1/50: Featured

kab talak azmat-e-aflaak ke

gun gaaoge

azmat-e-khaak se inkaar

karoge kab tak

for how long will you keep singing

praises for heavenly gods

for how long will you keep denying

human greatness

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

2/50: Featured

teri adaaon ki saadgi mein

kisi ko mehsoos bhi na hoga

abhi qayaamat ka ik karishma

haya ke daaman mein pal rahaa hai

in the simplicity of your manners

no one can even sense

the miracle of an apocalypse being

nurtured in the lap of your modesty

Theme:Beauty, Charm & Union (84)

3/50: Featured

mastaana saath mere

roti phire hai bulbul

gul se jo dil lagaa hai

abtar hai haal us ka

drunk and free, the nightingale

cries and roams around with me

with the heart set on the flower

and in a wretched, broken state

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

4/50: Featured

jab bhi fursat mili hungaama-e-

duniya se mujhe

meri tanhaai ko bas

tera pata yaad aaya

whenever i got respite

from the commotion of this world

my solitude bent

towards memories of you

Theme:Heart, Mind & Memory (58)

5/50: Featured

jo kaha main ne ki

pyaar aata hai mujh ko tum par

hans ke kehne lagaa

aur aap ko aata kya hai

when i mentioned

that i am falling in love with her

she smiled and asked

what else do you know to do

Theme:Beauty, Charm & Union (84)

6/50: Featured

chalne ka hausla naheen

rukna muhaal kar diya

ishq ke is safar ne to

mujh ko niDhaal kar diya

lack the courage to move forward

yet, stopping is now impossible

the journey of love

has left me weary, exhausted

Theme:Quest, Journey & Destination (44)

7/50: Featured

kuchh qafas ki teeliyon se

chhan rahaa hai noor sa

kuchh faza kuchh

hasrat-e-parvaaz ki baaten karo

through the bars of the cage

some light is seeping through

speak of the expanse

speak of the desire to fly

8/50: Featured

har ek raat ko

mahtaab dekhne ke liye

main jaagta huun

tera khwaab dekhne ke liye

to see the full moon

every night

i stay awake

to see you in my dream

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

9/50: Featured

na dekha wo kahin jalwa

jo dekha khaana-e-dil mein

bahut masjid mein sar maara

bahut sa DhoonDa butkhana

nowhere else have i seen such splendor

that i have in the confines of my heart

though i broke my head in the mosques

and searched endlessly in the temples

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

10/50: Featured

tarq-e-taalluqaat pe

roya na tu na main

lekin ye kya ki chain se

soya na tu na main

in breaking up

neither you nor i did cry

but with peace

neither you nor i can sleep

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

11/50: Featured

woh chaand keh ke gaya tha

ki aaj niklegaa

to intezaar mein baiTha

huaa huun shaam se main

that moon told me this and left

that she will come out today

i am here all evening

waiting in anticipation

Theme:Nature, World & Universe (44)

12/50: Featured

aql mein yun to

nahi koi kami

ik zaraa divangi

darkaar hai

there is nothing lacking

in intellect and reason

but you still need

a touch of madness

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

13/50: Featured

sab ik charaagh ke

parvaane hona chaahte hain

ajeeb log hain

deewaane hona chaahte hain

all wish to be

moths to a flame

strange people…

all seeking to be mad

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

14/50: Featured

dil mein jo mohabbat ki

raushni nahin hoti

itni khoobsurat

ye zindagi nahin hoti

if there is no

light of love in the heart

life does not turn out

to be so beautiful

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

15/50: Featured

dil ko main muntazir-e-abr-

e-karam kyun rakhun

phool hai qatra-e-shabnam se

bahal jayega

why should i keep my heart

waiting for the clouds of mercy

the flower is satisfied

with a drop of morning dew

Theme:Hopes, Aspirations & Dreams (33)

16/50: Featured

zulm aur jahl pe

israar karoge kab tak

aql or fahm se

paekaar karoge kab tak

how long will you persist with

this injustice and ignorance

how long will you procrastinate…

relying on reason and understanding

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

17/50: Featured

woh bhi sar-e-maqtal hai

ki sach jis ka tha shaahid

aur waaqif-e-ahvaal-e-adaalat

bhi bahut thi

even they were at the site of execution

who bore witness to the truth

and she too was familiar

with the system of justice

Theme:Oppression, Rebellion & Freedom (38)

18/50: Featured

zindagi yuun hui

basar tanha

qaafila saath

aur safar tanha

life transpired

spent alone

moving with the caravan

but traveling alone

Theme:Quest, Journey & Destination (44)

19/50: Featured

naama-bar tu hi bata

tu ne to dekhe honge

kaise hote hain wo khat

jin ke jawaab aate hain

oh messenger, please tell me

for you must have seen

what kind of a letter

gets a reply from her

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

20/50: Featured

maana ki teri deed ke

kaabil nahin hoon main

tu mera shauq dekh

mera intezaar dekh

understand i am not

worthy of your attention

but look at my passion

and at my patience

Theme:Grit, Resilience & Courage (36)

21/50: Featured

abru ka ishaara kiya

tum ne to hui eid

aye jaan yahi hai

maah-e-shawwal hamara

when you signaled your affection

it has become eid for me

my love, this is

this the holy month for me

Theme:Beauty, Charm & Union (84)

22/50: Featured

sada ek hi rukh

nahi naav chalti

chalo tum udhar ko

hava ho jidhar ki

the boat doesn’t travel

in one direction always

let’s sail wherever

the wind takes us

Theme:Nature, World & Universe (44)

23/50: Featured

raahzan hai mera rahbar

munsif hai mera qaatil

sehlu toh qayaamat hai

kehdu toh bhagaawat hai

the bandit is my guide

the judge is my assassin

if i endure, calamity

if i speak out, mutiny

Theme:Oppression, Rebellion & Freedom (38)

24/50: Featured

tawajjoh chaaragar ki

baaes-e-takleef hai 'bekhud'

izaafa hai museebat mein

dawaaon ka asar karna

the attention of the healer is

the cause of more torment, ‘bekhud’

the medicine having effect

adds to my misery

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

25/50: Featured

woh kehti hai hum unke husn ki

jhooti taareef karte hai

aye khuda bas ek din

aaine ko zubaan de de

she accuses me of

falsely praising her beauty

o god, if only you could give

the mirrors a voice for a day

Theme:Beauty, Charm & Union (84)

26/50: Featured

achchha hai dil ke saath

rahe paasbaan-e-aqal

lekin kabhi kabhi ise

tanha bhi chod de

it's good that your mind

stands guard to the heart

but, on occasion,

do leave the heart alone

Theme:Heart, Mind & Memory (58)

27/50: Featured

'jaun' duniya ki

chaakari kar ke

tu ne dil ki

woh naukri kya ki

‘jaun’ having slaved

for the work of the world

what have you done for

what is dear to your heart

Theme:Hopes, Aspirations & Dreams (33)

28/50: Featured

'zauq' jo madaraase ke

bigDe hue hain mullah

un ko mai-khaaane mein le aao

sanwar jaayenge

zauq, those priests

ruined by the religious schools

bring them to the tavern

so they can be reformed

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

29/50: Featured

bashar aamaal kar achchhe

tire aqbaa mein kaam aaye

wahaan jannat naheen milti

yahaan se saath jaati hai

do all the good you can

to help you in your quest

there is no heaven out there

it has to be obtained here

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

30/50: Featured

vo raaten chaand ke saath gayin

vo baaten chaand ke saath gayin

ab sukh ke sapne kya dekhen

jab dukh ka sooraj sar par ho

those nights have gone with the moon

those words have gone with the moon

how can i now see dreams of happiness

with the searing sun of sorrow on my head

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

31/50: Featured

mashrab nahin ye mera ki

poojoon buuton ko main

shauq-e-talab ne dil ko

sanam-khaana kar diya

my religion is not

one of worshiping idols

my passion for seeking has

turned my heart into a temple

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

32/50: Featured

aye fana, shukar hai aaj baad-e-fana

us ne rakh li mere pyaar ki aabru

apne haathon se usne meri qabr par

chaadar-e-gul chaDaayi maza aa gaya

oh fana, am thankful that after my death

she herself came to honor my love

with her own hands she spread flowers

on my grave…it was so delightful

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

33/50: Featured

kaaT kar par mutmain

sayyaad beparwah na ho

ruuh bulbul ki

iraada rakhti hai parwaaz ka

having cut the wings

may the hunter not carelessly rest

the soul of the nightingale

is set on flying

Theme:Oppression, Rebellion & Freedom (38)

34/50: Featured

thi wasl mein bhi

fikr-e-judaai tamaam shab

vo aaye to bhi neend

na aayi tamaam shab

even in union

the fear of separation all night

when my beloved comes

sleep escapes me all night

Theme:Beauty, Charm & Union (84)

35/50: Featured

husn-e-farogh-e-sham-e-sukhan

duur hai, asad

pahle dil-e-gudaakhta

paida kare koi

the beauty of an illuminating

lamp of eloquence is far away, ‘asad’

first, let someone create a heart

that is burnt and melted in love

Theme:Creativity, Philosophy & Enlightenment (30)

36/50: Featured

wo khaar khaar hai

shaakh-e-gulaab ki maanind

main zakhm zakhm huun

phir bhi gale lagaaun use

she is prickly, prickly

like the branch of a rose

i am wounded, wounded

but yet longing for an embrace

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

37/50: Featured

hoti kahan hai dil se judaa

dil ki aarzoo

jaata kahan hai shama ko

parvaana chhod kar

where does the heart

separate from its own desires?

where does the moth go

leaving the flame behind?

Theme:Heart, Mind & Memory (58)

38/50: Featured

jis bhi fankaar

ka shahkaar ho tum

us ne sadiyon

tumhen socha hoga

whichever artist created

the masterpiece that’s you

(s)he must have

thought of it for ages

Theme:Creativity, Philosophy & Enlightenment (30)

39/50: Featured

kis ki talaash hai hamen

kis ke asar mein hain

jab se chale hain ghar se

musalsal safar mein hain

what am i in quest of?

under whose influence am i?

since the time i left home

i’ve been continuously traveling

Theme:Quest, Journey & Destination (44)

40/50: Featured

ik chubhan hai ki jo

bechain kiye rahti hai

aisa lagta hai ki kuchh

TooT gaya hai mujh mein

it is a piercing sting

that keeps me restless

i feel that something

inside me is broken

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

41/50: Featured

ajeeb hote hain

adaab-e-rukhsat-e-mehfil

ke woh bhi uTh ke gayaa

jis ka ghar na thaa koyi

strange is the etiquette

of leaving a gathering

even those got up and left

who had no home to go to

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

42/50: Featured

manzilen paanv pakadti hain

Thaharne ke liye

shauq kahta hai ki

do chaar qadam aur sahi

destinations beg me

to take a break

but passion says

just a few more steps

Theme:Grit, Resilience & Courage (36)

43/50: Featured

jab tere nain

muskuraate hain

zeest ke ranj

bhool jaate hain

when your eyes

do smile

the sorrows of life

i forget for a while

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

44/50: Featured

dekhoge to har moD pe

mil jaayengi laashen

DhoonDoge to is shahr mein

qaatil na milega

if you look, at every turn,

you will find dead bodies

but, if you search in this city,

you will find no murderers

Theme:Home, Country & Belonging (23)

45/50: Featured

ye baazi mohabbat

ki baazi hai, naadaan

ise jeetna hai to

haare chala ja

this gamble is

the gamble of love, o fool

to win this game…

keep going even if losing

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

46/50: Featured

kyun kar na lutf

baada-kashi ka ho aab mein

baarish mein jo huroof hain

woh hain sharaab mein

why shouldn't the pleasure

of wine also exist in water?

the expressive intoxication of rain

is also found in wine

Theme:Nature, World & Universe (44)

47/50: Featured

agarche roz mera

sabr aazmaata hai

magar ye dariya

mujhe tairna sikhaata hai

though, every day

it tests my patience

yet, this river

teaches me to swim

Theme:Grit, Resilience & Courage (36)

48/50: Featured

kya karishma hai mere

jazbaa-e-azaadi ka

thi jo deewaar kabhi

ab hai woh dar ki soorat

what a marvel it is

my passion for freedom

what was once a wall

has become the opening of a door

Theme:Oppression, Rebellion & Freedom (38)

49/50: Featured

seekhe hain mah-rukhon ke liye

ham musavvari

taqreeb kuch to

bahr-e-mulaaqat chaahiye

i learned to paint for the sake of

the moon-faced ones

something is needed

to gain an acquaintance

Theme:Creativity, Philosophy & Enlightenment (30)

50/50: Featured

aye dost tujh ko rahm na aaye

to kya karuun

dushman bhi mere haal pe

ab aab-deeda hai

if you can’t pity me

my friend, what can i do?

even my enemies are now tearful

listening to my fate

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)