Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mirza asadullah KhaaN Ghalib (1797-1869), bard par excellence, thought that his faarsi kalaam was much superior to his urdu verse. This is one of his faarsi Ghazal, rendered in urdu Ghazal format. This is a Ghazal of continuous theme starting out making fun of conventional concepts of free will, reward and punishment.
1
mile sharaab na mujh ko to lutf¹-e rozgaar² se kya
hai be-hisaab³ tujhe aur na piye, to phir bahaar se kya    1.pleasure 2.daily life 3.plentiful
If I don’t get wine, where is the pleasure in living. You (god in his heaven) have plentiful, yet you don’t drink, how can you celebrate (spring).
2
teri kausar¹ hai bahut Khoob² magar sharaab hai paak³
taahir⁴ sharaab ho to phir us ko Khumaar⁵ se kya    1.river in paradise 2.good 3.unblemished 4.cleansing, puifying 5.intoxication
The rivers (of wine) in heaven are great but their wine is unblemished/holy. If wine is meant for cleansing of what use is it for intoxication.
3
lahlahaaye¹ gul-o-nasriN² se chaman yaar³ hi jo na ho
dasht⁴-e fitna-e-gul⁵ hai ye gard⁶-e be-savaar⁷ se kya 1.swaying like waves 2.rose and jasmine 3.beloved 4.desert, wilderness 5.mischief/illusion of flowers 6.dust 7.riderless horse
The garden looks like a sea of flowers waving in the breeze, but without the beloved it is merely an illusion. Waving flowers are like dust kicked up by a riderless horse.
4
maiN mahv¹-e zauq² huN dar³ par nazar lagi hai magar
vaade⁴ se be-niaaz⁵ huN, to Dar intezaar⁶ se kya    1.engrossed 2.desire 3.door 4.promise 5.unmindful 6.anticipation, waiting
The beloved has promised that she will come and the poet/lover has his eyes gazing at the door engrossed in his desire. But he knows full well that she will not keep her promise. But he is unmindful of that, knows that his anticipation is of no use, but still waits.
5
jo apne bas¹ meN nahiN, us pe eKhtiyaar² kya m’aani
agar tu us se na raazi³, hamaare eqtedaar⁴ se kya    1.power, control 2.permission 3.agree, permit 4.capability
You give us permission to do that which we cannot do (do not enjoy doing). You give us capability/power to do things (that we enjoy doing) that you do not permit us to do.
6
haiN be-shumaar¹ samar², ooNcha darKht³ hai patthar kamyaab⁴
jo Khud na jhuke shaaKhsaar⁵ to phir shumaar⁶ se kya    1.countless 2.fruit 3.tree 4.rare, few 5.branch 6.count
Fruit is plentiful, but the tree is tall and we don’t have any rocks to throw. Unless the bough bends down by itself, what is the use of these numerous fruit i.e. your blessings/gifts are plentiful and all around but we don’t have access to them. What is the use.
7
rahzan¹ jo chaRhe daar² to mansur³ nahiN ban jaata
jab tab’a⁴ meN pasti⁵ hai to phir auj⁶-e daar² se kya    1.condemned criminal 2.gallows 3.mansur-al-hallaj 4.nature, character 5.low, mean 6.height, dignity
mansur-al-hallaj was a sufi scholar who was condemned to death. He was offered a chance to recant his teachings. He refused and chose to die. He is used in urdu poetry as a symbol of courage/defiance/dignity. Thus any criminal who ascends the hangman’s platform (like mansur did) does not become mansur. If the character is mean then the height of the gallows cannot impart dignity. Also see mir anis, qudrati Khoobi, ‘phoolauN pe koii itr lagaae to hai bekaar’.
8
kyuN tu ne mujhe kashmakash¹-e rozgaar² se maara
aazad rind³ huN mujhe is baar⁴-e naagavaar⁵ se kya    1.struggle 2.dailing living 3.wine drinker 4.burden 5.unpleasant
Why are you killing me with the struggle of making a living. I am a free spirit, what do I have to do with unpleasant tasks like this.
9
hai teri shaan¹ ke tu rutba²-e rizvaaN³ mujhe de de
mahv⁴-e Khayaal o fikr⁵ huN is kaarobaar se kya    1.glory 2.status 3.angel – gatekeeper of paradise 4.engrossed 5.thought
If you make me the gatekeeper of heaven then it will be for your glory. I am a thoughtful person. What do I have to do with mundane tasks like deciding who goes to heaven and who does not. I don’t really want this job.
10
hai Khoob¹ ranj o Gham meN naziri² ne ye kaha Ghalib
agar sune na yaar³ jo naala, to zaar-zaar⁴ se kya    1.well 2.faarsi classical poet 3.beloved, god 4.wailing loudly
O, Ghaib, naziri in extreme anguish has said it very well, ‘if the beloved/god does not listen, what is the use of wailing’.

1
Without wine to drink, pleasure of living is of no use
You have plenty but don’t drink, the joy of spring of no use
2
The river in your heaven is great and its wine is sacred
Sanctity makes it flat, for the joy of inebriation it is of no use
3
A sea of flowers waving in the breeze, but without her
False hope, like dust raised by a riderless horse, of no use
4
Engrossed in anticipation of her coming, I gaze at the door
Unmindful of false promises, my long wait, of no use
5
You give us permission to do that which we cannot
And displeased with what we can, free will, of no use
6
Plentiful fruit beyond reach not even rocks to throw
If the bough does not bend low, abundance, of no use
7
Ascending the hangman’s platform make you not mansur
For a base nature, noble heights of a platform, of no use
8
Why do you kill me with the struggle to make a living
I am a free spirit, this unwanted burden is of no use
9
It is your privilege, you can make me gatekeeper of paradise
Deep in sublime thought, such meaningless tasks, of no use
10
From the depths of sorrow, naziri said it well, O Ghalib
If the beloved does not hear, then lamentation, of no use