हैफ़ समझा ही न वो क़ातिल नादाँ वर्ना
बे-गुनह मारने क़ाबिल ये गुनहगार न था
— Mir Taqi Mir
Meaning
The Shayar says that he was neither a killer nor a foolish fool, because he was not a criminal deserving of such an unjust death.
Explanation
This couplet is a profound meditation on misjudgment and the irony of suffering. Mir Taqi Mir suggests that the 'killer' (the one who inflicted pain) never understood the true nature of the 'sinner' (the poet/lover). The killer believed he was punishing a flawed soul, but the poet reveals that his depth of suffering and resilience meant he was fundamentally beyond the reach of such punishment. It speaks to the enduring power of the spirit, no matter how much pain is inflicted.