Citation : Singh AR (2023) Resilience, When Down and Out.In :Ghalib, Psychology and Human Behaviour - 1 (A.R Singh and S.A Singh Eds), Mens Sana Monogr; 21:1.pg 36-37
گھر میں تھا کیا کہ ترا غم اسے غارت کرتا
وہ جو رکھتے تھے ہم اک حسرت تعمیر سو ہے
घर में था क्या कि तेरा ग़म उसे ग़ारत करता
वो जो रखते थे हम इक हसरत-ए-तामीर सो है
ghar me.n thaa kyaa ki teraa gham use ghaarat kartaa
vo jo rakhte the ham ik hasrat-e-taamuiir so hai
(DG 136,1:836)
Meaning
What was there in my house, anyway,that your sorrow could destroy?
But the desire to rebuild that I kept, that’s still there.
Explanation/Comment:
The poet is describing his state of absolute desolation in which he has l lost everything that was in his house since the one he loved abandoned him. There wasn’t much anyways (Ghar mein tha kya? he convinces himself.). But the desire to build (hasrat-e-ta’mir), that is still there.
This hasrat-e-ta’mir – the desire to rebuild, to regroup forces, to start once again from scratch – as long as that’s not lost – every calamity, every adversity, every obstacle – can be surmounted.
That’s the essence of resilience. That’s the pinnacle of human effort.
Don’t, don’t, ever lose your ‘hasrat-e-ta’mir. You can, and will, start once again, even when all appears lost and only desolation (gharat hona) stares you in the face.
Regroup your energies and start running the race all over once again. It’s just waiting to be won.