Mirza Ghalib
Mirza Ghalib (Urdu: مرزا غالب) born Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan (Urdu/Persian: مرزا اسد اللہ بیگ خان) was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from India during British colonial rule. He used as his pen-name Ghalib (Urdu/Persian: غالب, ġhālib means dominant) and Asad (Urdu/Persian: اسد, Asad means lion. His honour title was Dabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula.
During his lifetime the Mughals were eclipsed and finally deposed by the British following the defeat of the Indian Revolt of 1857, events that he wrote of. Most notably, he wrote several ghazals during his life, which have since been interpreted and sung in many different ways by different people. In South Asia, he is considered to be one of the most popular and influential poets of the Urdu language. Ghalib today remains popular not only in India and Pakistan but also amongst diaspora communities around the world.
Mirza Ghalib is also known as the last great poet of the Mughal Era.
“रोने से और इश्क़ में बेबाक हो गये,धोये गये हम ऐसे कि बस पाक हो गये.कहता है कौन नाला-ए-बुलबुल को बे-असर,परदे में गुल कि लाख जिगर चाक हो गये.करने गये थे उससे तग़ाफ़ुल का हम गिला,की एक ही निगाह कि बस ख़ाक हो गये.इस रंग से उठाई कल उसने असद की लाश,दुश्मन भी जिसको देखके ग़मनाक हो गये.”
“If there is a knower of tongues here, fetch him;There's a stranger in the cityAnd he has many things to say.”
“He gave me heaven and earth, and assumed I'd be satisfied;Actually I was too embarrassed to argue.The spiritual seekers are tired, two or three at each stage of the path.The rest who have given up never knew your address at all.There are so many in this gathering who wish the candle well.But if the being of the candle is melting, what can the sorrow-sharers do?”
“Lest we forget: It is easy to be human, very hard to be humane”