Mirza Ghalib

1. मत पूछ के क्या हाल है मेरा तेरे पीछे.. (with explanation)

बाज़ीचा-ए-अत्फ़ाल है दुनिया मेरे आगे
होता है शब-ओ-रोज़ तमाशा मेरे आगे

[The world is like a child's playground before me
Every day & night, a spectacle/fair/exhibition unfolds before me]

इक खेल है औरंग-ए-सुलेमाँ मेरे नज़दीक
इक बात है एजाज़-ए-मसीहा मेरे आगे

[With an air of disdain the poet says that the throne of King Solomon and the miracles of Messiah don't fascinate him as he has heard about them so many times.]

जुज़ नाम नहीं सूरत-ए-आलम मुझे मंज़ूर
जुज़ वहम नहीं हस्ती-ए-अशिया मेरे आगे

[Ghalib says that to him this world is just a mere name that seems to occupy all our lives and minds. In front of him the existence of things is nothing more than an illusion.]

होता है निहाँ गर्द में सेहरा मेरे होते
घिसता है जबीं ख़ाक पे दरिया मेरे आगे

[This sher by Ghalib, is a self-praising
one. He says that, in my presence, the desert hides itself and the
rivers/seas rub their foreheads on their grounds, in front of me.]

मत पूछ के क्या हाल है मेरा तेरे पीछे
तू देख के क्या रंग है तेरा मेरे आगे

[The poet says that don't bother to ask what has been my state since you left me. Instead look at how you blush when you are in front of me.]

सच कहते हो ख़ुदबीन-ओ-ख़ुदआरा हूँ न क्योँ हूँ
बैठा है बुत-ए-आईना सीमा मेरे आगे

[What you say is correct, I am proud and arrogant, a narcissist. Why should I not be! A mirror faced idol is sitting in front of me. The poet is looking into the splendorous face of his beloved, her silver face reflecting his image and he adoring himself in it.]

फिर देखिये अन्दाज़-ए-गुलअफ़्शानी-ए-गुफ़्तार
रख दे कोई पैमाना-ए-सहबा मेरे आगे

[Ghalib acknowledging his love for wine says that just place a glass of wine in front of him and see how his words sweeten, as if he is scattering flowers with his speech.]

नफ़्रत क गुमाँ गुज़रे है मैं रश्क से गुज़रा
क्योँ कर कहूँ लो नाम ना उस का मेरे आगे

[When others talk of his beloved in his presence a sense of jealousy and hatred grips him. He is so used to these feelings that there is no reason for him to stop people from mentioning her name in front of him anymore.]

इमाँ मुझे रोके है जो खींचे है मुझे कुफ़्र
काबा मेरे पीछे है कलीसा मेरे आगे

[The poet says that when impiety (sin/ vices) pull me, faith holds me back. People say that one way leads to righteousness and other way leads to impiousness, but all I can see is the holy Kaaba behind me and the holy church in front of me.]

आशिक़ हूँ पे माशूक़फ़रेबी है मेर काम
मजनूँ को बुरा कहती है लैला मेरे आगे

[The poet admits that he is a wicked lover whose task it to poison the minds of innocent women against their beloved to such an extent that even Laila says ill of Majnu in his presence.]

ख़ुश होते हैं पर वस्ल में यूँ मर नहीं जाते
आई शब-ए-हिजराँ की तमन्ना मेरे आगे

[The poet has been united with his beloved and in that moment of union, he feels like he has died of happiness. Ghalib says that people experience happiness but no one dies like this during the union, it seems like his wish of dying on the night of their separation has come true.

है मौजज़न इक क़ुल्ज़ुम-ए-ख़ूँ काश! यही हो
आता है अभी देखिये क्या-क्या मेरे आगे

[The poet says that a bloody storm is rising on the horizon pregnant with energy and agitation. I hope it is this storm. Lets see what result this storm brings now]

गो हाथ को जुम्बिश नहीं आँखों में तो दम है
रहने दो अभी साग़र-ओ-मीना मेरे आगे

[Even though my hands have no strength, my eyes still have life, let the goblet of wine stay infront of me (so I can drink from my eyes)]

हमपेशा-ओ-हममशरब-ओ-हमराज़ है मेरा
'ग़ालिब' को बुरा क्योँ कहो अच्छा मेरे आगे

[Someone who hasn't seen Ghalib is defaming him infront of Ghalib so he says that he is my confidant, my coworker, my drink partner, so instead of saying bad things for him praise him]

बाज़ीचा - play/sport
अत्फ़ाल - children
औरंग - throne
एजाज़ - miracle
जुज़ - other than
आलम - world
हस्ती - existence
अशिया - things/items
निहाँ - hidden
गर्द - dust
सेहरा - desert
जबीं - forehead
ख़ुदबीन - proud/arrogant
ख़ुदआरा - self adorer
बुत - idol
आईना सीमा - like the face of a mirror
गुलअफ़्शानी - to scatter flowers
गुफ़्तार - speech/discourse
सहबा - wine, esp. red wine
गुमाँ - distrust
रश्क - envy
कुफ़्र - impiety
कलीसा - church/cathedral
माशूक़फ़रेबी - a fraud/cheat
हिजराँ - separation
मौजज़न - exciting
क़ुल्ज़ुम - sea
जुम्बिश - movement/vibration
साग़र-ओ-मीना - goblet
हमपेशा - of the same profession
हममशरब - of the same habits/ a fellow boozer
हमराज़ - confidant