Ghalib's Ghazal: Yih Nah Thī Hamārī Qismat Kih Viṣāl-E Yār Hotā In English Translation Poem by Ravi Kopra

It was not in my destiny to be in love with you
Had I lived longer, longer I'd have waited for you

Living on your promises would have been all futile
Could you be faithful, happily I'd have died for you

As delicate you are, so were your promises, I knew
You couldn't have broken them if there was strength in you

Let someone ask my heart how were your half-drawn arrows
I wouldn't have been tormented, had they pierced my heart through and through

What kind of friendship is this, friends have become advisors?
I wish someone had helped me, had shared the sorrows you gave me

If my sorrows were sparks in the colliding rocks
Blood dripping from their veins would never had stopped


-to be cont'd




yih nah thī hamārī qismat kih viṣāl-e yār hotā
agar aur jīte rahte yihī intiz̤ār hotā

tire vaʿde par jiye ham to yih jān jhūṭ jānā
kih ḳhvushī se mar nah jāte agar ětibār hotā

tirī nāzukī se jānā kih bañdhā thā ʿahd bodā
kabhī tū nah toṛ saktā agar ustuvār hotā

koʾī mere dil se pūchhe tire tīr-e nīm-kash ko
yih ḳhalish kahāñ se hotī jo jigar ke pār hotā

yih kahāñ kī dostī hai kih bane haiñ dost nāṣiḥ
koʾī chārah-sāz hotā koʾī ġham-gusār hotā

rag-e sang se ṭapaktā vuh lahū kih phir nah thamtā
jise ġham samajh rahe ho yih agar sharār hotā

ġham agarchih jāñ-gusil hai pah kahāñ bacheñ kih dil hai
ġham-e ʿishq gar nah hotā ġham-e rozgār hotā

kahūñ kis se maiñ kih kyā hai shab-e ġham burī balā hai
mujhe kyā burā thā marnā agar ek bār hotā

huʾe mar ke ham jo rusvā huʾe kyūñ nah ġharq-e daryā
nah kabhī janāzah uṭhtā nah kahīñ mazār hotā

use kaun dekh saktā kih yagānah hai vuh yaktā
jo dūʾī kī bū bhī hotī to kahīñ do chār hotā

yih masāʾil-e taṣavvuf yih tirā bayān ġhālib
tujhe ham valī samajhte jo nah bādah-ḳhvār hotā

-Mirza Ghalib