Whether I cried or whether I was made to cry, my life simply passed by; what mention is there of my companions, the friends of the joyful?

This profound couplet by Mir Taqi Mir speaks to a deep sense of emotional detachment. The poet suggests that whether one cries or is made to cry, these emotions are transient and fleeting. The true sorrow, the one that matters, is the memory of the joyful companionship—the 'safar' (journey) of friends and beloved company. It’s a lament about the loss of shared happiness, far greater than any single tear.