For background see S. R. Faruqi's choices . For more on Ghalib's unpublished verses, see the discussion in 4,8x . The 'self-sellings of Existence' provide one more example of Ghalib's love both for pluralized abstractions (on these, see 1,2 ) and for abstract personifications . It would seem that after existence had sold itself once, it shouldn't have been able to sell itself again. (Readers of the Mahabharat will remember Draupadi's clever-- and successful-- argument along these lines during the famous dice-game scene.) Or perhaps the 'self-selling' deals themselves were a kind of heartbreaking (and heartbroken) scam to begin with, and that's what made them laughable? As so often, both senses of work beautifully, in their different ways, with the second line. The 'although' reading contrasts a general claim (all the self-sellings of Existence are, in principle, laughable) with a particularly extraordinary and extreme instance (the cheapening/breaking of the price of a heart actually makes the sound of a laugh). And of course the 'to such an extent' reading presents the first line as a claim, and the second line as a proof or illustration of it. For another verse that evokes the and (the possibility of) a , see 21,10 . That verse also includes discussion of the range of meanings of . graphics/glassheart.jpg