Mirza Ghalib born Mirza Beg Asadullah Khan , pen-name Ghalib "ġhālib" means "dominant") and Asad "Asad" means "lion") (27 December 1796 — 15 February 1869), was a great classical Urdu and Persian poet of India. Most notably, he wrote several ghazals during his life, which have since been interpreted and sung in many different ways by different people. He is considered to be the most popular and influential poet of the Urdu language.