Zihaal-e Miskeen: A Bilingual Masterpiece

A reclining Mughal prince, perhaps Dara Shukoh, observing the women in his garden. 18th century CE.

Attributed to the legendary Ameer Khusrau, “Zi-haal-e Miskeen” is a romantic ghazal that alternates between Farsi (Persian) and Braj Bhasha, a dialect of Hindi. Although its true authorship is unclear due to a lack of historical records, it is one of Khusrau’s most well-known poems, particularly because of its unique bilingual structure.