Shakespeare for laymen and Ghalib today (Part Two of both)

Readers may recall my blog post on Shakespeare wherein I had said that I, like a million others, have been left spellbound by the bard in his simple creation of nearly 2000 words and phrases which we, mostly unknowingly, speak even today. I had presented some examples of what all we say today which we owe to Shakespeare, delving in bit into the background. I had said that I had merely scratched the surface, only a handful from the vast treasure. The blog link:  

http://anindecisiveindian.blogspot.com/2021/03/shakespeare-for-laymen-like-me.html

Readers may also recall my blog post on Ghalib and his contribution in making our day-to-day language colourful and forceful. The blog:

http://anindecisiveindian.blogspot.com/2021/04/ghalib-today.html

Or if you watch the YouTube channel thepublic.india, my programme on Ghalib’s versatility covering some shers in everyday use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRk38wWTDhE&t=739s

I had promised that I would continue it as a series with more blogs or sessions on YouTube, so here goes the second one, with gems both from granduncle, the bard and chacha, our own Ghalib. Enjoy! 

Shakespeare’s original text and context	Phrase/idiom in use
Edmund tells Edgar as the former says that they should forgive each other, “Thou’st spoken right. 'Tis true. The wheel is come full circle. I am here.”	‘Full circle’ means when events complete a cycle and one is back in the situation they were in earlier.
Falstaff to Prince Henry in Henry IV Part 1 who wants an old man sent on his way, “Faith, and I’ll send him packing."	‘Send him packing’ means to send someone away by persuasion or force.
Hamlet sees his father’s ghost and says, “My father’s spirit in arms. All is not well. I doubt some foul play.”	‘Foul play’ is used when one suspects some nefarious or illegal actions at hand.
Macbeth says in aside, “Come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.” Meaning, one way or another, what’s going to happen is going to happen.	‘Come what may”, today, however, is used in the sense of no matter what happens.
In As You Like, Rosalind has run away to the forest after her uncle threatened her, meets Orlando, they fall for each other and she tells him, “Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?”	‘Too much of a good thing’, now-a-days is used to express about excess of any desirable thing which may do harm.
Belarius says in Cymbeline, “that am Morgan call'd, They take for natural father. The game is up.”, in the sense that the game was over and all was lost.	Now-a-days ‘The game is up’ has come to be used to mean that one had seen through through the tricks and the deceit was exposed'.
Anatomically happy expression, coined by the bard in Hamlet when Hamlet says to his friend Horatio, “That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him, In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart, As I do thee.”	‘Heart of hearts’ means what you really believe or know although outwardly you may not say or show it.
Othello says to Iago in Othello, “But this denoted a foregone conclusion" when the former is building false circumstantial evidence about Cassio and Desdemona.	‘A foregone conclusion’ refers to a decision made before any; i.e., it is a conclusion which is inevitable because the result has been decided beforehand.
The bard coined this phrase in Henry VI when Somerset says, “Come quickly, Montague hath breathed his last.”	‘Breathed his last’ is a a euphemism, a nicer way of saying that someone has died.
In The Taming of The Shrew, Tranio, wondering if a person could fall in love so quickly, says, “I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible, That love should of a sudden take such hold?”	‘All of a sudden” describes an unexpected event that happened without forewarning or simply to refer to an event that was unanticipated, a poetic way of saying suddenly.
The bard came close to this phrase in Othello, when the Clown says, “Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away. Go; vanish into air; away!”	‘Vanish into thin air’ means to disappear completely in a way that is mysterious.

And now the chacha, Ghalib. As I said earlier, my objective here is not to decipher the abstruse nature of Ghalib’s poetry from this mediocre pulpit but to make it more accessible to my readers and friends. These examples are such as can excite you to use in appropriate situations and see for yourself how appealing and elegant your discourse can become. (Again, like last time, if you find the list too long, let me tell you, the list is endless and I have put together only a fraction; I suggest you read cursorily and pick up what you find useable).

Raat din gardish meñ haiñ saat āsmāñ ho rahegā kuchh na kuchh ghabrā.eñ kyā	A statement of fortitude.
Pūchhte haiñ vo ki Ghālib kaun hai koī batlāo ki ham batlā.eñ kyā	Cited, usually, in self-glorification in a manner of grandstanding.
ishrat-e-qatra hai dariyā meñ fanā ho jaanā dard kā had se guzarnā hai davā ho jaanā (ishrat-e-qatra: pleasure of a drop)	Employed to convey that too much of pain itself turns into a cure.
haiñ aur bhī duniyā meñ suḳhan-var bahut achchhe kahte haiñ ki Ghālib kā hai andāz-e-bayāñ aur (suḳhan-var: speakers, poets)	Cited when praising the unique qualities of oneself or someone else.
Maut kā ek din muayyan hai niind kyuuñ raat bhar nahīñ aatī (muayyan: pre-determined)	Recalled in case of unnecessary worries.
Aage aatī thī hāl-e-dil pe hañsī ab kisī baat par nahīñ aatī	Expresses utter despair and despondency.
Jāntā huuñ savāb-e-tā.at-o-zohd par tabī.at idhar nahīñ aatī (savāb-e-tā.at-o-zohd: blessing of obeisance and piety)	Spoken to convey that obsequious behaviour, which can lead to rewards,  is not one’s cup of tea
Hai kuchh aisī hī baat jo chup huuñ varna kyā baat kar nahīñ aatī	Used tellingly when one has decided not to speak out.
Ham vahāñ haiñ jahāñ se ham ko bhī kuchh hamārī ḳhabar nahīñ aatī	Spoken to express that there is total confusion in one’s life.
Asad bismil hai kis andāz kā qātil se kahtā hai ki mashq-e-nāz kar ḳhūn-e-do-ālam merī gardan par (bismil: injured, mashq-e-nāz: practice of blandishment)	A part of the second misra is used in mock acceptance of all the blame.
Jaate hue kahte ho qayāmat ko mileñge kyā ḳhuub qayāmat kā hai goyā koī din aur	Used with genuine emotion at the time of parting with uncertainty about reunion.
Aah ko chāhiye ik umr asar hote tak kaun jiitā hai tirī zulf ke sar hote tak (sar: untangle, straighten)	Cited in case of prolonged apathy.
Gham-e-hastī kā Asad kis se ho juz marg ilaaj sham.a har rañg meñ jaltī hai sahar hote tak (juz marg: except death)	Used in somewhat sombre situation to convey that one must suffer their afflictions silently while sustaining succour for others.
Mehrbāñ ho ke bulā lo mujhe chāho jis vaqt maiñ gayā vaqt nahīñ huuñ ki phir aa bhī na sakūñ	Cited when one is ever ready to come forward for help.
Qarz kī piite the mai lekin samajhte the ki haañ rañg lāvegī hamārī fāqa-mastī ek din (fāqa-mastī: cheerfulness in starvation)	Conveys cheerfulness in wasteful profligacy and adversity in a grandiose manner.
Banā kar faqīroñ kā ham bhes Ghālib tamāshā-e-ahl-e-karam dekhte haiñ (tamāshā-e-ahl-e-karam: games played by the kind people of the world)	Declared when one claims to know many secrets and inside stories.
Qāsid ke aate aate ḳhat ik aur likh rakhūñ maiñ jāntā huuñ jo vo likheñge javāb meñ (Qāsid: messenger)	Employed to run down somebody given to hackneyed answers.
Mujh tak kab un kī bazm meñ aatā thā daur-e-jām saaqī ne kuchh milā na diyā ho sharāb meñ (daur-e-jām: a round of drinks)	Expressing surprise and casting suspicions over an unexpected favour.
Tā phir na intizār meñ niiñd aa.e umr bhar aane kā ahd kar ga.e aa.e jo ḳhvāb meñ	Used to indicate long and eager wait for someone or something
Ghālib chhuTī sharāb par ab bhī kabhī kabhī piitā huuñ roz-e-abr o shab-e-māhtāb meñ (roz-e-abr o shab-e-māhtāb: a cloudy day and a moonlit night)	Used to indicate that one has quit vices but still keeps them alive for occasions.
Thak thak ke har maqām pe do chaar rah ga.e terā pata na paa.eñ to nā-chār kyā kareñ (maqam: palce, nā-chār: helpless)	When someone has become scarce at a crucial time leading to many deserting the mission/gathering.
Ghālib vazīfa-ḳhvār ho do shaah ko duā. vo din ga.e ki kahte the naukar nahīñ huuñ main (vazīfa-ḳhvār: subsisting on royal grant)	Spoken while ruing a new found job in any employment, serving under someone.
Dil-e-nādāñ tujhe huā kyā hai āḳhir is dard kī davā kyā hai	Used in jest in any seemingly complicated situation.
Ham haiñ mushtāq aur vo be-zār yā ilāhī ye mājrā kyā hai (mushtāq: desirous, be-zār: apathetic)	Cited frequently to show frustration over lack of response in spite of one’s keenness or the second misra for any strange situation.
Maiñ bhī muñh meñ zabān rakhtā huuñ kaash pūchho ki mudda.ā kyā hai	One says this when they are not approached to speak their mind.
Ham ko un se vafā kī hai ummīd jo nahīñ jānte vafā kyā hai	Quoted in a situation of false expectations from someone.
Rañj se ḳhūgar huā insāñ to miT jaatā hai rañj mushkileñ mujh par paḌīñ itnī ki āsāñ ho ga.iiñ (ḳhūgar: habituated, rañj: grief)	When one wants to imply facing so many difficulties that now everything seems easy.
Ghālib-e-ḳhasta ke baġhair kaun se kaam band haiñ roiye zaar zaar kyā kījiye haa.e haa.e kyuuñ	Used in real or mock self-pity.
Mai se ġharaz nashāt hai kis rū-siyāh ko ik-gūna be-ḳhudī mujhe din raat chāhiye (ġharaz nashāt: intention of deriving pleasure, rū-siyāh: black-faced)	Cited to strengthen one’s statement of good intention or purpose which is hidden behind an apparent bad reason.
Gar ḳhāmushī se fā.eda iḳhfā-e-hāl hai ḳhush huuñ ki merī baat samajhnī muhāl hai (iḳhfā-e-hāl: hiding one's condition)	When one does not want lesser mortals to follow what one is saying.
Ishq mujh ko nahīñ vahshat hī sahī merī vahshat tirī shohrat hī sahī (vahshat: mad frenzy)	Used matter-of-factly when someone else is prospering due to one’s hard work or off-beat actions.
Qat.a kiije na ta.alluq ham se kuchh nahīñ hai to adāvat hī sahī (adāvat: enmity)	Used in a humorous way to request someone to keep in contact
Ham bhī dushman to nahīñ haiñ apne ġhair ko tujh se mohabbat hī sahī	A clever way of saying that a rival's contact or interaction with a third person is fine (as I cannot be an enemy of myself.)
Umr har-chand ki hai barq-e-ḳhirām dil ke ḳhuuñ karne kī fursat hī sahī (barq-e-ḳhirām: walk like a flash of lightning)	Used to convey that although one’s life is transitory, it’s enough to give one a bloodied hear or so much pain
ham koī tark-e-vafā karte haiñ na sahī ishq musībat hī sahī (tark-e-vafā: giving up loyalty)	Recalled when one wishes to say that they would continue to tread the path they have chosen,  irrespective of all the troubles on the way
kuchh to de ai falak-e-nā-insāf aah o fariyād kī ruḳhsat hī sahī (ruḳhsat: leave , permission)	Faced with repeated injustices, one says that at least the leave to complain or plead should be afforded to them.
Yaar se chheḌ chalī jaa.e Asad gar nahīñ vasl to hasrat hī sahī	Cited when one is happy to be wistful in face of lack of success.

 

 (to be continued…)