tum jaano tum ko ghair se jo rasm-o-rah ho
mujh ko bhi puchhte raho to kya gunah ho
your wish, if friendly with my rival you do choose to be
what sin accrues if you still keep enquiring after me
bachte nahin muwaKHaza-e-roz-e-hashr se
qatil agar raqib hai to tum gawah ho
nobody from punishment will judgement day then spare
for if my rival murders, witness you will have to bear
kya wo bhi be-gunah-kush o haq-na-shanas hain
mana ki tum bashar nahin KHurshid o mah ho
you are not human I concede, the sun and moon are you
do they also murder innocents and then usurp their due?
ubhra hua naqab mein hai un ke ek tar
marta hun main ki ye na kisi ki nigah ho
protruding from her veil I see, there is a thread awry
I die of envy as I dread, 'tis someone's evil eye
jab mai-kada chhuTa to phir ab kya jagah ki qaid
masjid ho madrasa ho koi KHanqah ho
when the tavern is no more, why bans should elsewhere be?
be it mosque, madrasaa or else maybe monastery
sunte hain jo bahisht ki tarif sab durust
lekin KHuda kare wo tera jalwa-gah ho
praises of paradise we hear are all true, I agree
but I wish that God ordains, your parlour that it be
'ghaalib' bhi gar na ho to kuchh aisa zarar nahin
duniya ho ya rab aur mera baadshah ho
if Gaalib's too no longer there, no loss would one obtain
Lord, let the world exist and let my emperor remain
Ghazal
Tum jaano tumko ghair se jo rasm-o-rah ho
Mirza Ghalib