A Ghazal is a form of Urdu poetry, which follows certain strict rules. I used to practise this while being an engineering student and in the initial years of my career. Later I got too busy with my job and never had a look at it.
I usually use a lot of shers (couplets from ghazals) in my presentations, to add some flavor to the topic under discussion. I did the same in my presentation – “Confessions of a Fallible Software Tester” at BWST-1. Following the same, a short discussion came up in a recent testers meet with Vipul Kocher and Pradeep Soundararajan. It inspired me to write a ghazal on software testing.
The beauty of a ghazal lies in multiple interpretations. Same couplet can mean different things to different people and they can use it in different contexts. This is true with my ghazal too. I will interpret it in terms of software testing, though it’s very generic and can be quoted elsewhere.
For those who do not understand Urdu (or Hindi), I have put the literal meaning of the couplets in English. I have put the software testing context as well briefly. The ghazal itself is in its transliterated form in English.
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mai.n aaeenaa dikhaana chaahataa hoo.n
mai.n asliyat bataana chaahataa hoo.n
Translation: I want to tell reality. I do not get carried away by looks.
Context: The basic purpose of a software testing is to tell truth about the subject of testing.
bharosa to bohat tum par hai lekin
mai.n khul kar aazamaana chaahataa hoo.n
Translation:Yes, I trust you. But I still want to thoroughly test my trust.
Context: Unqualified trust is not good for a tester.
mere sab mashware thukraa do chaahe
tumhei.n sab kuch bataanaa chaahataa hoo.n
Translation: You are free to reject all my suggestions. Still, I want to tell all my suggestions to you.
Context: When I raise a bug or provide any information, you are free to reject it. This would not stop me from disclosing and discussing all my findings or raising a bug next time.
dawaa har marz kee hotee nahee.n ik
yahee sab ko sikhaana chaahataa hoo.n
Translation: There can not be a single medicine for all diseases. I want to make everyone learn this fact.
Context: There can not be anything called best practices. It would be similar to quacks who claim to cure 100 diseases with a single medicine.
qhabar bilkul n raste kee ho chaahe
magar manzil ko paana chaahataa hoo.n
Translation: Even though, I have no knowledge of the road to my destination, I still want to reach it.
Context: If I am not provided any information about subject of testing, I would still give my best attempt at testing it.
sawaalo.n kaa sama.ndar hai mera fan
ubharnaa, doob jaana chaahataa hoo.n
Translation: My art lies in my possession of an ocean of questions. I want to go deep inside this ocean, coming to the surface only to take fresh breath.
Context: Software testing is about questioning. The more one questions, the more is the scope of getting and providing information about the subject of testing.
chunoo.n mai.n jab koyee rastaa nayaa bhee
hameshaa yaad aana chaahataa hoo.n
Translation: Whenever I choose a new road in my career, I want myself to be remembered.
Context: I want to be remembered by every team I work with in my career for being a good software tester.
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Click Here to Read More Testing Poetry @ Testing Perspective