Mirza Ghalib
Mirza Asadullah Baig was born in an aristocratic family on December 27, 1797, in Agra, India. He used “Ghalib” as his pen name and was regarded as a bridge between classic and modern poetry.
He studied Persian, Arabic, and Urdu and started poetry at a young age. His most famous works are his collections of Urdu and Persian.
His life was marked by financial struggles, a troubled marriage, and personal tragedies, including the loss of seven children. Despite his literary success, Ghalib’s domestic life was filled with hardship, troubles, and sorrows.
In 1850, Ghalib was honoured as the official poet of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. He passed away on February 15, 1869, but his poetry remains widely loved and appreciated to this day.
Urdu:
آئینہ دیکھ اپنا سا منہ لے کے رہ گئے
صا حب کو دل نہ دینے پہ کتنا غرور تھا
Roman Urdu:
Aaina dekh apna sa munh lay kay reh gaye
Sahib ko dil na deny pay kitna gharor tha
Urdu:
نہ تھا کچھ تو خدا تھا کچھ نہ ہوتا تو خدا ہوتا
ڈبویا مجھ کو ہونے نے نہ ہوتا میں تو کیا ہوتا
Roman Urdu:
Na tha kuch tu khuda tha kuch na hota tu khuda hota
Daboya mujh ko honay nay, na hota main tu kiya hota
Urdu:
دُکھ دے کر سوال کرتے ہو
تُم بھی غالب کمال کرتے ہو
Roman Urdu:
Dukh day kar sawal karty ho
Tum bhi ghalib kamal karty ho
Urdu:
یہ ہم جو ہجر میں دیوار و در کو دیکھتے ہیں
کبھی صبا کو کبھی نامہ بر کو دیکھتے ہیں
Roman Urdu:
Yeh ham jo hijr main dewar o dar ko dekhty han
Kabhi saba ko kabhi nama bar ko dekhty han
Urdu:
بیٹھا کر یار کو پہلو میں رات بھر غالِب
جو لوگ کچھ نہیں کرتے، کمال کرتے ہیں
Roman Urdu:
Bitha kar yaar ko pehlu mein raat bhar Ghalib
Jo log kuch nahi kartey, kamal kartey hein
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