har ek baat pe kahte ho tum ki tu kya hai

har ek baat pe kahte ho tum ki tū kyā hai

tumhīñ kaho ki ye andāz-e-guftugū kyā hai

ateveryturnyouquestionme,asking"whatareyou?'

tellmepraywhatmannerofspeechdoyoupursue?

na sho.ale meñ ye karishma na barq meñ ye adā

koī batāo ki vo shoḳh-e-tund-ḳhū kyā hai

neitherflamesthismagicnorlightningthischarmdohave

who'sthisstormyquicksilverbeautyIwishIknew

ye rashk hai ki vo hotā hai ham-suḳhan tum se

vagarna ḳhauf-e-bad-āmozi-e-adū kyā hai

Iamnotafraidmyfoewillcorruptyourmindsomehow

Iammerelyjealousthathegetstotalktoyou

chipak rahā hai badan par lahū se pairāhan

hamāre jaib ko ab hājat-e-rafū kyā hai

myclothesarecaused,byoozingblood,toclinguntomyframe

whatneedistherenowformyvesttobedarnedanew?

jalā hai jism jahāñ dil bhī jal gayā hogā

kuredte ho jo ab raakh justujū kyā hai

withmybodyconsignedtoflames,myhearttoowouldhaveburnt

whydoyouraketheashesnow,whatisityoupursue?

ragoñ meñ dauḌte phirne ke ham nahīñ qaa.il

jab aañkh hī se na Tapkā to phir lahū kyā hai

merelybecauseitcoursesthroughtheveins,I'mnotconvinced

ifitdripsnotfromone'seyesbloodcannotbeheldtrue

vo chiiz jis ke liye ham ko ho bahisht aziiz

sivā.e bāda-e-gulfām-e-mushk-bū kyā hai

saveforfragrantflavouredwine,whatelsecanitbe

thatforwhichweparadisepersistentlypursue

piyūñ sharāb agar ḳhum bhī dekh luuñ do-chār

ye shīsha o qadah o kuuza o subū kyā hai

glassesgobletsjugsandpitchersallareofnouse

evenifinbarrelsfound,I'dgladlydrinkthebrew

rahī na tāqat-e-guftār aur agar ho bhī

to kis umiid pe kahiye ki aarzū kyā hai

nolongerhaveIstrengthtospeakbutevenifIdid

whathopecanIrelyontonarratemywishtoyou?

huā hai shah kā musāhib phire hai itrātā

vagarna shahr meñ 'ġhālib' kī aabrū kyā hai

becomingthethecronyoftheking,hepreensandstrutsaround

orelsewhathonourinthistowntoGhalibwouldaccrue?