Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. momin KhaaN momin (1800-1852), was a hakim following the profession of his father and grandfather. momin received education in arabi, faarsi, urdu and in medicine, mathematics, and astrology. momin composed unabashedly about romantic with much witticism on his taKhallus. Considering the lifespans of the two poets it is reasonable to think that both Ghalib (saaqi ne kuchh mila na diya ho sharaab meN) and momin composed their Ghazal for the same mushaa’era.
1
jalta huN hijr¹-e shaahid² o yaad-e sharaab meN
shauq³-e savaab⁴ ne mujhe Daalaa azaab⁵ meN    1.separation 2.beloved 3.desire 4.blessing 5.agony
The poet/lover is burning in the pain of separation from the beloved and in remembering/missing the pleasure of wine. Because of his desire for blessing (reward of heaven) he has given up chasing the beloved and drinking wine, that is why he is burning in pain and is in agony.

2
kahte haiN tum ko hosh¹ nahiN izteraab² meN
saare gile³ tamaam⁴ hue ek javaab meN   1.senses, sobriety 2.restlessness, pain 3.complaints 4.finished, wiped off
The poet/lover has been complaining to the beloved (about her refusal to reciprocate his love). She replies by telling him that he has lost his senses (gone mad) in his restlessness. With this one answer she has wiped off all his complaints.
3
phaili shamim¹-e yaar² mere ashk³-e surKh⁴ se
dil ko Ghazab⁵ fishaar⁶ hua pech-o-taab⁷ meN    1.fragrance 2.beloved 3.tears 4.red 5.immense 6.tear, rent 7.restlessness
The poet/lover is so restless/pained that his heart/bosom has been rent apart. This bleeding heart manifests itself as (red) tears of blood. And because the beloved is in the poet/lover’s heart, it is her fragrance that spreads from his tears.
4
chiin-e-jabiN¹ ko dekh ke dil basta-tar² hua
kaisi kushood³-e kaar⁴ kushaad⁵-e naqaab⁶ meN    1.wrinkle on the forehead, frown 2.even more frozen, stilled/stopped 3.opening up, becoming successful 4.effort 5.opening, lifting 6.veil
The beloved has lifted her veil and the poet/lover has dared to look at her. She frowns at him and this simple effort has been successful in freezing his heart.
5
ham kuchh to bad¹ the jab na kiya yaar ne pasand²
aye hasrat³ is qadar⁴ Ghalati inteKhaab⁵ meN    1.bad 2.like 3.yearning, longing 4.so much 5.choosing, selection
The poet/lover is being sarcastic. Was I so bad that the beloved did not like me. O, longing (for love), such a huge error in selection!
6
rahte haiN jamaa¹ koocha²-e jaanaaN³ meN Khaas⁴ o aam⁵
aabaad⁶ ek ghar hai jahaan-e-Kharaab⁷ meN    1.gathered 2.lane 3.beloved 4.privileged 5.common 6.prosperous, filled 7.wretched world
Whether privileged or common, they all gather in the street of the beloved. At least one place in this wretched world in teeming with people.
7
aaNkh us ki phir gayii¹ thi dil apnaa bhi phir gayaa
ye aur inqilaab² hua inqilaab meN    1.turned away 2.change, revolution, upside down
The beloved turned her eyes away, and now it seems that my heart is also turning away. This shows things getting topsy turvy in an upside down story.
8
badnaam¹ mere girya²-e rusvaa³ se ho chuke
ab uzr⁴ kya rahaa nigah⁵-e be-hijaab⁶ meN     1.maligned 2.wailing 3.shame 4.objection 5.glance 6.unveiled, undisguised
You (O, beloved) have already lost your reputation because of my shameful wailing. What objection now remains for you to glance/look at me openly.
9
matlab¹ ki justuju² ne ye kya haal³ kar diya
hasrat⁴ bhi ab nahiN dil-e naakaam-yaab⁵ meN    1.objective, goal 2.search, trying 3.condition 4.yearning, hope 5.unsuccessful
What condition has this search for the goal (beloved) brought me to. Now there not even a shred of hope left in this defeated heart.

10
goya¹ ke ro rahaa huN raqiboN² ki jaan ko
aatish³ zabaana-zan⁴ hui toofaan⁵-e aab⁶ meN    1.as if 2.rivals 3.fire 4.flame throwing 5.storm, rain 6.water
The poet/lover is crying as if there is a rainstorm. But this rainstorm also contains the fire of his passion. This combination of water and fire is as if he is crying for/about/at the trickery of his rivals. Passion of sorrow/anger/rivalry all together.
11
naakaamiyoN¹ se kaam rahaa umr bhar hameN
piiri² meN yaas³ hai jo havas⁴ thi shabaab⁵ meN    1.failures 2.old age 3.yearning, hope 4.lust 5.youth
The poet/lover spent his youth lusting for the beloved and failed. Now in his old age, he entertains a hopeless yearning in his heart. Thus, he has faced/undergone failures all his life.
12
hai eKhtiyaar¹-e yaar² meN suud³ o ziyaaN⁴ magar
faazil⁵ the ham jahaaN se, qazaa⁶ ke hisaab⁷ meN    1.discretion, power 2.beloved 3.gain, success 4.loss, failure 5.from ‘fuzool’ i.e. useless, superfluous 6.fate 7.reckoning
The poet/lover’s success or failure is in the hands of the beloved. But fate has not even considered him, not even taken him into account because it has considered him to be superfluous, just extra baggage.
13
naaseh¹ hai aib-juu² o dil-aazaar³ is qadar⁴
goyaa⁵ savaab⁶ hai suKhan⁷-e naa-savaab⁸ meN    1.censor, preacher 2.fault-finding 3.heart-breaking 4.so much 5.as if 6.reward 7.talk, conversation 8.untrue
The preacher is constantly looking for defects of others and breaking their hearts so much so that it seems like he thinks that there is blessing/reward in untruthful words/accusation.
14
donoN ka ek haal¹ hai ye muddu’aa² ho kaash³
vo hi Khat⁴ us ne bhej diya kyuN javaab⁵ meN    1.condition, meaning 2.desire, intention 3.I wish 4.letter 5.answer
The poet/lover has sent a letter to the beloved and she has returned it. Of course, the letter of the poet/lover had declarations of love. Now that he has received the same letter back he indulges in a bit of wishful thinking … oh, how I wish she means the same thing i.e. she reciprocates my declarations of love, so it is easy for to send back the same message to me.
15
taqdiir¹ bhi buri meri taqriir² bhi buri
bigRe³ vo pursish⁴-e sabab⁵-e ijtenaab⁶ meN     1.fate 2.speech 3.annoyed 4.inquiry 5.reason 6.ignoring, neglecting
The beloved has been ignoring the poet/lover i.e. his fate is bad. He asks her about the reason for such neglect and she gets annoyed with him i.e. now his words are also bad. He has lost out on both counts.
16
kya jalve¹ yaad aaye ke apni Khabar² nahiN
be-baada³ mast⁴ huN maiN shab⁵-e maahtaab⁶ meN    1.images, pictures 2.awareness, knowledge 3.without wine 4.intoxicated 5.night 6.full moon
What wonderful images/memories came to mind that I have lost awareness. Even without wine I am intoxicated during this full moon night.
17
hai minnatoN¹ ka vaqt shikaayat² rahi-rahi³
aaye to haiN manaane⁴ ko vo par itaab⁵ meN    1.pleading 2.complaint 3.let it remain, set it aside 4.to make up, to console 5.anger, annoyance
This is the time for pleading, complaints should be set aside. After all she has come to make up even if she is angry.
18
teri jafaa¹ na ho to hai sab dushmanoN se amn²
badmast³ Ghair⁴ mahv⁵ dil aur baKht⁶ Khwaab⁷ meN    1.torture, cruelty 2.peace 3.stone drunk 4.other, rival 5.engrossed, obsessed 6.fortune 7.sleep
The beloved is always cruel to her admirers/lovers. That is considered a favour to the lover. When she tortures them, it is thought that she is showing favours. That makes the rival jealous. So, if she does not torture the poet/lover, there is peace with enemies/rivals because they also ignore him. In this situation, the rival is carefree and gets stone drunk; the poet/lover’s heart is obsessed with thoughts of the beloved; and his fortune is asleep i.e., ignores him.
19
paiham¹ sujood² paa-e-sanam³ par dam-e-vida⁴
momin Khuda ko bhool gaye izteraab⁵ meN   1.repeatedly 2.prostrations 3.feet of the beloved 4.time parting, good-bye 5.anxiety, restlessness
Bowing, prostrating to anyone/anything other than god is like forgetting god or divine edicts. The word ‘momin’ applies to the poet, an orthodox person or to all orthodox people. Thus, in the broadest interpretation – all orthodox (or otherwise) men forget god in the face of the beloved. In their extreme agitation at the prospect of being separated from her they offer prostrations again and again.