Ba-naala Haasil-e-dil-bastagi Faraaham KarMataa-e-khaana-e-zanjeer — Mirza Ghalib

Meaning

With laments, gather the outcome of the heart's bondage; The belongings of the house of chains are known to be nothing but sound.

Explanation

My dear friend, Ghalib asks us to ponder a profound question about desire and entrapment. He says, go on, weep and cry, gather the full harvest of your `dil-bastagi` – your heart's deepest attachments. Pour out all the emotional entanglement, all you've gained from being so bound. But then, with a wry twist, he asks: what do you truly possess in this `khana-e-zanjeer`? In this 'house of chains,' this metaphorical prison, what `mata` – what 'possessions' – do you find? Nothing, he reveals, but `sada` – an echo. Just the hollow sound of your own lament. It’s a powerful truth: our fervent attachments often leave us with an illusory wealth. Like Ghalib himself, perpetually bound to his circumstances, realizing the only tangible gain was pain. So, the deepest attachments, my friend, often leave us with nothing but the echo of our own hearts.

Difficult Words