Lightning Should Have Fallen on Ghalib

by Robert Bly, Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, G.D. Thapar

Book Overview

Ghalib is an astonishing poet from India, perhaps the most important poet since Kabir. In "The Lightning Should Have Fallen on Ghalib: Selected Poems of Ghalib," poet Robert Bly and Urdu scholar Sunil Dutta collaborate to bring the delicacy and intensity of Ghalib's poetry to readers of English. This collection of thirty ghazals by Ghalib also serves as an introduction to the ghazal, the elegant and amazing poetic form revered for centuries in the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0880016868
• ISBN13: 9780880016865
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 66 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding book, paperback is even better

The paperback version of this book contains the Ghazals in English, Devnagari, and Urdu script. Go for the paperback and see how the original poems look in Urdu. For those of us who can read Urdu, it is a delight to read the original verses and match them with the English translation.

Beauty pours out of these poems

Ghazals are Urdu poems that have at least five couplets. Interestingly, the couplets within a Ghazal generally are not related to each other and stand on their own. Ghalib is probably the most loved Urdu poet. He was a master of Urdu poetry and his considerable linguistic skills in Urdu and Persian allowed him to create subtle and extremely complex metaphysical, existential, romantic, sad, and biting poems. One reason why Ghalib is not as well known as Rumi (though, a better poem, in my opinion) is the fact that his poetry never received good treatment from other translators. In fact, when I read some of the translations of Ghalib's poem, I sometimes laugh at the idiotic interpretations and mediocre quality. Even when an Urdu scholar translates Ghalib's poem, the problem is that this scholar is often mediocre poet and poor in English penmanship. The results are horrendous (read the translations by Ghalib Academy, New Delhi and see what I mean). This work by Bly and Dutta is simply marvellous. I think the credit probably goes to Bly as he is not only a great poet, he also has deep experience in translating poetry. I doubt anyone else could have done a better job than this. Well done and thanks.

Outstanding translation, great book. Best of Ghalib's poems

This is indeed the best translation of Ghalib available in English language. I have read versions in English by Aijaz Ahmad, Kanda, Sasha Newborn and several others and there is simply no comparison. Bly and Dutta's work is far-far superior to what is available in the market. Since Urdu is my mother tongue and I have read Ghalib's original work, I can evaluate this book at a different level than others who can not read Ghalib's original poetry in Urdu.I am quite a bit surprised at other reviewers who have given this book one star and at their vituperation. Sounds as if they were reading some political book and became upset at something!!! I am really surprised that the reviewer from Irvine believes that the verses stray from their literal meanings and the interpretations are incorrect. I would love to hear from him and find out how he arrived at this absolutely insane conclusion. I have read Ghalib so many times in Urdu and Bly's versions, in my opinion, are much closer to the Urdu originals than other books. Of course, Urdu being the language it is and Ghalib being the best poet in Urdu, tons of meanings emerge from the original Urdu couplets. English is simply not capable of expressing the subtleties that exist in such a refined language as Urdu. The reviewer from Sunnyvale sounds like an illiterate buffoon, I wonder if he was reading the same book that I was! His bizarre definition of Ghazal "Ghazal is said to be a cry of a gazelle who is being cornered by a hunter and knows it is going to die" also exposes his lack of understanding of what this poetic form is.Anyway, translations are done for the benefit of people who don't know the original language. Given this fact, people who know the original Urdu would never be satisfied with the translations. I am in the same boat. I don't think that anyone can capture the feelings, color, and beauty of Ghalib's poetry in a translation. Still, Bly and Dutta's work outshines any other effort and The Lightning Should Have Fallen on Ghalib is an outstanding introduction to Mirza Ghalib.

Another overlooked poet for your hungry soul

Here is poet that has mastered the craft of poetry with such depth and such emotion. Ghalib says more in a couple of ghazals than most poets can say in a lifetime. Bly and Dutta do an excellent job of capturing this enigmatic poet's nuances and humor. Unfortunately, this is a poet that the west has overlooked for too long. Ghalib's spiritual struggles and painful honesty have the ability to speak to a universal audience. Now I am buying this book for everyone.