Words That Fall Upon the Heart from Shaykh Ghalib
The wisdoms of Shaykh Ghalib are a selection of short sayings that touch upon a person's heart, character, and inner discipline. Although each saying may appear as a simple note on its own, behind them lie fundamental matters such as the disciplining of the nafs (the lower self), awareness of mortality, knowledge, adab (proper conduct), and the maturity of the qalb (the heart).
01
"Look well upon your essence, for you are the quintessence of the universe; you are the human being, the pupil of the eye of existence."
02
"Do not think this is just any ordinary word; come, you too, and utter such a word."
03
"A person's true happiness is to burn in the fire of love."
04
"Do not try to frighten me, it is pointless. What I call union is death itself."
05
"Do not stand still—set out on a journey to the land of the heart."
06
"Poetry is words that touch the depths of the human ruh (the spirit) with love."
07
"If I have any reputation among lovers, it is from you."
08
"Once again, the little boat of my inner self has broken and fallen to the shore; can a glass bottle withstand this stony path?"
09
"Love heals the deepest wound of the heart."
10
"O beautiful rose..! Life has five seasons: love, longing, loneliness, union, and sorrow. Truly, in which season are you?"
11
"The tears that flow from my eyes are the mirror of my soul."
12
"If I have any esteem in the world, it is from you. If I have any reputation among lovers, it is from you."
13
"That falcon-like gaze that astonishes the soul, that magical deer, that dove of coquetry."
14
"The soul has begun to drink the cup of longing, the eye has begun to sell the jewels of separation (tears)."
15
"For me, every moment is union, every moment is separation."
16
"The fire of my ruh is like a flame that never dies out."
17
"Every verse is a secret, every word is a mirror."
18
"I do not know what kind of magic that tale was; it brought news of hell to the soul."
19
"The search for ḥaqīqa (inner reality) is the most sublime journey of the heart."
20
"SONG Even if you inflict a hundred thousand torments, I will not be free of you, for I have loved you. Thus has the pen of fate written upon my brow: I have loved you. I will not turn back from this word as long as the nine heavens revolve; let the earth and sky bear witness to my love—I have loved you. The bond of my heart is in your cruel eyebrow; the thread of my unity is in your dark, artful hair. I am sick, and the hope of my healing is in your ailing eye. I have become afflicted with an incurable pain—I have loved you. O crescent-browed one, truly my heart inclines toward you. My gaze, like a supplicant, is truly bent toward the mihrab. If I were to deviate from your brow, that would be hypocrisy. Whether it be right or wrong, I have loved you. I am without dust, yet if I became earth with longing for your script, my well-being is from the soul of your lips—even if I perish. I will not be cut off from the sword of your glance, even if I am torn to shreds. In short, do not torment me in vain—I have loved you. I am Ghalib the madman, let Ferhad and Majnun be given the funeral prayer. I will not turn away, even if the world is on one side and I on the other. I am a moth to your candle—what need have I for caution? Let the stranger understand, let the familiar know—I have loved you."
21
"GAZEL If I were your treasure, you would lay it to ruin. If I were your mirror, you would leave it in wonder. From the arrow of your gaze, a wound in the depths—if you but looked, what marvels you would perform. O cupbearer, is the miracle in you or in me? You would host the sea of foam. As long as you keep your gaze warm, O eye, you make fire and water the same. O dry ascetic, do not refrain from the wine; you would make the hand of supplication into coral. O ascetic, that moon-like light is such that you would not call it an idol, but believe in it. Though you fly in the eyes, your face remains hidden like a peri. From the empty drum, words are but noise—Ghalib, you lament in vain. Conform to the ways of the sphere, become a Mevlevi; you will journey, you will revolve."
22
"The soul has become a drinker of the cup of longing; the eye has become a seller of the pearls of longing."
23
"I do not know what kind of magic that legend was; it brought news of hell to the soul."
24
"Sometimes snow was falling, sometimes darkness."
25
"This one sleeps, the enemy sleeps, but the one sick with separation does not sleep."
26
"The season of sorrow passes, and the time of joy comes as well."
27
"Do not think this is just any ordinary word. If you can, come and utter such a word yourself."
28
"Even if people do not know, they recognize the one who possesses skill."
29
"Be dyed in every color, but do not give away your own color."
30
"Take good care of yourself, for you are the essence of the universe. You are the human being, the pupil of the eye of all beings."
31
"Poetry is like crossing a sea of flames in boats made of wax."
32
"The body is the mount of the ruh."
33
"If I have any profit in the capital of my life, it is from you."
34
"Even if you inflict a hundred thousand torments, I will not give up, for I have loved you once. The pen of fate and destiny has written thus upon my brow: I have loved you. As long as the nine heavens revolve, I will not turn back from this word: I have loved you; let the earth and sky bear witness to my love."