dil hii to hai
Touch on each word to display its meaning
dil hii to hai na sang-o-xisht
dard se bhar na aae kyuuN
roeNge ham hazaar baar
koii hameN sataae kyuuN
It’s only a heart, not brick and stone
Why wouldn't it be pervaded by pain?
I will cry a thousand times
Why would anyone aggravate (reprimand) me?
dair nahiiN Haram nahiiN
dar nahiiN aastaan nahiiN
baiThe haiN rehguzar pe ham
Gair hameN uThaae kyuuN
Neither (on) a temple, nor a mosque
Neither (on) a doorstep, nor a threshold
I have seated on a well-trodden path
Why would a stranger make me stand up?
jab vo jamaal-e-dil-faroz
suurat-e-mahar-e-niim-roz
aap hii ho nazaaraa-soz
parde meN muNh chhupaae kyuuN
When (they) are a heart-inflaming beauty
a countenance like the warmth of midday
and it is you the exciting sight
why conceal the face behind a veil?
dashnaa-e-Gamzaa jaan-sitaaN
naavak-e-naaz bepnaah
teraa hii aks-e-rux sahii
saamne tere aae kyuuN
Life-taking, dagger-like glances
unavoidable darts of grace
Why even the reflection of your face
would (dare to) come in front of you?
qaid-e-Hayaat o baNd-e-Gam
asl meN donoN ek haiN
maut se pɛhle aadmii
Gam se najaat paae kyuuN
The prison of life and the bondage of grief
are both essentially the same thing
Why would Man, before death,
rid himself of sorrow?
Husn aur us pe Husn-e-zaan
rɛh gaii bulehvas kii sharm
apne pe etimaad hai
Gair ko aazmaae kyuuN
Beauty and, on top, intelligence
the bashfulness of the lusty was kept
Such self-confidence
why would anyone test her?
vaaN vo Guruur-e-ijz o naaz
yaaN ye Hijaab-e-paas-e-vaza
raah meN ham mileN kahaaN
bazm meN vo bulaae kyuuN
On the one hand, that pride of humility and grace
on the other hand, this behavior of observance of modesty
On the road, where would we meet?
On a gathering, why would (they) call me?
haaN vo nahiiN xudaa-parast
jaao vo bevafaa sahii
jis ko ho diin o dil aziiz
us kii galii meN jaae kyuuN
Yes, (they) are not pious,
so let (them) be faithless!
He who is a dear of the faith and the heart
why go into his path?
Gaalib-e-xastaa ke baGair
kaun se kaam baNd haiN
roie zaar zaar kyaa
kiijie haae haae kyuuN
Without Ghalib "the infirm"
whose affairs have stopped?
Cry a river, it doesn't matter
Why moaning and groaning?
About this song
- Singer
- Jagjit Singh
- Lyrics
- Ghalib
- On screen
- Naseeruddin Shah
dil hii to hai (Hindi: दिल ही तो है, Urdu: دِل ہی تو ہے) "It is Just a Heart", is very popular Ghazal written by the Urdu poet Ghalib.
It has been recited and musicalized by several artists up to this day.
As a song, it was notably featured in the 1998 Indian TV series "Mirza Ghalib", where some verses were sung by Jagjit Singh.
The actor playing Ghalib was
Naseeruddin Shah.
Notice the usage of vo in a gender-less, number-less way in these stanzas:
bazm meN vo bulaae kyuuN
in a meeting, why would (she/he/they) call me?
haaN, vo nahiiN xudaa-parast
yes, (he/she/they) are not pious
jaao vo bevafaa sahii
so let (he/she/them) be faithless!
Usually translated as "they" or "them", it is as a poetic device very common in Urdu poetry. Its purpose is to leave the object of one's love unspecified.
