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Lightning Should Have Fallen on Ghalib: Selected Poems of Ghalib
critical study of Ghalib, with major poems, trans. with Urdu and Hindi versions. basic reference. trans. by Robert Bly and Sunil Datta
- GenresPoetryIndiaSpirituality
Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 4, 2010
I should probably write something profound here, or at least get a head start on my annotation, but all there is to say is that (Sufi) ghazal and Ghalib in particular do the work of sorting through heartache, masochism, questions of fate, denial, love, rejection - you know, life and stuff. and he does it in a way that creates pain and ecstatic meaning for pain. the translation conveys a balance of the conversational and the ethereally philosophic.
also really good justification for the emo-at-heart.
what I wouldn't give to write a priceless, poignant sher.
"Heart-sorrow eventually kills us, but that's the way the heart is.
If there were no love, life would have done the trick."
"If your heart is still in one piece, cut your chest with a dagger.
If eyelashes are not soaked with blood, put a knife in your heart.
The heart is an embarrassment to the chest if it's not on fire."
also really good justification for the emo-at-heart.
what I wouldn't give to write a priceless, poignant sher.
"Heart-sorrow eventually kills us, but that's the way the heart is.
If there were no love, life would have done the trick."
"If your heart is still in one piece, cut your chest with a dagger.
If eyelashes are not soaked with blood, put a knife in your heart.
The heart is an embarrassment to the chest if it's not on fire."
July 18, 2024
This book has been traveling around with me since late 2022 after I picked it up at Half Price Books out of curiosity. Ghalib is a shining star in my eyes when it comes to poetry. I first fell into his work because I thought that his intensity within the writing was comical, but as I've come back to this collection of his poetry again and again, I see that the intensity was not necessarily his main intention. He does a fantastic job of challenging those around him while conveying ideas that are difficult to ever put into words. This book also allowed me to see the beauty in ghazals and appreciate that art form, though I will never be able to gain all the context as I would in the original languages of these poems. This is all to say that Ghalib is very important to me and I will continue to return to his work for a long time- for comfort, familiarity, and to reflect on the state of the world around me.
September 30, 2017
The translations leave behind a very incomplete feeing, I'd rather that they gave me the meanings of the words and let me do my interpretations
July 14, 2019
Awesome
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2020
The fact that this guy tries to translate Ghalib is great but this book lacks depth and I think overall it’s a good try
December 23, 2022
It’s basically Gulzar made easy
October 28, 2025
Really enjoyed discovering Ghalib as well as the ghazal as a poetic form. The way the poem works as a sort of puzzle with the theme being apparent at moments and hidden at others was really enjoyable. Ghalib (and the translators) also had some amazing turns of phrase (, which the ghazal really lends itself to.
The drop that doesn't become the river will be eaten by the sand
If you can't see the Ganges in a drop and the planet in a grain of sand,
Then your eyes are not adult but the eyes of infants
I particularly enjoyed 'The Clay cup', 'The Drop and the River', and 'Leftovers in the Cup'.
Also I thought the mini-biography and historical context at the end of the book was really helpful.
The drop that doesn't become the river will be eaten by the sand
If you can't see the Ganges in a drop and the planet in a grain of sand,
Then your eyes are not adult but the eyes of infants
I particularly enjoyed 'The Clay cup', 'The Drop and the River', and 'Leftovers in the Cup'.
Also I thought the mini-biography and historical context at the end of the book was really helpful.
March 24, 2023
Great look into Ghalibs poetry I found some of his pieces in this collection very interesting and thought provoking.
March 31, 2008
The Hindi transl(iter)ations are really good but the English translations leave much to be desired. Worth having if you can read Hindi and have access to a Urdu-Hindi dictionary (the Internet will suffice).
August 14, 2007
Good lord!
October 5, 2009
Ghalib was ahead of his time - ghazals of vivid and doomed yearning, and yet a totally knowing tone of voice. Wit and sincerity.
October 13, 2018
Fine translation of a premiere mystic poet. Rumi or Hafiz for the decidedly less certain.
September 1, 2016
It would have been given many more than simply four stars, but that in translation one can hear the echo of Ghalib's voice.
It makes one ache to understand the Urdu.
It makes one ache to understand the Urdu.
August 1, 2017
Utterly Poetic..Just amazing!!
March 7, 2017
Ghalib is most famous for Urdu Poetry, though he wrote many poems in Persian. Even in his Urdu poetry Ghalib used many Persian words & constructions.
One I liked very much is this one
I agree, O heart, that my ghazals are not easy to take in
When they hear my work, experienced poets
Tell me I should write somthing easier to understand.
I have to write what's difficult, otherwise it is difficult to write.
Merged review:
Ghalib is great!
One I liked very much is this one
I agree, O heart, that my ghazals are not easy to take in
When they hear my work, experienced poets
Tell me I should write somthing easier to understand.
I have to write what's difficult, otherwise it is difficult to write.
Merged review:
Ghalib is great!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews