“Har ek baat pe kahte ho tum ki tū kyā hai
tumhīñ kaho ki ye andāz-e-guftugū kyā hai
koī batāo ki vo shoḳh-e-tund-ḳhū kyā hai
vagarna ḳhauf-e-bad-āmozi-e-adū kyā hai”
Ghalib, born Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan, was the last great poet of the Mughal era. He started composing poetry in Urdu and Persian at the age of 11. He was an important royal courtier in the court of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II who appointed him as his poet tutor in 1854. In his lifetime, he wrote several ghazals which have since then been translated and sung in different ways by many people. Though he himself was prouder of his Persian writings, his Urdu poetry is more popular and remain revered all across the Hindustani diaspora even today. Unfortunately for Ghalib, he never saw fame while alive, all recognition came posthumously.
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The below narrates the fascinating story of how his famous ghazal, “Har ek baat pe kahte ho tum” came about. Do watch:
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