Aah ko chaahiye

This ghazal by Mirza Ghalib beautifully captures the feelings of a forlorn lover whose beloved seems elusive.

Aah ko chaahiye ik umr asar honey tak

Kaun jeeta hai teree zulf ke sar hone tak

Daam-e-har mauj mein hai halqa-e-sad kaam nihang

Dekhein kya guzrey hai qatrey pey guhar hone tak

Aashiqee sabr talab aur tamannaa betab

Dil ka kya rang karoon khoon-e-jigar honey tak

Hum ne maana ki taghaaful na karogey lekin

Khaak ho jaayenge hum tumko khabar honey tak

Partav-e-khur se hai shabnam ko fanaa ki taalim

Main bhi hoon ek inaayat ki nazar hone tak

Yak nazar besh nahin fursat-e-hastee gaafil

Garmi-e-bazm hai ik raqs-e-sharar hone tak

Gham-e-hastee ka Asad kis se ho juz marg ilaaj

Shama har rang mein jaltee hai sahar honey tak.

  

We have a wonderful musical rendition of the same by the virtuoso ghazal singer Begum Akhtar and also a more popular and contemporary one by Jagjit Singh.