Mirza Ghalib
divangi se dosh pe zunnar bhi nahin
yaani hamare jaib men ik taar bhi nahin
in frenzy, on my shoulder, there’s not even a thread
sign of my idol worship, has vanished now I dread
dil ko niyaz-e-hasrat-e-didar kar chuke
dekha to ham men taqat-e-didar bhi nahin
for a glimpse I sacrificed, my heart to this degree
that when I looked I found I had not the strength to see
milna tira agar nahin asan to sahl hai
dushvar to yahi hai ki dushvar bhi nahin
had meeting you, been just hard, would be easy on me
the problem is it is an impossibility
be-ishq umr kat nahin sakti hai aur yaan
taqat ba-qadr-e-lazzat-e-azar bhi nahin
its not possible to live, a life sans love but here
strength to bear the ecstacy of pain does not appear
shoridgi ke haath se hai sar vabal-e-dosh
sahra men ai khuda koi divar bhi nahin
my head, a burden has become, in my craziness
there’s not even a wall o lord in this wilderness
gunjaish-e-adavat-e-aghyar yak taraf
yaan dil men zoaf se havas-e-yar bhi nahin
leave aside the scope to bear, enmity ‘gainst foes
desire for beloved’s lost in my weakened throes
dar nala-ha-e-zar se mere khuda ko maan
akhir nava-e-murgh-e-giraftar bhi nahin
fear these my plaintive cries, be fearful of God’s rage
after all they’re not the caws of roosters in a cage
dil men hai yaar ki saf-e-mizhgan se ru-kashi
halanki taqat-e-khalish-e-khar bhi nahin
my heart is confronted with her lashes all arow
een strength to bear the prick of thorns is not there although
is sadgi pe kaun na mar jaae ai khuda
ladte hain aur haath men talvar bhi nahin
at her innocence o Lord! who would not give his life
in her hand there is no sword, yet ventures into strife
dekha ‘asad’ ko khalvat-o-jalvat men bar-ha
divana gar nahin hai to hushyar bhi nahin
have often seen Asad alone and then publicly
if crazy he is not then neither rational is he
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