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اُردُوback GHALIB
translation from the Urdu by M. Shahid Alam
[Inside the heart, love carps it lacks space.]
Inside the heart, love carps it lacks space.
Inside a pearl, the raging sea is free.
Answering letters cramps your style.
Once every day, I have to write my story.
Autumn arrives on henna-tinted feet.
Night agony succeeds a splash of glory.
I could not scale the peaks of light.
The old pointers never worked for me.
Skipping the play, I let her collar me.
I played it safe: this love is haggle-free.
My tears are only tokens of my grief.
I hold back a flood wide as the sea.
In the sun’s glare, I often think of her.
On sunny days, she has no time for pity. 
Contributor’s notes
Translation notes
[Inside the heart, love carps it lacks space.]
[One life, a thousand wishes, each to die for slowly.]
[You stopped just short of the highest note.]
[What will my friends do when all their gambits fail?]