You say you won't give your heart if we found it fallen
Where is the heart to lose? We found our desire
Where is the second step of desire, O Lord
We found the desert of possibility to be but a single footprint
I am without the brain of shame, envying the trial
I found one helplessness acquainted with the world, O Lord
Simplicity and artifice, self-forgetfulness and awareness
I found beauty, in its indifference, testing courage
The dust-play of hope, the workshop of childhood
I found despair with a smiling lip from both worlds
Why should Ghalib's madness not demand tribute for solace
I found the one slain by indifference to be the claimant of blood-money
This Urdu ghazal, characteristic of the classical tradition, likely by the master Mirza Ghalib given the concluding 'Ghalib' takhallus, explores profound philosophical and emotional paradoxes. Through intricate couplets, it delves into themes of desire's vast yet ultimately contained nature, the interplay of simplicity and artifice in beauty, and the surprising resilience of despair. It reflects on the human condition, often juxtaposing seemingly contradictory states to reveal deeper truths about love, existence, and the quest for meaning, a hallmark of Ghalib's unique poetic genius.
wonder & existence · love & longing (ishq, judāī) · the world's unfairness (shikwa)