daa.im paḌā huā tire dar par nahīñ huuñ maiñ
ḳhaak aisī zindagī pe ki patthar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
I do not lie embedded, ensconced upon your door
I am not merely a stone, such life I do abhor
kyuuñ gardish-e-mudām se ghabrā na jaa.e dil
insān huuñ piyāla o sāġhar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
why shouldn’t life’s revolutions agitate my heart?
I’m human, not a chalice to be passed around the floor.
yā-rab zamāna mujh ko miTātā hai kis liye
lauh-e-jahāñ pe harf-e-mukarrar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
Lord what reason that this world seeks to erase me so
I’m not a superfluous word that’s been written before
had chāhiye sazā meñ uqūbat ke vāste
āḳhir gunāhgār huuñ kāfar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
Viciousness, in punishment, needs to be restrained
after all it’s sin, not heresy I answer for
kis vāste aziiz nahīñ jānte mujhe
la.al o zamurrad o zar o gauhar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
Neither rubies, gems, nor gold nor pearls, I am therefore
is it for this reason that you choose to thus ignore
rakhte ho tum qadam mirī āñkhoñ se kyuuñ dareġh
rutbe meñ mahr-o-māh se kam-tar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
why do you have to keep your feet hidden from my eyes?
less in stature than the sun and moon I am not for sure
karte ho mujh ko man.a-e-qadam-bos kis liye
kyā āsmān ke bhī barābar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
what reason that you now refuse to let me kiss your feet
am I not equal even to the heavens anymore
‘ġhālib’ vazīfa-ḳhvār ho do shaah ko duā
vo din ga.e ki kahte the naukar nahīñ huuñ maiñ
Ghalib you should praise the king, dependent that you are
You used to say “I do not serve”, those were the days of yore
