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1 / 25 : Featured

zabt karta huun toghuThta hai qafas mein mera dam

aah karta huun to

sayyaad khafa hota hai

if i restrain myself and submit

i suffocate in this cage

if i sigh and complain

my captor becomes irate

Qamar Jalalvi (5)
zabt (m) (1)

restraint, self-control

ghuThta (m) (1)

suffocate

qafas (m) (6)

cage, prison

dam (m) (10)

moment, breath, presence

aah (m) (7)

sigh

sayyaad (m) (8)

captor, hunter

khafa (m) (6)

angry, upset

Theme: Oppression, Rebellion, & Freedom (65)

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2 / 25 : Featured

ab kya kahun

jamal-e-rukh-e-fitnagar ko mein

it is a crime if i see

lacking in grace if i don’t

what shall i call this

beautiful, mischievous face

rukh (m) (13)

face, direction

jurm (m) (4)

crime

kufr (m) (3)

ungrateful, impious

fitnagar (m) (1)

mischievous, playful

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3 / 25 : Featured

kayi baar aisa hua hai

federer ko yaad karte karte

if my heart stops a while

don’t presume I am dead

many a time it so happens

when i recollect federer!

yaad (m) (37)

memory, remember

dhaDkan (m) (1)

heartbeat

maut (m) (4)

death

samajhna (2)

to understand

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4 / 25 : Featured

so hum bhi mojaaze apne

hunar ke dekhte hain

i hear that she is also

fond of couplets and poetry

so let me try impressing her

with the magic of my poetic skills

suna (9)

hear

sher (m) (7)

couplet, poem

shaayari (f) (3)

poetry

shaghaf (m) (1)

enthusiasm, zeal

mojaaze (m) (1)

miracles

hunar (m) (6)

skill, art

dekhte (5)

to see

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5 / 25 : Featured

ab tu khuda bhi ban jaaye to

main sajda na karoon

that time has passed

when i pined for you

now, even if you become god

i will not bow to you

Anonymous

waqt (m) (22)

time

khuda (m) (32)

god

aarzoo (m) (18)

desire

guzar (m) (13)

pass through, spent

sajda (m) (3)

prostrate, bow

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6 / 25 : Featured

par badi baat pe chup rahna

tumhi se seekha

i figured out myself

to be happy with little things

but to be quiet about big things

i learned from you

Zehra Nigaah (5)
seekha (3)

learned

chhoti (1)

small

badi (f) (2)

hatred

chup (10)

silent, quiet

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7 / 25 : Featured

kitni zaalim hai

teri angDaayi

with both hands

you have looted me

how cruel it is when

you raise your arms to stretch

1959: Sahitya Akademi

donon (m) (5)

both

luTTi (f) (1)

rob, plunder

zaalim (m) (8)

oppressor, tyrant

angDaayi (f) (2)

tired stretching of limbs

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8 / 25 : Featured

baazaar se guzra huun

kharidaar naheen huun

i am in the world

but i am not a seeker of worldly desires

i have passed through the market

but i am not a buyer

duniya (m) (27)

world

talabgaar (m) (2)

seeker, suitor

baazaar (m) (1)

market

guzra (2)

happened, pass through

kharidaar (m) (1)

buyer, customer

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9 / 25 : Featured

wo jo ek teri taraf se tha

ishaara na raha

even now, the same sorrow

the same deprivation

the signs from you

are no more

mehroomi (f) (2)

deprivation

ishaara (m) (3)

sign, signal, gesture

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10 / 25 : Featured

munh se maango to

khuda aur khafa hota hai

whatever is given to you in kindness

you accept jus that ‘naadir’

if you were to ask for more

god will get even more angry

khuda (m) (32)

god

karam (m) (9)

kindness, grace, favor

maango (1)

ask

khafa (m) (6)

angry, upset

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11 / 25 : Featured

khairaat mein itni baDi

daulat nahi milti

when there is no boldness in the heart

love cannot be obtained

in alms, such a treasure

cannot be obtained

2013: Padma Shri

1998: Sahitya Akademi

dil (m) (115)

heart

jurat (f) (2)

boldness, courage

mohabbat (f) (42)

love

khairaat (f) (1)

charity, alms

daulat (f) (2)

riches, treasure

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12 / 25 : Featured

agar rasool na hote to

subah kaafi thi

for us people of insight

looking for proof of truth

if there’s no prophet

just the dawn would do

rasool (m) (1)

prophet, guru

subah (m) (2)

dawn

kaafi (3)

enough

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13 / 25 : Featured

main jaantaa huun

jo vo likhenge jawaab mein

while the messenger returns

i will keep another letter ready

for i know what

she would be writing in reply

qaasid (m) (6)

messenger, envoy

khat (f) (7)

letter

likh (1)

write

jawaab (m) (6)

answer, reply

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14 / 25 : Featured

kya noor tha ki

shama ko parvaana kar diya

when she came that evening,

unveiled, to the gathering

oh, what a glow,

that turned the flame into a moth

shab (f) (17)

evening, night

behijaab (m) (2)

unveiled

mehfil (f) (17)

gathering, concert

noor (m) (10)

light, radiance

shama (m) (6)

lamp, candle, wax

parvaana (m) (5)

moth

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1

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15 / 25 : Featured

sochta hun teri

himaayat mein

there are arguments

made against you, but

i think

in your defense

dalilen (m) (1)

evidence, argument

khilaaf (m) (3)

against, opposed

magar (29)

yet, but

sochta (4)

think

himaayat (f) (1)

defense, support

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16 / 25 : Featured

kyon baagh pe itraati rahi

baad-e-saba hai

in this desolate heart

having never bloomed any flowers

why does the fragrant morning breeze

show off in the garden?

seena (m) (1)

chest, heart

khilaaye (m) (1)

bloom

baagh (m) (4)

garden

itraati (f) (1)

flaunt, redolent

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17 / 25 : Featured

shahr waale mera

mauzoo-e-sukhan jaante hain

in how many sheaths of words

can i hide you

people of the city know

you are the subject of my speech

lahjon (m) (1)

manner, tone, speech

ghilaafon (m) (1)

covers, sheaths

shahr (m) (14)

city

maujuu (m) (1)

topic, subject

sukhan (m) (9)

speech, spoken words

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18 / 25 : Featured

tum acche maseeha ho

shifa kyun nahi dete

the restless have fallen sick

why don’t you offer a medicine

you are such a good healer

why don’t you cure their illness

bedam (m) (1)

breathless, lacking energy

dawaa (f) (6)

medicine, cure

maseeha (m) (4)

saviour, messiah

shifa (m) (1)

healing, cure

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19 / 25 : Featured

tajmahal duniya dekhi

mumtaj nahi

give time for

your relationships

world has seen taj mahal

mumtaj did not

Anonymous

waqt (m) (22)

time

rishte (m) (3)

relationships

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20 / 25 : Featured

baiThe rahen

tasavvur-e-jaanan kiye hue

the heart keeps searching

for those days and nights of ease

sitting enmeshed

with the thoughts of my beloved

jee (m) (3)

heart, soul

DhoonDta (m) (2)

search, look for

fursat (f) (5)

leisure, freedom

raat (f) (14)

night

tasavvur (m) (8)

imagination

jaanan (m) (1)

beloved, sweetheart

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21 / 25 : Featured

nazar aati hai unko

apni manzil aasmaanon mein

when the soaring hearts

of the youth awaken

then they see their goals

in the skies above

uqaabi (1)

like an eagle, soaring

ruuh (m) (5)

soul, spirit

bedaar (2)

awaken, awakened

nazar (f) (35)

perspective, sight

manzil (f) (24)

goal, destination

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22 / 25 : Featured

is shahr mein har shakhs

pareshaan sa kyun hai

why this burning in the heart

and storm in the eyes

why does everyone in this city

seem so troubled

1987: Sahitya Akademi

2008: Jnanpith

seene (m) (8)

heart, chest

jalan (m) (1)

fire, burning

aankhon (m) (13)

eyes

toofan (m) (9)

storm, cyclone

shahr (m) (14)

city

shakhs (m) (16)

person, individual

pareshaan (m) (6)

distressed, troubled

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23 / 25 : Featured

manzil ke liye do gaam chaloon

aur saamne manzil aa jaye

o passion of the heart, if i so desire

all things would appear before me

if i take two steps to my goal

the goal itself comes to meet me

Anonymous

saamne (13)

in front of, opposite

manzil (f) (24)

goal, destination

jazba (m) (4)

passion, emotion

muqaabil (m) (2)

in front of, opposite

gaam (m) (1)

step, foot

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24 / 25 : Featured

aur jin ko samajhte the apna

vo aur kisi ke ho baiThe

moved my faith from god to my beloved

and in love i lost everything

but, who i thought would be mine

ended up being someone else’s

without religion

imaan (m) (5)

faith

kho (5)

lose

understand, deem

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25 / 25 : Featured

ab ye haalat hai ki

dar dar ke gale milte hain

we celebrated together

sometimes eid, sometimes diwali

now it is such that

we embrace with trepidation

Anonymous

haalat (f) (4)

condition, situation

to embrace

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Ashaar (couplets) on other themes

Time, Life & Learning (135)

Ashaar (couplets) by others

Alfaaz Ki Mehfil is a curated space for timeless poetry celebrating words, emotions, and the enduring beauty of expression. From classic Urdu couplets to modern reflections, it brings together generations of poetic voices that speak of love, longing, hope, and the human soul.

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