Home | January '99 Index

Date: 28-Jan-99
Poet: Mirza Ghalib

Some of you have asked as to why the poems 
posted in the mailing list do not feature the more 
well-known works of poets. The reason is simple 
- most of the popular ghazals and nazms are 
already in the archive. We like to present ghazals 
and nazms that are not available at the Urdu 
poetry site. Please look up your favourite poet/
poetess at the site, and if the ghazal/nazm you 
are looking for is not there, let us know. We will 
add it to the archive, if we have it. Better still, 
send it to us and we will make sure it gets added.

We bid goodbye to January with two ghazals by Mirza 
Ghalib. 


sar gashtagii me.n aalam-e-hastii se yaas hai
taskii.n ko de naved ke marane kii aas hai

[gashtagii = delirium; aalam-e-hastii = existence of this world; yaas = disappointment]
[taskii.n = contentment; naved = good news]

letaa nahii.n mere dil-e-aavaaraa kii Khabar
ab tak vo jaanataa hai ke mere hii paas hai

kiije bayaa.N suruur-e-tap-e-Gam kahaa.N talak
har muu mere badan pe zabaan-e-sipaas hai

[suruur-e-tap-e-Gam = pleasure from burning in pain]
[muu = hair; sipaas = obligation]

hai vo Guruur-e-husn se begaanaa-e-vafaa
har-cha.nd us ke paas dil-e-haq-shanaas hai

[har-cha.nd = although; dil-e-haq-shanaas = heart which can discern the truth]

pii jis qadar mile shab-e-mahataab me.n sharaab
is balagamii mizaaj ko garmii hii raas hai

[shab-e-mahataab = moonlit night; balagamii mizaaj = cold nature]

har yak makaan ko hai makii.n se sharaf "Asad"
majanuu.N jo mar gayaa hai to ja.ngal udaas hai

[makii.n = tenant; sharaf = prestige]