Zulmat Kade mein mere shab-e-gham (all couplets) - Mirza Ghalib - by Shailly Kapoor

Zulmat-kade meiN mere shab-e-Gham ka josh hai
Ik shamma hai daleel-e-sahar so Khamosh hai

In my dark room, the night of pain has spread its tentacles. It has gripped my room in its dark talons. A single candle, which was the witness of the dawn, (since it is extinguished in the morning) lies extinguished the entire night, so there is no way to tell if the dawn has arrived or the night of pain continues...
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Mai ne kiyaa hai husn-e-KHud-aaraa ko be-hijaab
Aye shauq, haaN, ijaazat-e-tasleem-e-hosh hai

The beloved is so conscious of herself that she never removes her veil in front of me. She wants to keep me yearning for a glimpse. But in the state of intoxication, she has let go of her reservations and has, involuntarily, revealed herself to me. Seeing her unveiled, my mind is so overwhelmed by her beauty that it begs to let go of its senses and fall into a stupor.
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Deedaar baadah hausla saaqi nigaah mast
Bazm-e-Khayaal maikada-e-be-Kharosh hai

The vision is the wine, the confidence is saaqi, and the eyes are intoxicated. The gathering, that reveals in my mind, is like a maikada (bar) that is free of the usual chaos. Even the thought of the beloved is like a tavern in a dream, where a glimpse of the beloved is the wine. But the amount of wine that one can get depends on ones confidence and determination. And only the courageous ones would be able to derive enough wine for themselves. Hence, the thought of the beloved is like a tavern in a dream which has all the qualities of a tavern of this world, but is devoid of its din and chaos.
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Dekho mujhe jo deedah-e-ibrat-nigaah ho
Meri suno jo gosh-e-naseehat-niyosh hai

I have seen it all and done it all, I have been everywhere. So if you have the eyes that can learn, then look at me and learn from this example. And if you have the ears that can heed an advice, then listen well to what I have to say, for I bring news that no one else ever will, because only I speak from experience.
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Yaa shab ko dekhte the keh har gosha-e-bisaat
Daamaan-e-baaGhbaan-o-kaf-e gul-farosh hai

And then what can be said about this state of drunken revelry where your senses are not your truest companion. Everything seems glorified. The gathering seemed exquisite. It seemed that every corner of the gathering was colorful like the helm of the gardener's skirt and the fist of the flower-picker.
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Lutf-e-Khiraam-e saaqi-o-zauq-e-sadaa-e chang
Yeh jannat-e nigaah woh firdaus-e-gosh hai

The gait of the saaqi and the delights of the sound of the saarangi.
One is heaven for the sight, the other, paradise for the ear. When the beloved moves, her walk is a delight in itself. It has the hypnotizing quality of an undulating wave. It is heaven for the eyes.
And the sound of saarangi in the background is so rich and heart-melting that it is a paradise for the ears.
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Yaa subh-dam jo dekhiye aa kar to bazm meiN
Nai woh suroor-o-soz, nah josh-o-Kharosh hai

This was the scenario of the night, but when the night is over and the day dawns, the scenario is completely different. There is neither the activity, which we witnessed in the night, nor that beauty. It’s a desolate place completely devoid of any sense of pleasure. It is hard to believe that it was the same place. (Here the allusion is to the state of sobriety when everything appears as it is and is not marred by the effect of wine and music)
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DaaGh-e-firaaq-e-sohbat-e-shab ki jali hui
Ik shamma reh gayi hai so woh bhi Khamosh hai

The one which was lit in the night of separation, that candle now lies extinguished. Having been deprived of the companionship of the night, it has become a black mark or a sign of shame. The candle which was burning bright in the night now remains extinguished.
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Aate haiN Ghaib se yeh mazaameeN Khayaal meiN
Ghalib sareer-e-Khaamah navaa-e-sarosh hai

From the "unseen" these themes are revealed in my mind
Oh Ghalib, the sound of the scratching of the pen are the whispers of the angels. These themes that I write on are not my imaginations. A human does not have the capability to dream these things. They cannot be thought about without divine intervention. Hence, even my writings are the revelations that have come to me from the "unknown" thorough the medium of angels who moved my pen on the paper.

Explanation of couplets, courtesy: Babar Imam sahab