Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, one of the greatest poets of India, sub-continent and the world, was born on December 27, 1797. Here is a selection of 25 couplets of Ghalib. People are entitled to their own preferences and there are hundreds of other 'ashaar' that can be termed the best of Ghalib's couplets.
meherbaaN hoke bulaa lo mujhe chaaho jis waqt
maiN gayaa waqt nahiiN huuN ki phir aa bhii na sakuuN
jaate hue kahte ho qayaamat ko milenge
kyaa Khuub, qayaamat ka hai goyaa koii din aur
ragoN meN dauDte phirne ke ham nahiiN qaayal
jab aaNkh hii se na Tapkaa to phir lahuu kyaa hai
kii mere qatl ke baad usne jafaa se toba
haae us zuud-pashemaaN ka pashemaaN honaa
koii mere dil se poochhe tere tiir-e-niimkash ko
yah khalish kahaan se hotii jo jigar ke paar hotaa
bandgii meN bhii voh aazadah-o-khudbiiN haiN ki ham
ulTe phir aaye dar-e-kaaba agar waa na huaa
zindagii yuuN bhii guzar hii jaatii
kyuuN teraa raahguzar yaad aayaa
pakDe jaate haiN farishtoN ke likhe par naahaq
aadmii koii hamaaraa dam-e-tahriir bhii thaa
zikr us parii-vash ka aur phir bayaaN apnaa
ban gayaa raqiib aakhir, thaa jo raazdaaN apnaa
mohabbat meN nahiiN hai farq jiine aur marne kaa
usii ko dekh kar jiite haiN jis kaafir pe dam nikle
hamne maanaa ki taGaaful na karoge lekin
Khaak ho jaayenge ham tumko Khabar hone tak
maiN ne chaahaa thaa ki andoh-e-wafa se chhuuTuuN
voh sitamgar mere marne pe bhii raazii na huaa
aataa hai daaG-e-hasrat-e-dil kaa shumaar yaad
mujh se mere gunah ka hisaab aye Khudaa na maang
hai pare sarhad-e-adraak se apnaa masjuud
qible ko ahle nazar qibla-numa kahte haiN
niiNd uskii hai dimaaG uskaa hai raateN uskii haiN
terii zulfeN jiske baazuu par pareshaaN ho gayiiN
ranj se Khuugar huaa insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paDiiN itnii ki aasaaN ho gayiiN
is saadgii pe kaun na mar jaaye aye Khudaa
laDte haiN aur haath meN talwaar bhii nahiiN
jab maikada chhuTaa to phir ab kyaa jagah kii qaid
masjid ho, madarsa ho, koii Khaanqaah ho
mai se Garz-e-nishaat hai kis ruu-siyaah ko
ek guuna be-Khudii mujhe din raat chahiye
zindagii apnii jab is shakl se guzrii Ghaalib
ham bhii kyaa yaad karenge kii Khudaa rakhte the
dekhnaa taqdiir kii lazzat ki jo usne kahaa
maiN ne yah jaanaa ki goyaa yah bhii mere dil meN hai
apnii galii meN mujhko na kar dafan baad-e-qatl
mere pate se Khalq ko kyuuN teraa ghar mile
siikhe haiN mahrukhoN ke liye ham musavvarii
taqriib kuchh to bahar-mulaaqaat chaahiye
(musavvari=art, painting)
unke dekhe se jo aa jaatii hai muNh par raunaq
woh samajhte hai ki biimaar kaa haal achchhaa hai
chand tasviir-e-butaaN chand hasiinoN ke khutuut
baad marne ke mere ghar se yah saamaaN niklaa
meherbaaN hoke bulaa lo mujhe chaaho jis waqt
maiN gayaa waqt nahiiN huuN ki phir aa bhii na sakuuN
jaate hue kahte ho qayaamat ko milenge
kyaa Khuub, qayaamat ka hai goyaa koii din aur
ragoN meN dauDte phirne ke ham nahiiN qaayal
jab aaNkh hii se na Tapkaa to phir lahuu kyaa hai
kii mere qatl ke baad usne jafaa se toba
haae us zuud-pashemaaN ka pashemaaN honaa
koii mere dil se poochhe tere tiir-e-niimkash ko
yah khalish kahaan se hotii jo jigar ke paar hotaa
bandgii meN bhii voh aazadah-o-khudbiiN haiN ki ham
ulTe phir aaye dar-e-kaaba agar waa na huaa
zindagii yuuN bhii guzar hii jaatii
kyuuN teraa raahguzar yaad aayaa
pakDe jaate haiN farishtoN ke likhe par naahaq
aadmii koii hamaaraa dam-e-tahriir bhii thaa
zikr us parii-vash ka aur phir bayaaN apnaa
ban gayaa raqiib aakhir, thaa jo raazdaaN apnaa
mohabbat meN nahiiN hai farq jiine aur marne kaa
usii ko dekh kar jiite haiN jis kaafir pe dam nikle
hamne maanaa ki taGaaful na karoge lekin
Khaak ho jaayenge ham tumko Khabar hone tak
maiN ne chaahaa thaa ki andoh-e-wafa se chhuuTuuN
voh sitamgar mere marne pe bhii raazii na huaa
aataa hai daaG-e-hasrat-e-dil kaa shumaar yaad
mujh se mere gunah ka hisaab aye Khudaa na maang
hai pare sarhad-e-adraak se apnaa masjuud
qible ko ahle nazar qibla-numa kahte haiN
niiNd uskii hai dimaaG uskaa hai raateN uskii haiN
terii zulfeN jiske baazuu par pareshaaN ho gayiiN
ranj se Khuugar huaa insaaN to miT jaataa hai ranj
mushkileN mujh par paDiiN itnii ki aasaaN ho gayiiN
is saadgii pe kaun na mar jaaye aye Khudaa
laDte haiN aur haath meN talwaar bhii nahiiN
jab maikada chhuTaa to phir ab kyaa jagah kii qaid
masjid ho, madarsa ho, koii Khaanqaah ho
mai se Garz-e-nishaat hai kis ruu-siyaah ko
ek guuna be-Khudii mujhe din raat chahiye
zindagii apnii jab is shakl se guzrii Ghaalib
ham bhii kyaa yaad karenge kii Khudaa rakhte the
dekhnaa taqdiir kii lazzat ki jo usne kahaa
maiN ne yah jaanaa ki goyaa yah bhii mere dil meN hai
apnii galii meN mujhko na kar dafan baad-e-qatl
mere pate se Khalq ko kyuuN teraa ghar mile
siikhe haiN mahrukhoN ke liye ham musavvarii
taqriib kuchh to bahar-mulaaqaat chaahiye
(musavvari=art, painting)
unke dekhe se jo aa jaatii hai muNh par raunaq
woh samajhte hai ki biimaar kaa haal achchhaa hai
chand tasviir-e-butaaN chand hasiinoN ke khutuut
baad marne ke mere ghar se yah saamaaN niklaa
Read five selected Ghazals of Mirza Ghalib in Urdu, Hindi [devanagri] and Roman English scripts at Best Ghazals.