When Ghalib Eyed an Emperor's Mangoes

One day, in Hayat Baksh Bagh of the Red Fort, Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was taking a leisurely walk with Ghalib. The garden boasted trees heavy with exquisite mangoes, fruit intended exclusively for the royal family. Mirza Ghalib, ever the keen observer, couldn’t peel his eyes away from the mangoes. Observing this, Bahadur Shah Zafar, with a hint of irritation, inquired what he was looking at. Ghalib is said to have responded thus:

Badshaah salamat maine buzurgo se suna hai, daane daane pe likha hai khaane waale ka naam. Ibn falon ka naam, ibn falon ka naam…Dekh raha hoon kisi aam par mere baap dada ka naam bhi likha hai kya.

Oh emperor, the wise say that each morsel has the name of the person who will eat it, I am checking if any of the trees have the name of my fathers or forefathers etched on them.

This clever remark brought a smile to the Emperor’s face. That evening, a bounty of the finest mangoes found its way to Ghalib’s home, a gesture from an amused ruler to a cherished poet.