What I spoke, I said, that sound is like the decay of a house.

This powerful couplet is a profound piece of self-reflection. The speaker is acknowledging that the manner in which he speaks, or the voice itself, is erratic and unstable—like a person who has lost their composure. By comparing his voice to a 'khana-kharab' (a disheveled or drunken state), Mir Taqi Mir achieves a beautiful blend of humility and dramatic self-awareness. It’s a raw admission of human imperfection.