All the urdu poetry posts have been moved over to my Moonstruck Blog. Please follow your love for poetry there and if possible, contribute. Thanks.

Ghalib's haveli (src: flickr)

Unfortunate is the land that can’t uphold it’s own legacy. To have been blessed with the affections of the peerless Mirza Ghalib is sufficient alone to make Delhi special but Delhi has decided to hand the honor over to the oblivion. In recent news article from TOI, the Delhi govt. or the archaeological department had no clue how Ghalib’s haveli was permitted to be used as a marriage banquet hall. Such incidences are not merely a proof of the corruption and govt’s incompetency but questions the level of awareness among the people themselves. A place that should be boasted off is left to decay. Thanks to some celebrities who are still proud of this Indian heritage such as Gulzar and Vishal Bharadwaj, the forsaken place was paid its dues in a candlelight vigil on the poets 212th birthday on 27th Dec. I know at least one place I have to visit when I go to Delhi this time before the haveli is reduced to a mockery of the value of art in India.
Continue reading

haal-e-gham un ko sunaate jaaiye
shart ye hai ke muskuraate jaaiye

aap ko jaate na dekha jaayega
shamma ko pehle bujhaate jaaiye

shukriya lutf-e-musalasal ka magar
gaahe gaahe dil ko dukhaate jaaiye

dushmanon se pyaar hota jayega
doston ko aazmaate jaaiye

roshni mahdood ho jin ki ‘Khumaar’
un chiraagon ko bujhaate jaaiye

-’Khumaar’ Barabankvi

kyun laga aaj tujhse hi tujhko milva diya humne
guroor-e-ishq soz-e-sukhan se pighla diya humne

ye kehte kehte kya kuch chhupa gaye tum jaan
ye dekhte dekhte kya kuch dikhla diya humne

-Eternity

farz karo ham ahl-e-wafaa hon, farz karo deewaane hon
farz karo ye dono baatein jhoothi ho afsaane hon

farz karo ye ji ki biptaa ji se jor sunaayi ho
farz karo abhi aur ho itni, aadhi ham ne chhupaayi ho

farz karo tumhein khush karne ke dhoonde hum ne bahaane hon
farz karo ye nain tumhaare sach-much ke maikhaane hon

farz karo ye rog ho jhootha jhoothi peed hamaari ho
farz karo is peed ke rog me saans bhi hum pe bhaari ho

farz karo ye jog-bijog ka humne dhong rachaaya ho
farz karo bas yahi haqeeqat baaqi sab kuch maaya ho

-Ibn-e-Insha