POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mirza Ghalib دل تھا کہ جو جان درد تمہید سہی Dil tha ke jo jaan dard tamheed sahi ●sher 1 of 2

دل تھا کہ جو جان درد تمہید سہی

Dil tha ke jo jaan dard tamheed sahi

بیتابی رشک و حسرت دید سہی

Betaabi rashk-o-hasrat deed sahi

Let the heart be the prelude to the pain of life.
Let it be the restlessness of envy and the longing to see.

ہم اور فسردن اے تجلی افسوس

Hum aur fasurdan aye tajalli afsos

تکرار روا نہیں تو تجدید سہی

Takraar rawa nahi to tajdeed sahi

And our fading, O manifestation, alas!
If repetition is not allowed, then let it be renewal.

Context

This Urdu couplet (likely part of a ghazal) explores themes characteristic of classical Indo-Persian poetry, particularly the ghazal tradition. It delves into the nature of the heart's relationship with pain, seeing it as a preface, and expresses profound yearning ("hasrat-e-deed") and restlessness ("betaabi-e-rashk"). The poet laments human transience or decay in the face of divine manifestation ("tajalli") and seeks renewal ("tajdeed") when repetition ("takrar") is no longer acceptable. This reflects a blend of mystic yearning for the divine and the poignant human experience of longing and impermanence.