Mirza Ghalib
dekhna qismat ki aap apne pe rashk aa jaae hai
main use dekhun bhala kab mujh se dekha jaae hai
just see my fate, that of myself, how envious I be
that even I may look at her, when can I bear to see
haath dho dil se yahi garmi gar andeshe men hai
abgina tundi-e-sahba se pighla jaae hai
write off your heart if there within heat of suspicion be
the crystal flask will melt due to the wine’s strong potency
ghair ko ya rab vo kyunkar mana-e-gustakhi kare
gar haya bhi us ko aati hai to sharma jaae hai
my rival, how can she restrain, from taking liberty
as when she gets abashed she is, struck by timidity
shauq ko ye lat ki har dam naala khinche jaiye
dil ki vo halat ki dam lene se ghabra jaae hai
desires are addicted to sighing with each intake
but at the thought of drawing breath my heart begins to quake
duur chashm-e-bad tiri bazm-e-tarab se vaah vaah
naghma ho jaata hai vaan gar naala mera jaae hai
far, may the evil eye be from your joy-filled company
for, when my plaintive cry goes there, becomes a melody
garche hai tarz-e-taghaful parda-dar-e-raz-e-ishq
par ham aise khoe jaate hain ki vo pa jaae hai
forgetfulness might serve to screen, secrets of love somehow
but I get lost in such a way, that she then gets to know
us ki bazm-araiyan sun kar dil-e-ranjur yaan
misl-e-naqsh-e-muddaa-e-ghair baitha jaae hai
news of her gilded gathering, here makes this mourful heart
sink, just the way, into her heart, as sinks my rival’s dart
ho ke ashiq vo pari-rukh aur nazuk ban gaya
rang khulta jaae hai jitna ki udta jaae hai
herself in love, the fairy face, more delicate does seem
the more her colour drains more so, does her complexion gleam
naqsh ko us ke musavvir par bhi kya kya naaz hain
khinchta hai jis qadar utna hi khinchta jaae hai
whay games of coyness does her painting with the painter play
as much as he attemtps to draw, it draws further away
saaya mera mujh se misl-e-dud bhage hai ‘asad’
paas mujh atish-ba-jan ke kis se thahra jaae hai
from me my shadow just like smoke, seems now to fly away
for near a flaming soul as me, who could then bear to stay
Leave a Reply