kaise kahen ki tujh ko bhi ham se hai vasta koi tu ne to ham se aaj tak koi gila nahin kiya

gila bhi tujh se bahut hai magar mohabbat bhi vo baat apni jagah hai ye baat apni jagah

zindagi se yahi gila hai mujhe tu bahut der se mila hai mujhe

kab vo sunta hai kahani meri aur phir vo bhi zabani meri

when does she ever heed my state and that too then when i narrate ghalib laments the absolute indifference of his beloved, who refuses to pay attention to his plight. the rejection is twofold: the beloved ignores the story itself, and finds it even more intolerable because it is being narrated directly by the poet.

shikva koi dariya ki ravani se nahin hai rishta hi miri pyaas ka paani se nahin hai

raat aa kar guzar bhi jaati hai ik hamari sahar nahin hoti

sar agar sar hai to nezon se shikayat kaisi dil agar dil hai to dariya se bada hona hai

mohabbat hi men milte hain shikayat ke maze paiham mohabbat jitni badhti hai shikayat hoti jaati hai

koi charag jalata nahin saliqe se magar sabhi ko shikayat hava se hoti hai

sunega kaun meri chak-damani ka afsana yahan sab apne apne pairahan ki baat karte hain

saaf inkar agar ho to tasalli ho jaae jhute vaadon se tire ranj siva hota hai

haan unhin logon se duniya men shikayat hai hamen haan vahi log jo akasr hamen yaad aae hain

hamare ishq men rusva hue tum magar ham to tamasha ho gae hain

vo karen bhi to kin alfaz men tera shikva jin ko teri nigah-e-lutf ne barbad kiya

kis munh se karen un ke taghhaful ki shikayat khud ham ko mohabbat ka sabaq yaad nahin hai

ham ko aapas men mohabbat nahin karne dete ik yahi aib hai is shahr ke danaon men

sar-e-mahshar yahi puchhunga khuda se pahle tu ne roka bhi tha bande ko khata se pahle

translation on the judgement day, i’ll enquire this from god, before he commited crime, any criminal did you stop? sagar akbarabadi

dil ki taklif kam nahin karte ab koi shikva ham nahin karte

kya vo namrud ki khudai thi bandagi men mira bhala na hua

what divinity was it that nimrod once proclaimed? worship was no use to me, it did not compensate the poet expresses deep frustration with unrequited love by comparing his beloved to nimrod, an ancient tyrant who falsely claimed to be god. he laments that despite his total submission and worship-like devotion, he received no kindness or reward, implying that his beloved is as cruel and unresponsive as a false deity.

ham ajab hain ki us ki bahon men shikva-e-narasai karte hain

kaise kahen ki tujh ko bhi ham se hai vasta koi tu ne to ham se aaj tak koi gila nahin kiya

gila bhi tujh se bahut hai magar mohabbat bhi vo baat apni jagah hai ye baat apni jagah

zindagi se yahi gila hai mujhe tu bahut der se mila hai mujhe

dil ki taklif kam nahin karte ab koi shikva ham nahin karte

bada maza ho jo mahshar men ham karen shikva vo minnaton se kahen chup raho khuda ke liye

dagh dehlvi imagines the ultimate courtroom—judgment day—as a stage for lovers’ grievances. the thrill lies in the irony that even there, where truth should be spoken, the beloved tries to hush the lover with humble entreaties. “for god’s sake” carries both social politeness and a sacred weight, turning suppression into a tender, teasing intimacy. the couplet blends complaint with playful affection and moral pressure.

shikva koi dariya ki ravani se nahin hai rishta hi miri pyaas ka paani se nahin hai

aarzu hasrat aur ummid shikayat aansu ik tira zikr tha aur biich men kya kya nikla

sar agar sar hai to nezon se shikayat kaisi dil agar dil hai to dariya se bada hona hai

kyuun hijr ke shikve karta hai kyuun dard ke rone rota hai ab ishq kiya to sabr bhi kar is men to yahi kuchh hota hai

kahne deti nahin kuchh munh se mohabbat meri lab pe rah jaati hai aa aa ke shikayat meri

from voicing my emotions, love makes me refrain grievances come to my lips but silent there remain the couplet shows a lover trapped between feeling and speech: love itself becomes a force that silences. the “complaint” rises again and again, yet remains unspoken, suggesting fear of hurting the beloved or losing dignity. the repeated reaching of words to the lips conveys persistent longing and inner pressure. the emotional core is restrained pain—too intense to hide, yet too delicate to declare.

sunega kaun meri chak-damani ka afsana yahan sab apne apne pairahan ki baat karte hain

chup raho to puchhta hai khair hai lo khamoshi bhi shikayat ho gai

haan unhin logon se duniya men shikayat hai hamen haan vahi log jo akasr hamen yaad aae hain

un ka ghham un ka tasavvur un ke shikve ab kahan ab to ye baten bhi ai dil ho gaiin aai gai

hamare ishq men rusva hue tum magar ham to tamasha ho gae hain

vo karen bhi to kin alfaz men tera shikva jin ko teri nigah-e-lutf ne barbad kiya

kis munh se karen un ke taghhaful ki shikayat khud ham ko mohabbat ka sabaq yaad nahin hai

ham ko aapas men mohabbat nahin karne dete ik yahi aib hai is shahr ke danaon men

sirf shikve dikh rahe hain ye nahin dikhta tujhe tujh se shikve rakhne vaala tera divana bhi hai

sar-e-mahshar yahi puchhunga khuda se pahle tu ne roka bhi tha bande ko khata se pahle

translation on the judgement day, i’ll enquire this from god, before he commited crime, any criminal did you stop? sagar akbarabadi