Hazaaron khwahishen aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle, 
Bahut niklay mere armaan, lekin phir bhi kam nikle

(There are thousands of ambitions that each such wish could consume my life
My desires, and I experience them all intensely, aren’t enough for this one lifetime.)

Mirza Ghalib’s contribution to Urdu ‘adab’ is what Shakespeare’s is to the English language – unparalleled. 

Towards the autumn of the Mughal empire, Ghalib penned hauntingly beautiful verses in Urdu that can only be termed ‘immortal’.

Mirza Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib' was born in Agra in 1797. He moved to Delhi where his poetic talent blossomed and found new expression at a time when Bahadur Shah Zafar was the Mughal emperor.

Today marks Ghalib’s 221st birth anniversary. Let’s have a look at his words on love, loss, and life that are an inspiration to not just poets, but every literary enthusiast over the world.
 

  • Haathon ki lakeeron pe mat ja ae Ghalib
    Naseeb unke bhi hote hai jinke haath nahi hote
     

  • Manzil milegi bhatak kar hi sahi
    Gumraha toh woh hai joh ghar se nikle hi nahi
     

  • Humko maloom hai jannat ki haqeeqat lekin
    Dil ke kuch rakhne ko Ghalib yeh khyal acha hai
     

  • Kuch iss tarah maine zindagi ko aasaan kar liya
    Kisi se maafi maang li, kisi ko maaf kar diya
     

  • Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai aakhir iss dard ki dawa kya hai
    Humko use wafa ki umeed hai jo nahi jaante wafa kya hai