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Today's ghazal is by Akbar Allahabadi.

Born on 16th November 1846, Syed Akbar Husain was, by profession, a 
lawyer. He retired early as a High Court judge, citing ill health as 
the reason.

Akbar Allahabadi was one of the foremost proponents of humour and 
satire in Urdu poetry. He often used his sharp wit and ready retort to bring 
the wrongs of society and government into focus. Beneath all the 
laughter, one can perceive the sadness and the poet's desire to bring 
about change in what he sees happening around him. Akbar Allahabadi was 
also fond of using English words with Urdu in his poetry. Here is an 
example:

chho.D liTarechar (literature) ko apanii hisTarii (history) ko bhuul jaa
sheKh-o-masjid se ta'alluk tark kar, skuul (school) jaa
chaar din kii zi.ndagii hai, koft se kyaa fayadaa
khaa Dabal-roTii, kilarkii (clerk-ii) kar, Khushii se phuul jaa


Akbar Allahabadi passed away on 9th December, 1921 at Allahabad.


saa.Ns lete huye bhii Darataa huu.N
ye na samajhe.n ki aah karataa huu.N

bahar-e-hastii me.n huu.N misaal-e-hubaab
miT hii jaataa huu.N jab ubharataa huu.N

[bahar-e-hastii = ocean of life; misaal-e-hubaab = like a bubble]

itanii aazaadii bhii Ganimat hai
saa.Ns letaa huu.N baat karataa huu.N

sheKh saahab Khudaa se darate ho
mai.n to a.ngrezo.n hii se Darataa huu.N

aap kyaa puuchhate hai.n meraa mizaaj
shukr allaah kaa hai marataa huu.N

ye ba.Daa aib mujh me.n hai 'akbar'
dil me.n jo aaye kah guzarataa huu.N