Mirza Ghalib
diya hai dil agar us ko bashar hai kya kahiye
hua raqib to ho nama-bar hai kya kahiye
he’s human, gave his heart to her, what can I even say
the messenger’s become my foe, so let him be this way
ye zid ki aaj na aave aur aae bin na rahe
qaza se shikva hamen kis qadar hai kya kahiye
it surely has to come some day, but insists not today
the grievance that I bear ‘gainst death, pray, how do I portray
rahe hai yuun gah-o-be-gah ki ku-e-dost ko ab
agar na kahiye ki dushman ka ghar hai kya kahiye
resides my rival all the time in my beloved’s street
thus calling it my foe’s abode, would then be only meet
zahe karishma ki yuun de rakkha hai ham ko fareb
ki bin kahe hain unhen sab khabar hai kya kahiye
tis miracle of beauty that she fools me in this way
claims that she knows what’s in my heart, and leaves me naught to say
samajh ke karte hain bazar men vo pursish-e-hal
ki ye kahe ki sar-e-rahguzar hai kya kahiye
she purposely, in the bazaar, seeks after my welfare
knowing full well that publicly, my plaints I will not air
tumhen nahin hai sar-e-rishta-e-vafa ka khayal
hamare haath men kuchh hai magar hai kya kahiye
of beginning of faithfulness, you have no least concern
there’s something in my fist but say, can you even discern?
unhen saval pe zom-e-junun hai kyuun ladiye
hamen javab se qat-e-nazar hai kya kahiye
why fight with her when she presumes, my pleas to be insane
to her replies I pay no heed, as naught I will obtain
hasad saza-e-kamal-e-sukhan hai kya kijiye
sitam baha-e-mata-e-hunar hai kya kahiye
alas! for excellence in verse, envy’s the punishment
what can one say, torture’s the price, for one’s accomplisment
kaha hai kis ne ki ‘ghalib’ bura nahin lekin
sivae is ke ki ashufta-sar hai kya kahiye
though there is no one who will say, Gaalib is good, but pray,
save for the fact frenzied in love, what else is there to say
Leave a Reply