Love Story Shayari in the Style of Mirza Ghalib | Urdu Poetry
Let me paint you a picture of Ghalib’s world – imagine sitting in Old Delhi’s winding lanes, the evening air thick with the aroma of kebabs and brewing tea, as someone recites these timeless verses in a voice that makes time stand still.
You see, Ghalib wasn’t just writing poetry – he was capturing those heart-fluttering moments we’ve all experienced. You know that feeling when you can’t eat, can’t sleep, because someone’s smile has taken over your thoughts? Or when love hits you so hard it feels like you’ve been struck by lightning? That’s what these 25 shayaris are about.
Think of these 2 line shayari verses as love letters from another era that somehow still know exactly what your heart is going through today. Each one is like a perfectly brewed cup of tea – first you taste it in your native tongue, letting the Hindi words roll around like honey, then you get the Roman script to help you say it out loud (because some feelings just need to be spoken), and finally, you get the English translation that helps you understand the meaning, even if it can’t quite capture all the magic of the original.
I’m reminded of how Ghalib wrote about love like it was this beautiful madness – the kind that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. He got it, you know? He understood how you can miss someone so much it hurts, or how just thinking about your beloved can make your whole day brighter. These aren’t just poems on a page – they’re the story of every heart that’s ever loved, hoped, or broken.
Reading these shayaris is like having a heart-to-heart conversation with someone who lived centuries ago but somehow knows exactly what you’re going through. Whether you’re floating on cloud nine or nursing a broken heart, there’s a Ghalib verse that feels like it was written just for you.
These 25 pieces aren’t just in the inspiration of Ghalib – they’re bridges across time, connecting your heart to the countless others who’ve felt exactly what you’re feeling right now. That’s the real magic of Ghalib – he didn’t just write about love, he wrote about your love, my love, everyone’s love, in words that still make hearts skip a beat centuries later.
1.
- Hindi: इश्क़ पर ज़ोर नहीं, है ये वो आतिश ‘ग़ालिब’,
कि लगाये न लगे और बुझाये न बने। - Romanized: Ishq par zor nahin, hai ye woh aatish ‘Ghalib’,
Ki lagaye na lage aur bujhaye na bane. - English: Love cannot be forced, it’s a fire, Ghalib,
That cannot be kindled nor extinguished at will.
2.
- Hindi: हुई मुद्दत कि ‘ग़ालिब’ मर गया, पर याद आता है,
वो हर इक बात पर कहना कि यूँ होता तो क्या होता। - Romanized: Hui muddat ki ‘Ghalib’ mar gaya, par yaad aata hai,
Woh har ik baat par kehna ki yun hota to kya hota. - English: It’s been ages since Ghalib died, but I still remember,
Him saying on everything, “If it were like this, what would happen?” (Reflecting on love’s what-ifs)
3.
- Hindi: हज़ारों ख़्वाहिशें ऐसी कि हर ख़्वाहिश पे दम निकले,
बहुत निकले मिरे अरमान लेकिन फिर भी कम निकले। - Romanized: Hazaron khwahishen aisi ki har khwahish pe dam nikle,
Bahut nikle mire armaan lekin phir bhi kam nikle. - English: Thousands of desires, each worth dying for,
Many of my desires were fulfilled, yet they seemed too few. (The insatiable nature of love’s longing)
4.
- Hindi: ये न थी हमारी क़िस्मत कि विसाल-ए-यार होता,
अगर और जीते रहते यही इंतिज़ार होता। - Romanized: Ye na thi hamari qismat ki visal-e-yaar hota,
Agar aur jeete rehte yahi intizaar hota. - English: It was not in my destiny to unite with my beloved,
Had I lived longer, the wait would have continued. (The pain of unfulfilled love)
5.
- Hindi: दिल-ए-नादाँ तुझे हुआ क्या है,
आख़िर इस दर्द की दवा क्या है। - Romanized: Dil-e-nadan tujhe hua kya hai,
Aakhir is dard ki dawa kya hai. - English: O naive heart, what has become of you?
What is the cure for this pain, after all? (The incurable ache of love)
6.
- Hindi: मोहब्बत में नहीं है फ़र्क़ जीने और मरने का,
उसी को देख कर जीते हैं जिस काफ़िर पे दम निकले। - Romanized: Mohabbat mein nahin hai farq jeene aur marne ka,
Usi ko dekh kar jeete hain jis kafir pe dam nikle. - English: In love, there is no difference between living and dying,
We live by gazing upon the infidel for whom we’d die. (The intoxicating power of love)
7.
- Hindi: उन के देखे से जो आ जाती है मुँह पर रौनक़,
वो समझते हैं कि बीमार का हाल अच्छा है। - Romanized: Un ke dekhe se jo aa jaati hai munh par raunaq,
Woh samajhte hain ki beemar ka haal achha hai. - English: The glow on my face when I see them,
Makes them think the patient is doing well. (The transformative effect of a beloved’s presence)
8.
- Hindi: हम को मालूम है जन्नत की हक़ीक़त लेकिन,
दिल के ख़ुश रखने को ‘ग़ालिब’ ये ख़याल अच्छा है। - Romanized: Hum ko maloom hai jannat ki haqeeqat lekin,
Dil ke khush rakhne ko ‘Ghalib’ ye khayal achha hai. - English: I know the reality of paradise, but
To keep the heart happy, Ghalib, this thought is good. (Finding paradise in love)
9.
- Hindi: रगों में दौड़ते फिरने के हम नहीं क़ाइल,
जब आँख ही से न टपका तो फिर लहू क्या है। - Romanized: Ragon mein daudte phirne ke hum nahin qayal,
Jab aankh hi se na tapka to phir lahu kya hai. - English: I don’t believe in blood merely coursing through veins,
If it doesn’t fall from the eyes, then what is it worth? (Love’s pain expressed through tears)
10.
- Hindi: आह को चाहिए इक उम्र असर होने तक,
कौन जीता है तिरी ज़ुल्फ़ के सर होने तक। - Romanized: Aah ko chahiye ik umr asar hone tak,
Kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar hone tak. - English: A sigh needs a lifetime to take effect,
Who lives long enough to be entangled in your tresses? (The long wait for love’s fulfillment)
11.
- Hindi: बक रहा हूँ जुनूँ में क्या क्या कुछ,
कुछ न समझे ख़ुदा करे कोई। - Romanized: Bak raha hun junoon mein kya kya kuchh,
Kuchh na samjhe khuda kare koi. - English: In my madness, I’m rambling on and on,
May God grant that no one understands. (The madness induced by love)
12.
- Hindi: इब्न-ए-मरयम हुआ करे कोई,
मेरे दुख की दवा करे कोई। - Romanized: Ibn-e-Maryam hua kare koi,
Mere dukh ki dawa kare koi. - English: Let someone be the son of Mary,
Let someone cure my sorrow. (Desperate plea for healing from love’s pain)
13.
- Hindi: कोई उम्मीद बर नहीं आती,
कोई सूरत नज़र नहीं आती। - Romanized: Koi ummeed bar nahin aati,
Koi soorat nazar nahin aati. - English: No hope is fulfilled,
No way forward is visible. (The despair of unrequited love)
14.
- Hindi: मौत का एक दिन मुअय्यन है,
नींद क्यूँ रात भर नहीं आती। - Romanized: Maut ka ek din muayyan hai,
Neend kyun raat bhar nahin aati. - English: Death is certain one day,
Then why does sleep evade me all night? (Love’s torment keeping one awake)
15.
- Hindi: आगे आती थी हाल-ए-दिल पे हँसी,
अब किसी बात पर नहीं आती। - Romanized: Aage aati thi haal-e-dil pe hansi,
Ab kisi baat par nahin aati. - English: I used to laugh at the state of my heart,
Now nothing brings a smile. (The numbing effect of love’s sorrow)
16.
- Hindi: हैं और भी दुनिया में सुख़न-वर बहुत अच्छे,
कहते हैं कि ‘ग़ालिब’ का है अंदाज़-ए-बयाँ और। - Romanized: Hain aur bhi duniya mein sukhanwar bahut achhe,
Kehte hain ki ‘Ghalib’ ka hai andaz-e-bayan aur. - English: There are many other great poets in the world,
But they say Ghalib’s style of expression is unique. (Ghalib’s signature style applied to love)
17.
- Hindi: क़र्ज़ की पीते थे मय लेकिन समझते थे कि हाँ,
रंग लाएगी हमारी फ़ाक़ा-मस्ती एक दिन। - Romanized: Qarz ki peete the mai lekin samajhte the ki haan,
Rang laegi hamari faqa-masti ek din. - English: We drank wine on borrowed money, believing,
That one day our carefree destitution would bear fruit. (The recklessness inspired by love)
18.
- Hindi: बाज़ीचा-ए-अतफ़ाल है दुनिया मिरे आगे,
होता है शब-ओ-रोज़ तमाशा मिरे आगे। - Romanized: Bazeecha-e-atfal hai duniya mire aage,
Hota hai shab-o-roz tamasha mire aage. - English: The world is a children’s playground before me,
Day and night, a spectacle unfolds before me. (Love making the world seem insignificant)
19.
- Hindi: न था कुछ तो ख़ुदा था कुछ न होता तो ख़ुदा होता,
डुबोया मुझ को होने ने न होता मैं तो क्या होता। - Romanized: Na tha kuchh to khuda tha kuchh na hota to khuda hota,
Duboya mujh ko hone ne na hota main to kya hota. - English: When nothing existed, God was there; if nothing existed, God would be,
Existence has drowned me; if I didn’t exist, what would it matter? (Existential musings influenced by love)
20.
- Hindi: बे-ख़ुदी बे-सबब नहीं ‘ग़ालिब’,
कुछ तो है जिस की पर्दा-दारी है। - Romanized: Be-khudi be-sabab nahin ‘Ghalib’,
Kuchh to hai jis ki parda-dari hai. - English: My ecstasy is not without reason, Ghalib,
There is something that is being concealed. (The hidden depths of love)
21.
- Hindi: हम वहाँ हैं जहाँ से हम को भी,
कुछ हमारी ख़बर नहीं आती। - Romanized: Hum wahan hain jahan se hum ko bhi,
Kuchh hamari khabar nahin aati. - English: I am at a place from where even I,
Cannot get any news of myself. (Lost in the depths of love)
22.
- Hindi: दर्द मिन्नत-कश-ए-दवा न हुआ,
मैं न अच्छा हुआ बुरा न हुआ। - Romanized: Dard minnat-kash-e-dawa na hua,
Main na achha hua bura na hua. - English: My pain did not become indebted to any cure,
I neither got better nor worse. (Love’s pain is beyond any remedy)
23.
- Hindi: देखिये, लाती है उस शोख़ की नख़वत क्या रंग,
उसकी हर बात पे हम, नाम-ए-ख़ुदा लेते हैं। - Romanized: Dekhiye, laati hai us shokh ki nakhvat kya rang,
Uski har baat pe hum, naam-e-khuda lete hain. - English: Let’s see what color the coquetry of that bold one brings,
At her every word, we take the name of God. (Captivated by the beloved’s charm)
24.
- Hindi: जला है जिस्म जहाँ दिल भी जल गया होगा,
कुरेदते हो जो अब राख जुस्तजू क्या है। - Romanized: Jala hai jism jahan dil bhi jal gaya hoga,
Kuredte ho jo ab raakh justuju kya hai. - English: Where the body has burned, the heart must have burned too,
What are you searching for, raking through these ashes? (The heart consumed by love’s fire)
25.
- Hindi: इश्क़ ने ‘ग़ालिब’ निकम्मा कर दिया,
वर्ना हम भी आदमी थे काम के। - Romanized: Ishq ne ‘Ghalib’ nikamma kar diya,
Warna hum bhi aadmi the kaam ke. - English: Love has made Ghalib worthless,
Otherwise, I too was a man of some use. (Love’s ability to render one useless for anything else)
Popular Shayari On One Cup Of Chai
