About Mirza Ghalib
19th Century (Mughal Era) · The poet who made doubt beautifulMirza Asadullah Baig Khan Ghalib is the most widely quoted and celebrated classical Urdu and Persian poet. His ghazals are renowned for their philosophical depth, questioning of religious dogmas, and intense exploration of love and existential sorrow.
Read All 20 Shayaris by Mirza Ghalibarrow_forwardMore Shayari by Mirza Ghalib
Hazaaron khwaishein aisi ke har khwaish pe dam nikle,
Bohat niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle.
“I had thousands of desires, each one worth dying for — many were fulfilled, and yet so many remained.”
Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai,
Aakhir iss dard ki dawa kya hai?
“O foolish heart, what has happened to you? After all, what is the cure for this pain?”
Ishq ne Ghalib nikamma kar diya,
Warna hum bhi aadmi the kaam ke.
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Reading Mirza Ghalib: where this sher fits
Themes to watch for: insatiable desire, religious irony, self-mockery, philosophical doubt, the dignity of suffering. Read the ghazals that begin 'Hazaaron khwaishein aisi' and 'Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai' first; then try the letters for a very different, humorous Ghalib.
Worth knowing: He once said that his Persian poetry was 'a garden of colours' compared with his Urdu 'collection of sparse flowers' — and posterity decided exactly the opposite.