Ghalib on transactional love, futility and ego.

Ghalib on transactional love:

dil us ko pahle hī nāz-o-adā se de baiṭhe
hameñ dimāġh kahāñ ḥusn ke taqāẓā kā

Related:

Phir shauq kar raha hai khareed-dar ki talab,
Arz-e-mataa-e-akl-o-jaan kiye hue

Bik jaate hein hum aap mataa-e-sukhan ke saath,
Lekin ayaar-e-tabaa-e-khareed-daar dekh kar

Ghalib on futility:

yih jāntā hūñ kih tū aur pāsuḳh-e maktūb
magar sitam-zadah hūñ żauq-e ḳhāmah-farsā kā

Reminds:

Humko maloom hai jannat ki haqiqat lekin,
Dil ke khush rakhne ko Ghalib ye khayal achcha hai

Khat likhenge garche matlab kuch na ho,
Hum to ashiq hein tumhaare naam ke

Ghalib on ego:

ḳhvud-parastī se rahe bā-ham-digar nā-āshnā
bekasī merī sharīk āʾīnah terā āshnā

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