Khaamosh raha hamaari neki par zamaana
Aibon ki baat aayi to goonge bhi bolne lage

The world stayed silent about my good deeds — but when it came to my faults, even the mute began to speak.

Sitam to ye hai ke kauRiyon mein bik raha hoon
Meri maan ne to mujhe laal kaha tha

The cruelty is this — I am being sold for pennies, though my mother once called me a priceless ruby.

Ik aas hai aisi basti ho
Jahaan roTi zehar se sasti ho

One hope remains — for a town where bread is cheaper than poison.

Aye qahqahe bikherne waale, tu khush bhi hai?
Hansne ki baat chhoR ke hansta to main bhi hoon

O you who scatter laughter — but are you actually happy? Leave laughter aside, for I laugh too.

Zindagi phir kabhi na muskuraayi bachpan ki tarah
Main ne miTTi bhi jama ki, khilaune bhi le kar dekhe

Life never again smiled the way it did in childhood — I gathered dirt, I even tried buying toys.

Zindagi jeena hai to, phir haalaat se Darna kaisa?
Jang jo laazim ho to, muqaabil nahin dekha karte

If you mean to truly live, then why fear circumstances? When a battle is inevitable, one does not size up the opponent.

Woh jis ka ek hi beTa ho bhookha aaTh pahron se
Batao! ahl-e-daanish tum, woh gandum le ya kitaab

The man whose only son has gone hungry all day — tell me, O wise ones, should he buy wheat, or a book?

Waqt ki raftaar mein kahaan kho gaye hum
Kyun itni jaldi baRe ho gaye hum

Where did we lose ourselves in the speed of time — why did we grow up so fast?

Ik shaam aur Dhal gayi
Ek din aur ji liya

Another evening has faded — one more day survived.

Tha shauq mujhe bhi zamaana ghoomne ka bahut
Lekin apna ghar ab achha lagta hai

I too once longed to roam the whole world — but now my own home feels good enough.

Zindagi ek anjaan kitaab ki tarah hai
Agle safhe par kya likha hai kisi ko nahin maaloom

Life is like an unknown book — no one knows what is written on the next page.

Waqt ne chheen li chehre ki chamak Ghalib
Hum waise nahin rahe jaise hua karte the

Time has stolen the glow from the face, Ghalib — we are no longer the way we used to be.

Phir nahin baste woh dil jo ek baar ujaR jaayein
Ghalib qabrein jitni bhi sajaao koi zinda nahin hota

Hearts once laid waste are never inhabited again — Ghalib, however much you adorn the graves, no one comes back to life. (Mirza Ghalib)

Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle
Bahut nikle mere armaan lekin phir bhi kam nikle

A thousand desires, each so fierce it could take my life — many of my longings were fulfilled, yet still they seemed too few. (Mirza Ghalib)

Main hansta hoon to khush woh bhi hota hai
Tazkira aaine ka kar raha hoon, insaan ka nahin

When I laugh, it laughs with me too — I speak of the mirror, not of any human being.

Aaina kehta hai, kehna to nahin chaahiye tha
Tu abhi zinda hai, rehna to nahin chaahiye tha

The mirror says — though it should not have said it — 'You are still alive; you really ought not to be.' (Jaun Elia)