126 Urdu ash'ar / shaayari (shers, couplets) on the theme:
Life, Learning, & Living
tamaam umr ka ab
silsila hai mere liye
that one reflection flashed
in my sight for just a moment
now for my entire life
it is a saga for me
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3.3K
jahaan se kya gharaz tujh ko
tuu aap apnaa jahaan ho jaa
by being your own confidant
you become your own story
why so obsessed with this world
you become your own universe
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2.9K
agar aasaniyaan hon
zindagi dushwar ho jaaye
i go along laughing and playing
with waves of adversity
if life were to be all easy
how painful it would be
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3.1K
jise qareeb se dekha
woh doosra nikla
that which i sought
my entire life
when i saw it up close
turned out to be quite different
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3.2K
main kahaan dafan hoon
kuchh pataa to chale
bring the shovels
dig into the depths of the earth
so i may find out
where i am buried
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na kuchh marne ka gham hota
na jeene ka maza hota
if one is not familiar
with the pain of love
he feels neither sadness of death
nor joy of life
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3.1K
main dil ko us mukaam
pe laata chala gaya
where the difference between
joy and sorrow is not felt
i kept taking my heart to
that place again and again
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2.9K
jihad-e-zindagani mein
hai ye mardon ki shamsheerain
firm principles, relentless action,
love that conquers the world
in the battle of life
these are the swords of the warrior
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2.6K
zindagi ki fursat-e-baaqi
se koi kaam le
don’t anguish about
the failures of the dead past
make something useful
of the time that’s left
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5.0K
na ye haath baag par hai
na paa hai rikaab mein
this horse of life is galloping away
not knowing where it will stop
the reins not in my hand
nor my feet in the stirrup
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2.4K
shaam to subha mein
badalte raho
this is only demand
of life
keep turning every evening
into a dawn
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4.1K
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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2.3K
magar ab ye hai kisi maharabaan ke
tapaak ne bhi rula diya
there was a time when even a thousand
arrows in the heart did not cause me grief
but now even the warm handshake
of a friend makes me weep
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4.2K
raha jahaan mein sikandar
na aur na jam baaqi
the spectacles of this world
last, ah, but for a few days
neither sikandar remained
nor did jam in this world
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10
mujhe wajuud ke girte hue
makaan se nikaal
let me not be buried
within my own body
free me from this
crumbling house of existence
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2.8K
kuch na hoga to
tajruba hoga
why be fearful
of what's to come in life?
if nothing happens, at least
some experience we will gain
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tujhe, aye zindagi,
hum door se pehchaan lete hain
for a long time now, i recognize
the soft sound of your footsteps
oh life,
i recognize you from afar
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4.6K
zindagi ko faqat
imtihaan mat samajh
life is beautiful
with melodies and moons
don't think life is just
trials and troubles
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3.1K
zaahid naheen vaali naheen
kuchh paarisa naheen
why should i refuse
to drink wine, o preacher?
i am no ascetic, no saint,
not a man of purity
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abhi to log taraste hain
zindagi ke liye
where this love and passion
where this separation and union
right now, people just
long for life
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4.3K
har ghar mein bas
ek hi kamraa kam hai
everyone is just
one step away from happiness
every home is short of
just one room
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baaqi umr
izaafi hai
one love
is enough
the rest of life
is just surplus
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151
mushkil bahut hai un ko
jo rakhte hain aagahi
saudaa, it is only the ignorant
that live in blissful ease
but for the aware
life is full of torment
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magar, hum ginti usi ki karte hai
jo haasil na ho saka
we go get a lot
in our life
but, we keep count only
of what we couldn’t
Anonymous
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5.0K
itni khoobsurat
ye zindagi naheen hoti
if there is no
light of love in the heart
life does not turn out
to be so beautiful
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4.8K
kha gaya shahr use
kehte hain deewani thi
wilderness was in her eyes
and in her voice, desolation
the city exhausted her
and called her a mad one
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1.9K
charaagh-e-sahar hoon
bujha chaahataa hoon
i am a guest for a few moments
oh, companions of the gathering
i am the lamp at dawn
and i wish to fade away
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23
ki jaari faiz bhi hai aur
jhuki jaati hai gardan bhi
from the decanter, o friends,
learn the art of humility
it pours generously and yet,
bows its neck in grace
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zindagi mein
zindagi jaisa koi to kaam ho
declare your love
regardless of the outcome
let there be in life
something that resembles life
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2.4K
aur phir umr guzar jaati hai
yakjaai mein
in a moment
the fabric of life can unravel
and it takes a lifetime
to weave it back together
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57
hai is mein ek tilism
tamanna kahen jise
the thoughts of a dream
that which we call the world
in this there is a spell
that which we call desire
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2.4K
ek qayaamat hai
deedawar hona
to be always aware
of every possible calamity
it is indeed a calamity
to be so aware (and fearful)
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4.5K
zindagi tu ne to dhoke pe
diya hai dhoka
of death, at least,
i don’t expect this
oh life, you have only
cheated me, again and again
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4.3K
zinda rahna hai to
tarkeeben bahut saari rakho
keep water in your eyes
and a spark on your lips
to stay alive
have many methods at hand
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4.5K
bahut nazdeek hain woh din
ke tum hoge na hum honge
why do you worry about
the tumult in this world, oh akbar,
that day is near when
neither will you nor i am around
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2.8K
ajeeb log hain
deewaane hona chaahte hain
all wish to be
moths to a flame
strange people…
all seeking to be mad
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5.0K
dard jab
jaan-nawaaz ho jaaye
who would seek
the favor of the healer
when the pain itself
becomes a life-giver
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2.2K
baa-wafaa jo aaj hain
kal bewafa ho jaayenge
passion is like the rising sun
and with time, the shade diminishes
those who are loyal today
will become disloyal tomorrow
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4.3K
ibtidaa hai
kisi kahaani ki
that which you think
is the ending
is perhaps the start
of another story
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4.9K
jo zakhm mile tum ko
phoolon ki qabaa kehna
call it the fragrance of henna
call it a gentle breeze
whatever wound you get in life
call it a robe of roses
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2.5K
ruuth kar waqt ganvaane ki
zaroorat kya hai
life is so short
even for love
why waste any
being upset
Anonymous
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ki log rone lage
taaliyaan bajaate hue
the story ended
and it ended in such a way
that people started to cry
even as they were clapping
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2.7K
aashiq ka janaaza hai
zara dhoom se nikle
let’s walk along as wishes
spring from the heart of the dead
it’s a lover’s funeral,
let us celebrate with fanfare
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3.9K
rahatein aur bhi hain
wasl ki raahat ke siva
there are other sorrows
in this life than love’s longing
there are other comforts too
than the union with the beloved
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4.5K
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
Anonymous
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3.6K
kahin kuchh cheez zyaada hai
kahin kuchh kam hai
today, wherever you see
it seems in this world
some are too many
and, some too few
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3.1K
hazaaron lagzisheen hayal hain
lab tak jaam aane mein
yes, there is an ocean in my hand
but there is no assurance
so many wounds in my thoughts
before the cup reaches the lip
Anonymous
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5.0K
meri turbat se lagi baithi hai
hasrat meri
even after my death
my love did not leave me
my desires stayed shackled
to my grave
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3.3K
use ek khoobsurat mod
de kar chodna achcha
where not possible to find
the story a fine ending
it is best to find a beautiful turn
and leave it there with grace
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3.1K
raqs karna hai to phir
paon ki zanjeer na dekh
look beyond the prison walls, at the
colors of the garden, the joy of spring
if you wish to dance, don’t look
at the shackles on your feet
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3.7K
milta faqat hai
zauq-e-tajassus ke baab mein
don’t you forget, 'shahed',
that the pleasures of life
are found only at the doorstep
of the joy of curiosity
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4.1K
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
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1.9K
jo kho gaya main
usko bhulaataa chala gaya
that which i got in life
i thought of it as my good fate
those that i lost
i moved on, forgetting them
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4.6K
ki is ke baad ye duniyaa
kahaan se laaunga main
i wish for all decisions
be made right here
for, after this, where will i
find such a world again
decision
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3.7K
vo zindagi jo haseenon
ke darmiyaan guzren
that is called heaven
that is also hell
life that is spent
among the beautiful
1959: Sahitya Akademi
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4.5K
gaya waqt phir
haath aata naheen
fun and pleasure
don't show time passing
and the time that's passed
never returns
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4.6K
ik zara divaangi
darkaar hai
there is nothing lacking
in intellect and reason
but you still need
a touch of madness
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2.2K
hum ko tohfe ye
tumhein dost banaane se mile
i got the scars from the world
and the wounds from life
the few gifts i got
from having you as a friend
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3.4K
woh bola har lamhe mein
muqaddar chippa hai
often, i asked my past
about my fate
it replied that my destiny
is hidden in every moment
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2.5K
kuch naadaniyan bhi
kiya karo jawan rehne ke liye
just by coloring your hair
nothing will happen, ghalib
do some crazy stuff
to retain your youth
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2.0K
duuriyaan majbuuriyaan
tanhaaiyaan
life perhaps
is just this
distances, compulsions
loneliness
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2.6K
kya haqeeqi o
kya majaazi ka
the best occupation
is that of love
whether divine or worldly,
doesn't matter
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ek aftaab ke
bewaqt Doob jaane se
who knows how many
lamps gained fame
because a sun
sank unexpectedly
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kahaan gaya mera bachpan
kharaab kar ke mujhe
having made me a captive
of the age of youth
where has my childhood gone
ruining me thus
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3.1K
bahut azeez sahi
eitbaar kuch bhi naheen
life has always
remained close to me-
precious, for sure
but never reliable
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maut se pahle aadmi
gham se najaat paaye kyun
the prison of life and
the chain of sorrow are the same
why should we seek
release from grief before dying?
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4
humne kaunsi sadiyan
guzarni hai yahan
why is life teaching me
so many lessons?
how many ages am I
going to spend here?
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3.9K
aag ye kis ne lagaayi
mujhe maloom naheen
i have always been
a spectator of my own ruin
as to who lit the fire
am yet to figure out
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48
haadsa ek dam
naheen hota
time nurtures
things for years
a disaster never
happens suddenly
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20
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
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3.2K
koyi bhi rang mayassar na tha
lahu ke siwa
leaving the painting unfinished
(s)he died, ‘zeb’
no color was affordable
other than blood
2005: Sitara-i-Imtiaz
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5.0K
kahin zameen
kahin aasmaan nahi milta
nobody ever
gets the entire world
sometimes the earth
sometimes the sky…you don’t get
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4.0K
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
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2.6K
maut ka ek din muayyin hai
neend kyun raat bhar nahi aati
no hope comes to pass
no face seen anywhere
death has a fixed day to arrive
why then doesn't sleep come all night
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1.8K
jaavedaan, paiham rawaan
har dam jawaan hai zindagi
do not measure it by the
standards of yesterday and tomorrow
constantly flowing every moment…
life is forever youthful
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1.9K
vahi ghar hai
vahi qissa hamaara
our address so far
has not changed
same house
same story ours
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2.9K
ajab insaaf hai dekho
kahan karna, kahan bharna
the mistakes are of the past
but punishments given now
see what strange justice this is
where to do, where to pay?
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2.5K
chaman mein aayegi fasl-e-baharaan
hum naheen honge
flame of life will shine bright
but i won't be there
season of blossoms will come to the garden
but i won't be there
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7
qissa jo yahaan ka hai
to phir tai bhi yaheen ho
why postpone the verdict
of justice until after death
whatever account is of here
let it be settled right here
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4.5K
zeest ke ranj
bhool jaate hain
when your eyes
do smile
the sorrows of life
i forget for a while
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4.2K
zara si der mein
kya ho gaya zamaane ko
after burying me, they walked away
without a greeting or a prayer
what has happened to the world
in such a short time
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1.7K
aisaa bhi ab
pasand mujhe ittiqaa naheen
even when it is raining
you never drink, 'faheem'
now, i no longer
care for such abstinence
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zindagi bhar zindagi ki
justuju karte raho
in deep darkness,
keep looking for light
all through life,
keep looking for life
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3.5K
naye zakhm khaane ko
jee chaahta hai
the wounds of my heart
have healed, yet
my soul longs
to suffer new ones
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10
choon marg aayad
tabassum bar lab-e-ost
what is the sign
of a person of learning?
when death comes,
has a smile on the lips
1
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4
3.2K
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
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3.8K
aksar bigaD ke khud
meri haalat sambhal gayi
i am grateful for
the ups and downs of the world
often, my situation goes awry
before it corrects itself
Anonymous
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3.6K
dard bechaara pareshaan hai
kahaan se nikle
not just a wound or two
the whole body is torn
poor pain is troubled
as to where to emerge from
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78
is jahaan mein sab adhuure hain
mukammal kaun hai?
if you lack something,
why complain so much, faheem?
in this world, everyone is incomplete,
who is perfect?
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58
Daaka to naheen maara
chori to naheen ki hai
why such clamor
just because i drank some
i haven't assaulted anybody
nor stolen from anyone
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2.8K
tamaam raat parinde
zameen pe baiThe rahe
the tree was cut down, nasir
but such was the bond
all night long, the birds
sat on the ground below
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8
135
khud mere tauba ke
TukDe ho gaye
i wished to break
the wine cup
but what shattered
was my vow of abstinence
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1
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do aarzoo mein kaT gaye
do intezaar mein
seeking a long life
i got myself four days
two spent in wanting
and two in waiting
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1.8K
saath hi daant ke neeche
koi kankar aaya
a morsel
that we obtained with ease
we also found a stone
under our teeth
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3.8K
gulaab apni hi khushbu se
darne lagte hain
tormenting often are
the times of youth
the rose starts to fear
its own fragrance
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4.0K
mard ka eitbaar
khoti hai
poverty robs
all seasons of their beauty
and it strips man
of his dignity and trust
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24
ke naadaani hai
behtar aagahi se
i have learnt
this much from life
that ignorance is
better than awareness
Anonymous
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4.7K
rahte rahte station par
log coolie ho jaate hain
bearing burdens is hardly a passion
it is a barter of compulsion
staying at the station
people soon become porters
2014: Sahitya Akademi
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1.9K
karam karo ke
ghareeb-ud-dayaar ham bhi hain
thanks to passerby's courtesy
i earn a reputation
kindly remember that
i am poor soul in this world
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0
ab bahaar aaye to kya
abr-e-bahaar aaya to kya
the scorching heat of life has
withered and wilted my youth
what use now if the spring arrives
or the clouds begin to rain
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2
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kuch ummeed-e-javaab
mein guzri
some time in life has gone
in finding the courage to ask
the rest was spent
waiting for an answer
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0
2.6K
hum ne pal bhar mein
naseebon ko badalte dekha
those enthroned in the morn
were declared criminals by dusk
we have, in a blink,
seen fortunes reversed
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5.0K
kuch aur thak gaya hoon
aaraam karte karte
it was essential to get tired
while doing some work
i was even more exhausted
while resting
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1.9K
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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3.3K
bahut masjid mein sar maara
bahut sa DhoonDa butkhana
nowhere did i see such splendor
as i have in the confines of my heart
though i kocked my head in mosques
and searched endlessly in the temples
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4.5K
ab akele hi chale jaayenge
is manzil se hum
my thanks to all who got
me to the grave, thank you
now, from this station on
i must walk alone
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33
kamaayi le chala hoon
saath apne zindagi bhar ki
so many scars in my heart,
countless unmet desires
these gains i carry with me
through my whole life
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0
1
31
ishq ki jaye phir samajhiye
zindagi kya cheez hai
how can sane people know
what ecstasy is all about
love and figure out
what life is all about
2
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2
2.9K
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
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0
4.7K
qasam khuda ki ye
tauheen hai javaani ki
seeking to be virtuous
while young
by god, it's an
insult to youth
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0
2.3K
tamaam umr kisi
doosre ke ghar mein raha
in this way
life has passed
all the years
i lived in someone else’s home
1
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1
3.8K
ek ajnabi ki tarah
main khud apne ghar mein tha
no one in my home
understood my joys and sorrows
like a stranger, i lived
in my own home
Anonymous
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0
3
1.9K
ye khaaki apni fitrat mein
na noori hai na naari hai
action shapes life
both heaven and hell
this earthly being, in its nature,
is neither of light nor of fire
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0
2
3.8K
kaaghaz bikhar rahe hain
puraani kitaab ke
pull yourself together
somehow
the pages of the old book
are getting scattered
2008: Kalapi Award
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0
2.5K
albela jhonka
kya jaane
what all has
happened to the flower
what does the
carefree gust (of wind) know
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0
5.1K
jo zinda hun to phir
zinda nazar aana zaroori hai
if principles are under attack
it is necessary to fight back
if i am alive
i must act so
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0
2.4K
kya sabab hai
aap ghar jaate nahi
saw your photo
in the newspaper
what is the reason
you don’t seem to go home
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2.7K
is bahaane se magar
dekh li duniya hum ne
what i was looking for
i could not get
with this as excuse, however,
i got to see the world
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2
3.6K
nakaam-e-mohabbat ka
itna hi fasana
joyless youth,
painless life
for those unsuccessful in love,
this is the only story
0
0
0
3.9K
woh zindagi hai jo
kaanTon ke darmiyaan guzre
the company of flowers
is indeed beautiful
but that is life which
happens amid thorns
1959: Sahitya Akademi
1
0
2
2.8K
do gaz zameen bhi na mili
kuu-e-yaar mein
how wretched is your fate, ‘zafar’
that for your burial
you couldn’t get two yards
in the lane of the beloved
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0
1
4.5K
dil har choTi si baat pe bhi
dara sa rehta
having witnessed so many
events in my life
even for small matters
my heart feels worried
Anonymous
sight, view, scene
1
0
1
3.9K
dard ki dawaa paayi
dard-e-bedawaa paayaa
from love did my being
find the joy and fun of life
found a cure for pain
found a pain without a cure
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0
3
3.4K
ik sukoon-e-dil ke khaatir
umr bhar taDapaa kiye
in short
this is the story of my life
just for some peace and calm
i kept yearning all my life
0
0
2
1
ye shikasta bam-o-dar bhi
humsafar ho jaayenge
in the desert of loneliness
learn the art of living
these broken doors and windows
will become your companions too
0
0
0
1.7K
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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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