Yuun Hi Dukh Kisi Ko Dena Nahin Khuub Varna Kahta — Mirza Ghalib

यूँ ही दुख किसी को देना नहीं ख़ूब वर्ना कहता कि मिरे अदू को या रब मिले मेरी ज़िंदगानी
— Mirza Ghalib

Meaning

It is not good to cause anyone pain without reason; otherwise, I would have prayed to God to give my enemy a life just like mine.

Explanation

This couplet delivers a striking, tragic irony: the poet considers his own life to be so full of grief and torment that wishing it upon even his worst enemy feels unnecessarily cruel. He holds back from praying for this curse, not out of affection for the rival, but out of basic moral restraint. Through this dark wit, he reveals that merely living his life is a punishment far worse than death itself.

Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.

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