Qismat

kisi ko ghar se nikalte hi mil gai manzil koi hamari tarah umr bhar safar mein raha

main zindagi ka sath nibhata chala gaya

main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya har fikr ko dhuen men udata chala gaya barbadiyon ka sog manana fuzul tha barbadiyon ka jashn manata chala gaya jo mil gaya usi ko muqaddar samajh liya jo kho gaya main us ko bhulata chala gaya ghham aur khushi men farq na mahsus ho jahan main dil ko us maqam pe laata chala gaya main zindagi ka sath nibhata chala gaya har fikr ko dhuen mein udata chala gaya barbaadiyon ka sog manana fuzul tha barbaadiyon ka jashn manata chala gaya jo mil gaya usi ko muqaddar samajh liya jo kho gaya main us ko bhulata chala gaya gham aur khushi mein farq na mahsus ho jahan main dil ko us maqam pe lata chala gaya

ye na thi hamari qismat ki visal-e-yar hota agar aur jite rahte yahi intizar hota that my love be consummated, fate did not ordain living longer had i waited, would have been in vain the poet resigns himself to the fact that union with the beloved was impossible due to fate, not a lack of time. he rationalizes his sorrow or death by arguing that a longer life would have been futile. more time would not have brought success in love, but only prolonged the agony of endless waiting.

rudad-e-mohabbat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae

rudad-e-mohabbat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae do din ki masarrat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae jab jaam diya tha saaqi ne jab daur chala tha mahfil men ik hosh ki saaat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae ab vaqt ke nazuk honton par majruh tarannum raqsan hai bedad-e-mashiyyat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae ehsas ke mai-khane men kahan ab fikr-o-nazar ki qindilen alam ki shiddat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae kuchh haal ke andhe sathi the kuchh maazi ke ayyar sajan ahbab ki chahat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae kanton se bhara hai daman-e-dil shabnam se sulagti hain palken phulon ki sakhavat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae ab apni haqiqat bhi 'saghhar' be-rabt kahani lagti hai duniya ki haqiqat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhuul gae rudad-e-mohabbat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae do din ki masarrat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae jab jam diya tha saqi ne jab daur chala tha mahfil mein ek hosh ki saat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae ab waqt ke nazuk honton par majruh tarannum raqsan hai bedad-e-mashiyyat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae ehsas ke mai-khane mein kahan ab fikr-o-nazar ki qindilen aalam ki shiddat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae kuchh haal ke andhe sathi the kuchh mazi ke ayyar sajan ahbab ki chahat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae kanton se bhara hai daman-e-dil shabnam se sulagti hain palken phulon ki sakhawat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae ab apni haqiqat bhi 'saghar' be-rabt kahani lagti hai duniya ki haqiqat kya kahiye kuchh yaad rahi kuchh bhul gae

kitna hai bad-nasib 'zafar' dafn ke liye do gaz zamin bhi na mili ku-e-yar mein the couplet compresses a lifetime of deprivation into the last need: a grave. “two yards of land” becomes a symbol of the smallest human right, while “the beloved’s lane” stands for home, closeness, and acceptance. the emotional core is yearning to belong—even in death—yet being denied that final nearness, turning love into a metaphor for exile and fate’s cruelty.

meri zindagi bhi meri nahin ye hazar khanon mein bat gai

miri zindagi bhi miri nahin ye hazar khanon men bat gai mujhe ek mutthi zamin de ye zamin kitni simat gai tiri yaad aae to chup rahun zara chup rahun to ghhazal kahun ye ‘ajib aag ki bel thi mire tan-badan se lipat gai mujhe likhne vaala likhe bhi kya mujhe padhne vaala padhe bhi kya jahan mera naam likha gaya vahin raushnai ulat gai na koi khushi na malal hai ki sabhi ka ek sa haal hai tire sukh ke din bhi guzar gae miri ghham ki raat bhi kat gai miri band palkon pe tuut kar koi phuul raat bikhar gaya mujhe siskiyon ne jaga diya miri kachchi niind uchat gai meri zindagi bhi meri nahin ye hazar khanon mein bat gai mujhe ek mutthi zamin de ye zamin kitni simat gai teri yaad aae to chup rahun zara chup rahun to ghazal kahun ye ‘ajib aag ki bel thi mere tan-badan se lipat gai mujhe likhne wala likhe bhi kya mujhe padhne wala padhe bhi kya jahan mera nam likha gaya wahin raushnai ulat gai na koi khushi na malal hai ki sabhi ka ek sa haal hai tere sukh ke din bhi guzar gae meri gham ki raat bhi kat gai meri band palkon pe tut kar koi phul raat bikhar gaya mujhe siskiyon ne jaga diya meri kachchi nind uchat gai

kisi ke tum ho kisi ka khuda hai duniya mein mere nasib mein tum bhi nahin khuda bhi nahin

tum hamare kisi tarah na hue warna duniya mein kya nahin hota your love by any means i could not gain or else in life what would not one attain the speaker laments that despite every effort, the beloved did not accept the relationship. the second line uses a rhetorical question to say that almost everything is possible in the world—yet this one wish failed. it conveys helplessness before fate and the sharp ache of unfulfilled love. the contrast between “everything” and “this one thing” intensifies the regret.

kabhi main apne hathon ki lakiron se nahin uljha mujhe malum hai qismat ka likkha bhi badalta hai

bulbul ko baghban se na sayyaad se gila qismat mein qaid likkhi thi fasl-e-bahaar mein --- --- the nightingale stands for a sensitive heart that expects joy in spring, yet ends up trapped. the poet says blame is pointless—neither caretaker nor captor is the real cause if fate has already decreed suffering. the contrast of “spring” with “cage” intensifies the pain: even the time meant for freedom and song becomes confinement. emotionally, it expresses helplessness and bitter acceptance.

yahan kisi ko bhi kuchh hasb-e-arzu na mila kisi ko hum na mile aur hum ko tu na mila

bad-qismati ko ye bhi gawara na ho saka hum jis pe mar mite wo hamara na ho saka

qismat to dekh tuti hai ja kar kahan kamand kuchh dur apne hath se jab baam rah gaya

hum ko na mil saka to faqat ek sukun-e-dil ai zindagi wagarna zamane mein kya na tha

roz wo khwab mein aate hain gale milne ko main jo sota hun to jag uthti hai qismat meri

kho diya tum ko to hum puchhte phirte hain yahi jis ki taqdir bigad jae wo karta kya hai the couplet captures the shock of separation and the speaker’s wandering, restless mind. losing the beloved feels like destiny itself has been ruined, so the grief turns into a single helpless question. “fate” here is a metaphor for life’s whole order collapsing, making action feel pointless. the emotional core is resignation mixed with aching longing.

tut padti thin ghataen jin ki aankhen dekh kar wo bhari barsat mein tarse hain pani ke liye

nairangi-e-siyasat-e-dauran to dekhiye manzil unhen mili jo sharik-e-safar na the

koi manzil ke qarib aa ke bhatak jata hai koi manzil pe pahunchta hai bhatak jaane se

tujh se qismat mein meri surat-e-qufl-e-abjad tha likha baat ke bante hi juda ho jaana ghalib uses the brilliant metaphor of a 'qufl-e-abjad' (a combination lock that opens when letters form a specific word). just as the lock opens and its parts separate precisely when the correct word is formed, the poet's destiny is such that the moment his connection with the beloved succeeds ('the point is made'), immediate separation follows.

justuju karni har ek amr mein nadani hai jo ki peshani pe likkhi hai wo pesh aani hai

kabhi saya hai kabhi dhup muqaddar mera hota rahta hai yun hi qarz barabar mera

khush-nasibi mein hai yahi ek aib bad-nasibon ke ghar nahin aati

zor qismat pe chal nahin sakta khamushi ikhtiyar karta hun

suna hai ab bhi mere hath ki lakiron mein najumiyon ko muqaddar dikhai deta hai

baad marne ke meri qabr pe aaya 'ghafil' yaad aai mere isa ko dawa mere baad

tadbir se qismat ki burai nahin jati bigdi hui taqdir banai nahin jati dagh dehlvi presents a stark faith in destiny: human strategy and effort have limits against what is decreed. the couplet treats “bad fate” as a fixed flaw that planning cannot wash away. its emotional core is weary acceptance—recognizing that some losses and turns of life remain beyond control.

apni qismat mein sabhi kuchh tha magar phul na the tum agar phul na hote to hamare hote

khuda taufiq deta hai jinhen wo ye samajhte hain ki khud apne hi hathon se bana karti hain taqdiren

phul khile hain gulshan gulshan lekin apna apna daman