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1 / 25 : Featured

muskurate hue milta hunkise se jo, ‘zafar’

saaf pehchan liya jata hun

roya hua main

i get acquainted with others

with a smile, ‘zafar’

but i get to know them clearly

only when i am weeping

Zafar Iqbal (5)
muskurate (m) (1)

smiling

pehchan (m) (1)

identity

Theme: Friends, Family, & Community (148)

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2 / 25 : Featured

ye qaafila bhi

naql-e-makaani mein kho gaya

never could the wave of tears

reach the eyes

this caravan too,

got lost in the migration

aankhon (m) (12)

eyes

kabhi (27)

on occasion

aansuon (m) (4)

tears

lahr (m) (1)

wave

qaafila (m) (4)

caravan

naql (m) (1)

shifting, transfer

makaani (f) (1)

of place, of residence

kho (5)

lose

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3 / 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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4 / 25 : Featured

lekin teri rahmat ki

takheer ko kya kahiye

o god, ‘fani’ is not disappointed

by your show of mercy

but, what to say about

the delay in show of mercy

rab (m) (3)

god

rahmat (f) (4)

mercy

mayoos (m) (2)

sad, hopeless

takheer (f) (1)

delay

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5 / 25 : Featured

haaye zaalim, tera

andaaz-e-karam kya kahiye

behind the comfort's veil, what to say

of this tyranny and cruelty

oh you tyrant, what to say

of your style of kindness

1969: Jnanpith

1997: India Commemorative Stamp

parda (m) (4)

veil

lutf (m) (8)

comfort, joy, pleasure

zulm (m) (12)

cruelty, tyranny

sitam (m) (12)

tyranny, cruelty

zaalim (m) (8)

oppressor, tyrant

andaaz (m) (10)

mannerism, style

karam (m) (9)

kindness, grace, favor

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6 / 25 : Featured

main apne saaye se kal raat

Dar gaya yaaro

a strange incident happened

to me last night, my friends

i got scared

of my own shadow

1987: Sahitya Akademi

2008: Jnanpith

ajeeb (8)

strange, weird

saaneha (m) (1)

incident, disaster

saaye (m) (1)

shadow

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7 / 25 : Featured

lub oopar oopar hanste hain

dil andar andar rota hai

what use complaining of friends, when

what’s visible and hidden are different

their lips seem to smile

while they are weeping inside

shikwa (m) (3)

complaint

ahbaab (m) (1)

dear ones, darling

zaahir (m) (2)

evident, visible

baatin (m) (1)

hidden, concealed

lub (m) (1)

lip

hanste (1)

smile

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8 / 25 : Featured

kisi rote hue bachche ko

hansaaya jaaye

the mosque is too far from home

maybe we should try this...

why not make

a few crying children smile?

2013: Padma Shri

1998: Sahitya Akademi

masjid (m) (8)

mosque

duur (7)

distant, far away

bachche (m) (4)

kids

to make someone smile

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9 / 25 : Featured

hum ajnabi ki tarah

apne hi watan mein rahe

no one here, ‘majrooh’,

understands what i say

i remain a stranger

in my own land

1993: Dadasaheb Phalke Award

2013: India Commemorative Stamp

zabaan (m) (13)

language, tongue

samjha (m) (6)

understand

ajnabi (f) (6)

stranger

tarah (17)

type, like, similar to

watan (m) (2)

homeland, country

rahe (21)

remain

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10 / 25 : Featured

leejiye ya deejiye

inkaar rahne deejiye

please stop arguing

about a kiss on the cheek

either i give or you give

but pray do not refuse

bosa (m) (5)

kiss

rukhsaar (m) (2)

face, cheek

takraar (m) (1)

argument, tiff

inkaar (m) (6)

rejection, refusal

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11 / 25 : Featured

khuda bande se ye pooche

bata teri razaa kya hai

strengthen yourself so much

that before every turn of fate

god asks of his child

tell me, what is your wish?

khudi (f) (2)

yourself

buland (2)

tall, lofty, strong

taqdeer (m) (4)

fate, destiny

pehle (5)

before

khuda (m) (31)

god

bande (m) (2)

children

bata (9)

speak, tell

razaa (m) (3)

consent / pleasure / wish

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3.4K


12 / 25 : Featured

milengi khamiyaan apne hi

shah-kaaron mein

if i would see myself

through the eyes of others

i’d surely see the flaws indeed

in my own reasons and actions

aankhon (m) (12)

eyes

khamiyaan (f) (1)

shortcomings

shah-kaaron (m) (1)

deeds, masterpieces

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13 / 25 : Featured

mere pate se khalaq ko

kyon tera ghar mile?

please don’t bury me

in your lane after my murder

why should people find your house

while looking for me

gali (f) (8)

street

dafan (2)

bury

khalaq (m) (1)

people

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14 / 25 : Featured

varna duniya mein

koi baat nai baat nahin

the style of narration

changes everything, ‘saif’

if not, in this world

there is nothing new to say

andaaz (m) (10)

mannerism, style

varna (6)

or else

bayaan (f) (8)

narration, declaration

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15 / 25 : Featured

aur dil ki dhaDkanon se bhi

ghabra raha huun main

there is this love

who’s street i am going to

and i am terrified

of my own heartbeat

ishq (m) (34)

love

gali (f) (8)

street

dhaDkanon (m) (1)

beats

ghabra (3)

scared, terrified

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3

4.5K


16 / 25 : Featured

nakaam-e-mohabbat ka

itna hi fasana

joyless youth,

painless life

for those unsuccessful in love,

this is the only story

withoutjoy

nakaam (3)

without success, failure

fasana (m) (1)

story

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17 / 25 : Featured

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

duniya (m) (27)

world

chaakari (f) (1)

work, often mundane

dil (m) (115)

heart

naukri (f) (2)

job, work

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2

3.2K


18 / 25 : Featured

kitne aadaab ke parde

mein hai inkaar ki baat

these manners, these gestures

these beautiful words and promises

how a refusal is hidden

behind these layers of etiquette

inkaar (m) (6)

rejection, refusal

ishaare (m) (2)

signs, gestures

haseen (10)

beautiful

aadaab (m) (1)

etiquette, greetings

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19 / 25 : Featured

insaan ke sach jhoot

ki pehchaan hain aankhen

no matter what the lips say

the reality is not revealed

the eyes are the real markers

of truth and lies

1971: Padma Shri

2013: Commemorative Stamp India

lab (m) (19)

lip, lips

haqeeqat (f) (7)

reality, fact

khulta (2)

open

insaan (m) (13)

human

pehchaan (m) (2)

identify, recognize

aankhen (m) (7)

eyes

1

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20 / 25 : Featured

aadmi aadmi

akela hai

a crowd is just

a bazaar of solitudes

each person

is all alone

bheeD (m) (2)

crowd

tanhaaiyon (f) (3)

solitude, loneliness

akela (m) (5)

alone, by oneself

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3

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21 / 25 : Featured

jis diye mein jaan hogi

woh diya rah jaayega

now the winds decide

the fate of the light

the lamps that are strong

will remain lit

roshni (f) (5)

light, brightness

jaan (m) (17)

life, strength / beloved

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22 / 25 : Featured

mumkin naheen ki

shaam-e-alam ki sahar na ho

may this short-sighted heart

not remain without hope

it cannot be the night of sorrow

has no dawn

ummeed (m) (10)

hope, expectation

dil (m) (115)

heart

mumkin (8)

possible

shaam (f) (23)

evening

alam (m) (3)

flag, sail, pain, affliction

sahar (f) (8)

dawn

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8

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23 / 25 : Featured

bahut hote hain, yaaro,

chaar din bhi

it is true that life is

just four days long

even these four days, friends,

are too many

1969: Jnanpith

1997: India Commemorative Stamp

zindagi (f) (41)

life

maana (5)

agreed, listen to

chaar (m) (8)

four

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1

2.6K


24 / 25 : Featured

zanjeer kheench kar hi

utarna paDa mujhe

the runaway train of thoughts

is now headed somewhere else

i had to pull the chain

and get off

Zehra Shah (1)
yaadon (m) (10)

memories, thoughts

rail (m) (1)

train

zanjeer (m) (7)

shackles, chains

kheench (m) (1)

voice

utarna (m) (2)

cross over, get off

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25 / 25 : Featured

ki dil ko yaar toh

dil yaar ko pasand hua

rarely did it happen in love

such a beauty of luck

when heart loved the beloved

and beloved the heart

Anonymous

husn (m) (21)

beauty

ishq (m) (34)

love

ittefaaq (m) (1)

luck, coincidence, unity

pasand (f) (5)

liking

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Ashaar (couplets) on other themes

Friends, Family, & Community (148)

Ashaar (couplets) by others

Gulzar (7)

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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