Mirza Muhammad Rafi Sauda stands among the towering figures of classical Urdu poetry in the 18th century. Born in Delhi in 1713, Sauda witnessed the cultural and political decline of the Mughal Empire, an experience that lent his poetry a sharp social and satirical edge. Though best known for his qasidas and shahr-ashobs, Sauda was also a masterful ghazal poet, contributing significantly to the early evolution of the form in Urdu. A contemporary of Meer Taqi Meer, Sauda’s ghazals are marked by vigorous expression, rhetorical force, and a commanding use of language. He combined Persianate grandeur with Indian idiom, and his themes range from romantic yearning to philosophical reflection, from subtle irony to biting wit. After the sack of Delhi, Sauda relocated to Lucknow, where he enjoyed patronage at the court of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula. This selection of one hundred ghazals reveals a lesser-seen side of Sauda – the emotional depth, lyrical power, and intellectual richness of his ghazal writing. It reminds us that alongside his reputation as a satirist and grand stylist, Sauda was also a keen observer of the human condition and a deeply expressive poetic voice.