har ek baat pe kahte ho tum ki tu kya hai

har ek baat pe kahte ho tum ki tu kya hai
tumhin kaho ki ye andaz-e-guftugu kya hai
at every turn you question me
asking what are you?'


tell me pray what manner of speech do you pursue?
na shoale mein ye karishma na barq mein ye ada
koi batao ki wo shokh-e-tund-khu kya hai
neither flames this magic nor lightning this charm do have


who's this stormy quicksilver beauty i wish i knew
ye rashk hai ki wo hota hai ham-sukhan tum se
wagarna khauf-e-bad-amozi-e-adu kya hai
i am not afraid my foe will corrupt your mind somehow


i am merely jealous that he gets to talk to you
chipak raha hai badan par lahu se pairahan
hamare jaib ko ab hajat-e-rafu kya hai
my clothes are caused


by oozing blood
to cling unto my frame
what need is there now for my vest to be darned anew?
jala hai jism jahan dil bhi jal gaya hoga


kuredte ho jo ab rakh justuju kya hai
with my body consigned to flames
my heart too would have burnt
why do you rake the ashes now


what is it you pursue?
ragon mein daudte phirne ke hum nahin qail
jab aankh hi se na tapka to phir lahu kya hai
merely because it courses through the veins


i'm not convinced
if it drips not from one's eyes blood cannot be held true
wo chiz jis ke liye hum ko ho bahisht aziz
siwae baada-e-gulfam-e-mushk-bu kya hai


save for fragrant flavoured wine
what else can it be
that for which we paradise persistently pursue
piyun sharab agar khum bhi dekh lun do-chaar


ye shisha o qadah o kuza o subu kya hai
glasses goblets jugs and pitchers all are of no use
even if in barrels found
i'd gladly drink the brew


rahi na taqat-e-guftar aur agar ho bhi
to kis umid pe kahiye ki aarzu kya hai
no longer have i strength to speak but even if i did
what hope can i rely on to narrate my wish to you?


hua hai shah ka musahib phire hai itraata
wagarna shahr mein 'ghaalib' ki aabru kya hai
becoming the the crony of the king
he preens and struts around


or else what honour in this town to ghalib would accrue?