published in 1841, the same year that he was arrested and fined for gambling. He was arrested on the same charge in 1847, and again, in that same year, the second edition of his diwan was published. Since he had never been seen praying or fasting, his critics were quick to write him off as an atheistic drunk, who indulged himself in the idle pursuit of composing love poetry.
Mainstream Islam in 19th-century India had not recognized love as one of the components of the faith. Religion was about God, and God was only to be feared and worshipped in a strictly prescribed way. **Within this context, some of Ghalib’s verse hovered on the blasphemous: **
*I know the truth about the promise of heaven
Still, it’s a nice thought to keep the heart amused. *