POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mirza Ghalib مشکل ہے زبس کلام میرا اے دل Mushkil hai zabas kalaam mera ai dil ●sher 1 of 2

مشکل ہے زبس کلام میرا اے دل

Mushkil hai zabas kalaam mera ai dil

سن سن کے اسے سخنوران کامل

Sun sun ke use sukhanwaran e kaamil

My speech is extremely difficult, O heart,
Hearing it again and again, accomplished poets

آساں کہنے کی کرتے ہیں فرمایش

Aasaan kehne ki karte hain farmaish

گویم مشکل وگرنہ گویم مشکل

Goyam mushkil wagarnah goyam mushkil

Request me to make it easier.
I speak with difficulty, else it is difficult for me to speak.

Context

This famous couplet by Mirza Ghalib, a towering figure in Urdu and Persian poetry, reflects on the profound complexity and depth that characterizes his work. He playfully observes that even accomplished poets, after hearing his verse, request him to simplify his expression, highlighting the intellectual challenge and rich multi-layered meanings embedded in his unique poetic style. The final line, in Persian, reinforces this by stating, "I speak difficult, or else I speak difficult."