जो शक्ल-ए-शीशा गिर्यां हूँ तो मिस्ल-ए-जाम ख़ंदाँ हूँ यही है याँ की कैफ़िय्यत कभी यूँ है कभी वूँ है
— Bahadur Shah Zafar
Meaning

If at one moment I weep like a wine-flask, at another I laugh like a goblet; such is the state of this world, constantly shifting from this way to that way.

Explanation

The poet captures the ever-shifting nature of life through a classic tavern metaphor: the wine-flask weeps as it pours, while the brimming cup sparkles and laughs in return. One moment we are immersed in tears and sorrow, and the very next, we find ourselves smiling with delight. That is simply the way of this world—our moods and fortunes are constantly in flux, never staying quite the same.

Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.

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