Dewan-e-Ghalib – دیوانِ غالبؔ

I am a die-hard fan of Ghalib, since the days when I first understood what the stuff is all about. He was truly a genius, as is evident from his poetry. Its just so real.

I dont know why, but whenever I read Ghalib, I feel like being happy Just open the dewan from any page, and you’ll find a masterpiece lying there.

You are amazed by the combination of simplicity and sophistication:

جان تم پر نثار کرتا ہوں

میں نہیں جانتا دعا کیا ہے؟

And see the style

بے نیازی حد سے گزری بندہ پرور، کب تلک

ہم کہیں گے حالِ دل، اور آپ فرمائیں گے ‘کیا’؟

- Urdu script by UrduWeb

Khair, what triggered this post is this copy of Dewan-e-Ghalib available in Urdu script. Thanks to UrduWeb guys. They are actually doing some great work for Urdu.

Thanks MUF for sharing this resource.

Crossed Swords

I haven’t read it as yet, and neither is it available in the local market as yet, but I look forward to reading it, as Ali Eteraz suggests it to be an insider’s view. Shuja Nawaz, the author, who is real brother of a top Army General Asif Nawaz Janjua, is known for his learned opinion on military and politico-economic issues.

As Ali puts it:

Crossed Swords is not just history. There are important lessons and warnings to be found in the text. For example, the immense number of generals appointed by former Islamist dictator Zia ul Haq — who seized the presidency from Benazir Bhutto’s father in a coup — have not yet taken hold of power. When they do, after the current group of leading generals resign in perhaps five to ten years, Pakistan’s famously secular military may be disposed to take an Islamist turn.

which to me is quite a learned observation.

As compared to Military Inc. , by Ayesha Siddiqa, which was more of a research paper and full of technical terms, the review suggests the linguistic style of the book to be “probably appropriate for the kind of formal English that Pakistani and British academics speak”.

Will update this blog with my own experience of the book once I get hold of a copy.