Sab kahan kuchh lala-o-gul mein... Ghalib

An Urdu literature student friend of mine once told me that according to his teacher "Ghalib ki is ghazal ko parh aur samajh lena, poori Urdu shayari ko samajh lene ke barabar hai!"


Sab kahan, kuch, lala-o-gul (tulips and roses) mein numayan (apparent) ho gayin;
Khaak mein kya suratein hongi ke pinhaan (hidden) ho gayin.

Yaad thi hamko bhi ranga rang bazm-aaraaiyan (colourful gathering arrangements);

lekin ab naqsh-o-nigaar-e-taaq-e-nisiyaan (portraits and paintings on the niche of memory) ho gayin.

Thien banatunnaash-e-gardun (ursa minor - a constellation in the sky) din ko parde mein nihaan (hidden);
Shab (night) ko un ke jee mein kya aai k uriyaan (naked) ho gayin.

Qaid mein Yaqub (Jacob) ne lee go na Yusuf (Joseph) ki khabar;

lekin aankhen rauzan-e-diwar-e-zindan (window in the wall of the prison) ho gayin.

Sab raqeebon (rivals) se hon nakhush (unhappy), par zanan-e-misr (ladies of Egypt) se;
Hai zulaikha (the Egyptian queen who loved Joseph) khush ke mahw-e-maah-e-kanaan (lost in the moon of the city of Kanaan) ho gayin

Joo-e-khoon (river of blood) aankhon se bahne do ki hai shaam-e-firaq (evening of separation);

Main ye samjhunga ke shammen (candles) do-farozan (luminous) ho gayin.

In parizaadon (beautiful (angel-like) bodies) se lenge khuld (heaven) mein ham inteqaam;

Qudrat-e-Haq (truth of Almighty) se yahi hooren (fairies) agar vaan (there) ho gayin.

Neend us ki hai, dimaagh uska hai, raatein uski hain;
Teri zulfein (hair locks) jiske baazu (shoulder) par pariishaan (dispersed) ho gayin.

Main chaman (garden) mein kya gaya, goya (as if) dabistan (school) khul gaya

Bulbulein (nightingales) sun kar mere naale (lamentations), gazalkhwan (ghazal singers) ho gayin.

Wo nigahein kyun hui jati hain yaarab dil ke paar;
Jo meri kotaahi-e-qismat (slow fortune) se mizshgan (eye-lashes) ho gayin.

Bas! ke roka main ne aur seene mein ubhrin (emerged) pai-ba-pai (again and again);

Meri aahen bakhiya-e-chaak-e-gariban (stitches of the ripped collar) ho gayin.

Vaan gaya bhi main to unki galiyon ka kya jawab;
Yaad thi jitni duaein, sarf-e-darban (the doorkeeper's utility) ho gayin.

Jaan-fiza (lively) hai baada (wine) jis k hath mein jaam (peg) a gaya;
Sab lakiirein haath ki goya (as if) rag-e-jan (jugular vein) ho gayin.

Ham muwahhid (believing in one God) hain, hamara kesh (nature) hai tark-e-rusum (abandonment of customs);
Millatein (communities) jab mit gayin, ajza-e-iman (elements of faith) ho gayin.

Ranj (sadness) se khugar (accustomed) hua insaan to mit jata hai ranj;

Mushkilein mujh par parin itni ke aasaan ho gayin.

Yun hi gar rota raha 'Ghalib', to ae ahl-e-jahan (people of the world);
Dekhna in bastiyon ko tum ki veeran (deserted) ho gayin...