Interpretations of Ghalib

Abstract

“Ghalib: A Critical Appreciation of His Poetry and Life” written by Dr Syed Abdul Latif and published in 1928, is the first regular work in English on Mirza Ghalib. In this book, Dr Latif has tried to examine Ghalib's poetry in the context of English poetry. Later on, “The Life and Odes of Ghalib” by Abdullah Anwar Beg was published in 1940, along with Ghalib’s biography and the translation of his selected poems.
 “Interpretations of Ghalib” is the book, which for the first time consciously presents the translation of selected poems of Diwan-e-Ghalib.
 This article critically evaluates "Interpretations of Ghalib" by J. L. Kaul. It was published by Atama Ram & Sons, Dehli, in 1957. In these interpretations, 326 (three hundred and twenty-six) verses have been selected from Ghalib’s Poetry. These selections are interpreted under the themes of Interrogation, One Art, One Life, One Love, etc. The book is significant as it contains only the selected renderings, not a biography. As far as the quality of these translations is concerned, the book under review is not a good example.
 In “Interpretations of Ghalib”, Pandit Jayalal Kaul has tried to make hin interpretations of the name of Ghalib. To what extent have these interpretations succeeded in representing the source text? An analysis of this will be provided in this article with examples. Kaul has not limited himself to translation, but has also added a lot to clarify the idea, and has expanded and even amended the meanings. J. L. Kaul failed to transmit the style and meanings of Ghalib's poetry effectively.