Yadgar e Ghalib(یاد گارغالب) is a biography of the most respected and well-known Urdu poet Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib(اسداللہ خاں غالب) by Khawaja Altaf Hussain Hali(خواجہ الطاف حسین حالی). The book is more of practical and critical analysis of Galib’s work than a biography. This book was originally published in 1897 by Galib Academy Dehli and later by Majlis e Taraqi Adab Lahore (January 1, 2019).
This book is an immortal book on the life and thought of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, the most respected Urdu poet of all time. It depicts Ghalib’s life and personality successfully, his prose and poetry are reviewed.
About Author
Khawaja Altaf Hussain Hali was a famous Indian poet and critic of “Urdu” and the first reformer of Urdu literature. He wrote Hayat Saadi(حیات سعدی), Hayat Javed(حیات جاوید), Yadgar e Ghalib, Muqadama Sharo Shaeri(مقدمہ شعرو شاعری), Hub Al-Watan, Barkharat, Mantik, etc.
Yadgar E Ghalib Book Summary
Yadgar-e-Ghalib is a contemporary work that introduces us to both Ghalib’s personality and poetry. Yadgar e Ghalib is based on two parts.
The first part describes the events in Ghalib’s life, his date of birth, morals and habits, reading books, travel to Calcutta, Masnavi “Bad e Mukhalif(باد مخالف)”, the events of treason(قاطع برہا) and “Dastanbo(دستنبو)” and “conclusive proof” etc.
The second part of this book contains a review of Mirza’s speech and a selection of words. Less than half of the previous section also contains jokes, poems, and Persian passages. There are 41 jokes in this section and 6 jokes in the next section. The truth of this joke will be discussed later. Let us first hear from Hali about the purpose of writing this monument.
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Conclusion
Published in 1897, Altaf Hussain Hali’s Yadgar-e-Ghalib remains the definitive biography of the renowned Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. Structured in two parts, it insightfully profiles Ghalib’s life and literary works. The first section chronicles important events and aspects of Ghalib’s life. The second analyzes his poetry through a selection of verses, providing critical commentary.
Though primarily a biography, Yadgar-e-Ghalib tanqeed book crucially examined and contextualized Ghalib’s writings. Hali provided insightful literary analysis while portraying Ghalib’s complex personality.
Over a century later, it iss the authoritative work on Mirza Ghalib. Hali’s eloquent prose and balanced perspectives solidified this biography’s immortal status in Urdu literature.
