dilli men aaj bhiik bhi milti nahin unhen tha kal talak dimaghh jinhen taj-o-takht ka

the couplet contrasts past grandeur with present destitution to show how swiftly fortune turns. “crown and throne” stand for power, prestige, and arrogant self-assurance, while “not even alms” marks utter helplessness. the emotional core is bitter irony: those intoxicated by rule are reduced to begging, yet even begging yields nothing. it warns that worldly authority is fragile and pride invites a harsh fall.

dil ki basti purani dilli hai jo bhi guzra hai us ne luuta hai

chehre pe saare shahr ke gard-e-malal hai jo dil ka haal hai vahi dilli ka haal hai

ai vaae inqalab zamane ke jaur se dilli 'zafar' ke haath se pal men nikal gai

the couplet mourns a sudden political and personal ruin: the upheaval of the age becomes a force of oppression. “delhi” stands for sovereignty, home, and identity, and its slipping away “in an instant” captures how quickly power can vanish. the emotional core is grief mixed with helplessness before history’s harsh turn.

janab-e-'kaif' ye dilli hai 'mir' o 'ghhalib' ki yahan kisi ki taraf-dariyan nahin chaltin

dilli chhuti thi pahle ab lucknow bhi chhoden do shahar the ye apne donon tabah nikle

laila ghar men silai karne lagi qais dilli men kaam karne laga

ai saba main bhi tha ashufta-saron men yakta puchhna dilli ki galiyon se mira naam kabhi

kyuun mata-e-dil ke lut jaane ka koi ghham kare shahr-e-dilli men to aise vaqiye hote rahe

dil-ruba tujh sa jo dil lene men ayyari kare phir koi dilli men kya dil ki khabardari kare

hamin hain maujib-e-bab-e-fasahat hazrat-e-'shair' zamana sikhta hai ham se ham vo dilli vaale hain

arz-e-dakan men jaan to dilli men dil bani aur shahr-e-lucknow men hina ban gai ghhazal

dil-lagi ke vaste dehli men hai matiya-mahal kaun jaave khaak udane mulk-e-bikaner ko

amir-zadon se dilli ke mil na ta-maqdur ki ham faqir hue hain inhin ki daulat se

meer taqi meer points to a bitter social irony: the rich and their circles are out of reach, not due to lack of worth but because inequality has been produced by them. the speaker’s poverty is presented as a consequence of the powerful’s “wealth,” suggesting exploitation and exclusion. the emotional core is wounded dignity mixed with quiet accusation: those who prosper also create the destitute they avoid.

marsiye dil ke kai kah ke diye logon ko shahr-e-dilli men hai sab paas nishani us ki

the speaker says his inner grief became public through the ‘elegies’ he recited, so his pain spread among people. delhi turns into a witness: the city’s people carry “signs” of that sorrow as shared memories, stories, or traces. the metaphor suggests that personal heartbreak can leave a lasting mark on a whole community. it also hints at fame earned through suffering—grief becoming one’s identity.

dilli hui hai viran suune khandar pade hain viran hain mohalle sunsan ghar pade hain

ai muzaffar kis liye bhopal yaad aane laga kya samajhte the ki dilli men na hoga asman

yuun bhi dilli men log rahte hain jaise divan-e-mir chaak shuda

dilli men aaj bhiik bhi milti nahin unhen tha kal talak dimaghh jinhen taj-o-takht ka

the couplet contrasts past grandeur with present destitution to show how swiftly fortune turns. “crown and throne” stand for power, prestige, and arrogant self-assurance, while “not even alms” marks utter helplessness. the emotional core is bitter irony: those intoxicated by rule are reduced to begging, yet even begging yields nothing. it warns that worldly authority is fragile and pride invites a harsh fall.

dil ki basti purani dilli hai jo bhi guzra hai us ne luuta hai

amir-zadon se dilli ke mil na ta-maqdur ki ham faqir hue hain inhin ki daulat se

meer taqi meer points to a bitter social irony: the rich and their circles are out of reach, not due to lack of worth but because inequality has been produced by them. the speaker’s poverty is presented as a consequence of the powerful’s “wealth,” suggesting exploitation and exclusion. the emotional core is wounded dignity mixed with quiet accusation: those who prosper also create the destitute they avoid.

chehre pe saare shahr ke gard-e-malal hai jo dil ka haal hai vahi dilli ka haal hai

ai vaae inqalab zamane ke jaur se dilli 'zafar' ke haath se pal men nikal gai

the couplet mourns a sudden political and personal ruin: the upheaval of the age becomes a force of oppression. “delhi” stands for sovereignty, home, and identity, and its slipping away “in an instant” captures how quickly power can vanish. the emotional core is grief mixed with helplessness before history’s harsh turn.

dilli kahan gaiin tire kuchon ki raunaqen galiyon se sar jhuka ke guzarne laga huun main

dilli chhuti thi pahle ab lucknow bhi chhoden do shahar the ye apne donon tabah nikle

dilli men apna tha jo kuchh asbab rah gaya ik dil ko le ke aae hain us sarzamin se ham

ai saba main bhi tha ashufta-saron men yakta puchhna dilli ki galiyon se mira naam kabhi

tazkira dehli-e-marhum ka ai dost na chhed na suna jaega ham se ye fasana hargiz

kyuun mata-e-dil ke lut jaane ka koi ghham kare shahr-e-dilli men to aise vaqiye hote rahe

dil-ruba tujh sa jo dil lene men ayyari kare phir koi dilli men kya dil ki khabardari kare

dil mira jalva-e-ariz ne bahalne na diya chandni-chowk se zakhmi ko nikalne na diya

hamin hain maujib-e-bab-e-fasahat hazrat-e-'shair' zamana sikhta hai ham se ham vo dilli vaale hain

dilli pe rona aata hai karta huun jab nigah main us kuhan kharabe ki taamir ki taraf

kuchh bhi hon dilli ke kuche tujh bin mujh ko ghar katega

dil-lagi ke vaste dehli men hai matiya-mahal kaun jaave khaak udane mulk-e-bikaner ko

yuun bhi dilli men log rahte hain jaise divan-e-mir chaak shuda