Best of Mirza Ghalib
Couplets for love. Lines for heartbreaks. Poetry about unrequited love. Mirza Ghalib’s poetry covers all the chapters of your life.
Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan or as we better know him, Ghalib is a prominent Urdu and Persian poet. He belonged from the darbar of the Mughal Empire especially the last Emperor in the Mughal reign, Bahadur Shah Zafar. His works cover the eclipsing of the Mughal Empire by the British Colonial Raj, classical ghazal in which the identity and gender of his beloved are indeterminate, philosophy, and the mysteries of life.
The original pen name of Mirza Ghalib was Asad, but later on, in his career, he adopted the pen name Ghalib, mostly for his Urdu poetry. Though Ghalib got his fame posthumously, he still remains popular not only in India and Pakistan but across the world.
Here are 12 best of Mirza Ghalib from short couplets to long Ghazals.
Muayyan: Predetermined
Chaaragar: Healer
Bu: Smell
Dagh-e-Dil: Heart sore
Aatish: Fire
Love is not in one’s control, this is that fire roused,
It cannot be willed to ignite, nor can it be doused.
Mushtaq: Eager
Be-zar: Apathetic
Muddaa: Issue
Nisar: Sacrifice
Ghalib, a worthless person, this love has made of me,
Otherwise a man of substance I once used to be.
Khuld: Paradise
Aadam: Adam
Be-Abru: Humiliated
Kuche: Street
Mai-khane: Tavern
Waiz: Advisor
Visaal-e-yaar: Meeting with the beloved
Etibaar: Trust
Ahd: Pledge, Determination
Ustuwar: Strong
Tir-e-Nim-Kash: Half drawn arrow
Khalish: Uneasiness
Naseh: Advisor
Gham-Gusar: Comforter
A part of some long Ghazals
Bebak: Bold
In love, bolder I became, once openly I cried,
I was washed so thoroughly that I got sanctified.
At her innocence O Lord! who would not give his life,
In her hand, there is no sword, yet ventures into strife.
Naqsh-e-Qadam: Footprint
Iram: Paradise
Khayaban: Flowerbed
On seeing her when one’s face is then infused with such a glow,
She starts to think the one who ails for her is better now.
Taghaful: Ignore
Agreed, you won’t ignore me, I know but then again,
Into dust will I be turned, your audience till I gain.
Hope you enjoyed reading the Best of Mirza Ghalib. Which one is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below 🙂
Information and Couplets Source: Wikipedia and Rekhta
