1 / 25 : Featured
dil ko khush rakhne ko 'ghalib'
yeh khayaal achchha hai
i do understand
the truth about heaven, but
to keep my heart happy, ghalib
it is a comforting thought
Theme: Religion, Reason, & Tradition (73)
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2 / 25 : Featured
albela jhonka
kya jaane
what all has
happened to the flower
what does the
carefree gust (of wind) know
Theme: Time, Life & Learning (133)
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2
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3 / 25 : Featured
kab zindagi guzaari hai
apne hisaab mein
no control over dreams
no power over memories
when has life ever
transpired on my terms
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4
3.3K
4 / 25 : Featured
baat puraani hai
ek yaad puraani hai
in the heart, again
the same pain awakens
an old matter
an old memory
Theme: Heart, Mind, & Memory (66)
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5 / 25 : Featured
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
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6 / 25 : Featured
main hoon dard-e-ishq se jaan-ba-lab
mujhe zindagi ki dua na de
my companion, my mate
don’t cheat me by being my friend
on the verge of death with pain of love
don’t bless me with any more life
1961: Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist
1962: Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist
1963: Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist
fellow songster
fellow traveler
cheat, trick, deceit
brink of death
blessing, prayer
Theme: Loneliness, Separation, & Grief (121)
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7 / 25 : Featured
dushmanon se koi khatra nahi
bas apne par nazar rakhna
having arrived in this world
figure out the art of living
there is no danger from enemies
just keep a watch on your dear ones
Anonymous
skill, art
danger
wings, feathers / upon
perspective, sight
Theme: Friends, Family, & Community (146)
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10
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8 / 25 : Featured
ye kisi tarah paDha jaye
na samjha jaye
life is like a little-read letter
of a foreigner, 'ibrat',
however you read it,
you can't make sense of it
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9 / 25 : Featured
ek qayaamat hai
deedawar hona
to be always aware
of every possible calamity
it is indeed a calamity
to be so aware (and fearful)
Theme: Time, Life & Learning (133)
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0
5
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10 / 25 : Featured
wahi sab se
dilaawar lag raha tha
the one who first
accepted defeat
now seems to be
the bravest of all
Theme: Grit, Resilience, & Courage (59)
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11 / 25 : Featured
kaafir ko muflisi ne
musalmaan banaa diya
wine has become so expensive
that kaifi has quit drinking
poverty has turned
an infidel into a believer
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2.8K
12 / 25 : Featured
suna hai ke manzil
qareeb aa gayi hai
my guide,
lead me astray
heard that my destination
has drawn closer
1
0
1
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13 / 25 : Featured
izhaar-e-muddaa ki
ijaazat agar mili
in the throng of emotions
i lost my words
when i was allowed
to express my desire
Anonymous
0
0
1
3.4K
14 / 25 : Featured
tanhaiyan ke khoaf se
jo shakhs mar gaya
the entire city joined
in the funeral procession
of the one who died
afraid of loneliness
Anonymous
0
0
0
4.7K
15 / 25 : Featured
mujh pe khud bhi khul naheen paata
kidhar jaata hoon main
passion for destination as companion
emotion of the heart as my guide
even i myself cannot fathom
where i am headed
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16 / 25 : Featured
dil ne kiya qubuul
jab islam husn ka
it cared neither
for the infidel or the believer
when the heart embraced
the religion of beauty
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4
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17 / 25 : Featured
mera jaam chuune waale
tera haath jal na jaaye
my tears are in here too
may my wine not boil over
those who touch my goblet
may your hand not burn
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0
4.2K
18 / 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?
Theme: Nature, World & Universe (51)
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19 / 25 : Featured
jo waqt aane par
waqt dete hai
beautiful
are those
who, when times are tough,
give us their time
Anonymous
Theme: Friends, Family, & Community (146)
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4.1K
20 / 25 : Featured
royenge hum hazaar baar
koyi hamen sataaye kyun
it is a heart, not a stone or a brick
why won’t it be filled with pain
we may weep a thousand times
why should others care or bother
Theme: Loneliness, Separation, & Grief (121)
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21 / 25 : Featured
ke naadaani hai
behtar aagahi se
i have learnt
this much from life
that ignorance is
better than awareness
Anonymous
0
0
1
4.7K
22 / 25 : Featured
sharaab naach rahi thi
gilaas baiThe rahe
this scene unfolds
before my eyes
the wine is dancing
and the glass is sitting still
0
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0
4.8K
23 / 25 : Featured
shaam ko phir
use kaandhon pe uTha laate hain
in the morning, i take my
funeral procession out from my home
only to bring it back
on my shoulders each evening
morning, dawn
funeral procession
evening
shoulders
Theme: Grit, Resilience, & Courage (59)
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3
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24 / 25 : Featured
hai wahi meri khushi
jo mere sayyaad ki hai
neither complaint nor grievance
i have against the tyranny
my happiness is exactly
what pleases my captor
0
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2
3.4K
25 / 25 : Featured
wahi duniya
badalte ja rahe hain
those who keep growing,
braving the storms
those are the ones
that keep changing the world
1959: Sahitya Akademi
Theme: Grit, Resilience, & Courage (59)
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Ashaar (couplets) on other themes
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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