But

wafa jis se ki bewafa ho gaya jise but banaya khuda ho gaya i was constant but she eschewed fidelity the one i idolized, alas, claimed divinity

hum aise sada-dilon ki niyaz-mandi se buton ne ki hain jahan mein khudaiyan kya kya

wo din gae ki 'dagh' thi har dam buton ki yaad padhte hain panch waqt ki ab to namaz hum the couplet contrasts an earlier life absorbed in worldly love—called “idols” as a metaphor for the beloved—with a present life of religious discipline. the speaker claims a moral turning point: desire has been replaced by devotion. the emotional core is a mix of self-assertion and quiet irony, as if announcing reform while still aware of the pull of the past.

kyunkar us but se rakhun jaan aziz kya nahin hai mujhe iman aziz the poet presents a paradox where the beloved is described as an 'idol,' yet sacrificing one's life for her is considered an act of 'faith.' ghalib implies that in the religion of love, dying for the beloved is the ultimate proof of fidelity. to save his life would be to betray his faith, which he values more than life itself.

chhodunga main na us but-e-kafir ka pujna chhode na khalq go mujhe kafar kahe baghair to stop worshipping that idol fair, i will not agree and this world will not refrain from crying heresy! the poet declares his unwavering devotion to his beloved, whom he metaphorically calls an 'infidel idol' due to their beauty and cruelty. he accepts that worshipping a human is akin to idolatry in the eyes of society, but he is willing to bear the label of 'sinner' or 'infidel' rather than abandon his love.

do hi din mein ye sanam hosh-ruba hote hain kal ke tarshe hue but aaj khuda hote hain

ilahi ek dil kis kis ko dun main hazaron but hain yan hindostan hai

ho gae nam-e-butan sunte hi 'momin' be-qarar hum na kahte the ki hazrat parsa kahne ko hain the couplet mocks pretended piety: the so-called ascetic loses composure the moment he hears of beloved, idol-like beauties. “butaan” hints at alluring faces, and “parsa” at moral purity; the contrast exposes hypocrisy. the emotional core is a wry, knowing sarcasm at how desire breaks through a manufactured reputation.

be-khudi mein hum to tera dar samajh kar jhuk gae ab khuda malum kaba tha ki wo but-khana tha

sanam-parasti karun tark kyunkar ai waiz buton ka zikr khuda ki kitab mein dekha

nahin ye aadmi ka kaam waiz hamare but tarashe hain khuda ne

aap karte jo ehtiram-e-butan but-kade khud khuda khuda karte

buton ko tod ke aisa khuda banana kya buton ki tarah jo ham-shakl aadmi ka ho

but nazar aaenge mashuqon ki kasrat hogi aaj but-khana mein allah ki qudrat hogi

but kahte hain kya haal hai kuchh munh se to bolo hum kahte hain sunta nahin allah hamari

thahri jo wasl ki to hui subh sham se but mehrban hue to khuda mehrban na tha

tana-zan kufr pe hota hai abas ai zahid but-parasti hai tere zohd-e-riya se behtar

but ko pujunga sanam-khanon mein ja ja ke to main us ke pichhe mera iman rahe ya na rahe

apni marzi to ye hai banda-e-but ho rahiye aage marzi hai khuda ki so khuda hi jaane

kiya ishq-e-majazi ne haqiqat aashna mujh ko buton ne zulm wo dhaya ki yaad aaya khuda mujh ko

'asghar' ye safar shauq ka ab kaise katega jo hum ne tarasha tha wo but tut gaya hai

patthar ko basaunga nahin is mein kabhi main dil mera haram hai koi but-khana nahin hai

jo ki sajda na kare but ko mere mashrab mein aaqibat us ki kisi taur se mahmud nahin

shikwa us but ke jafa ka jo kiya main to kaha tum to duniya mein ho ek ahl-e-wafa tum ko kya

the meri rah mein lakhon butan-e-nakhwat-o-naz kahin bhi sar na jhuka tere naqsh-e-pa ke siwa

kabhi jis par 'aqida tha hamara wo but mismar hota ja raha hai

badhegi baat na baithenge chupke hum ai but raqib se jo karoge kalam uth uth kar

apna shahkar abhi ai mere but-gar na bana dil dhadakta hai mera tu mujhe patthar na bana