Naalah (Cry of Grief)

SATB and oboe

“Ghalib” was the pen-name for Indian poet Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (1796-1869).  He is considered to be the most popuplar and influential poet in the language of Urdu and, over the course of his life, he became famous for writing in the “ghazal” form (a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain). 

The human experience doesn’t change much depending on where you live, what language you speak or what historical period your life unfolded in. People suffered from the experience of having their heart profoundly broken just as much now as when Ghalib first wrote these texts almost 150 years ago. Luckily, we all wish to be healed at some point and, ultimately, have the ability and opportunity to do so of our own accord every time we are faced with adversity of any kind; it’s simply a matter of calling on it. The end of the piece (which is actually the first stanza of the final poem) is meant to be this invocation.

Naalah (Cry of Grief) was commissioned by the Flower Mound High School Jaguar Chorale (Dr. Mark Rohwer, conductor) and is dedicated with gratitude to James Griesheimer, Dagan Hanson, Brian Lenz and Moid Alwy for their extensive help in all things oboe, IPA and Urdu; I could not have written it without their collective expertise and guidance.

The Text

Text by Ghalib (1796-1869)
Adapted by the composer
English translations by Moid Alwy and Joshua Shank

Kisi ko de ke dil koi, navaa sanj-e-fugaan kyon ho
Na ho jab dil hi seene mein, to phir moo(h) mein zabaan kyo ho

Seene ka Daag hai woh naalah, ke lab tak na gaya.
Khaak ka rizk hai woh katra jo darya na huwa.

Why are you lost and depressed after giving your heart away?
When you don’t have a heart, why should you have a tongue.

The stain in your heart is creating a stream of tears that do nothing for you as they fall.
Those tiny drops could become a river.

Phir mujhe deeda-e-tar yaad aaya
Dil jigar tashna-e-fariyaad aaya

Then—with wet eyes—I remembered that I want my heart to be healed.

Dam liya tha na qayaamat ne hanoz
Phir tera waqt-e-safar yaad aaya

Zindagi yooN bhee guzar hi jaatee
KyoN tera raahguzar yaad aaya ?

Even the heartbreak didn’t take my life.
But then I remembered our life together.

I could have spent my life not knowing you. 
But then I remembered my time spent with you.

Kya hee rizwaan se ladaayee hogee
Ghar tera khuld mein gar yaad aaya

Koee weeraanee-see-weeraanee hai
Dasht ko dekh ke ghar yaad aaya

Should I fight with the doorkeeper to heaven to get out of this emotion?
Then I remembered the house where we lived.

Looking at this emptiness reminds me that I’m not in our house with you.

Performed by the Flower Mound High School Jaguar Chorale
(Dr. Mark Rohwer, conductor).