117 Urdu ash'ar / shaayari (shers, couplets) on the theme:
Life, Living & Dying
mukhtasar ye hai
hamaari daastaan-e-zindagi
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 chaar din ke tamaashe hain
aah duniyaa ke
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
0
0
0
10
'saudaa' jo bekhabar hai
wahi yaan kare hai aish
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
0
0
0
7
charaagh-e-zindagi hoga farozan
hum naheen honge
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
0
0
0
7
kyun Dare zindagi mein
kya hoga
kuch na hoga to
tajurba hoga
why be constantly fearful
as to what will happen in life
if nothing happens, at the least
we will gain some experience
0
0
1
7
koi dam ka mehmaan hoon
aye ahl-e-mehfil
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
0
0
0
23
shukriya, ai qabr tak
pahoonchaane waalon, shukriya
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
0
0
0
33
kaleje mein hazaaron daag
dil mein hasratein laakhon
kamaayi le chala hoon
saath apne zindagi bhar ki
thousands of scars in my heart
and countless unmet desires
these treasures i carry with me
through my whole life
0
0
1
31
huye mundamil
zakhm e dil mere lekin
naye zakhm khaane ko
jee chaahta hai
the wounds of my heart
have healed, yet
my soul longs
to suffer new ones
0
0
0
10
apne jalne ka hamesha se
tamashaayi hoon
aag ye kis ne lagaayi
mujhe maloom nahin
i have always been
a spectator of my own ruin
as to who lit the fire
am yet to figure out
0
0
0
48
darakht kaT gaya
lekin woh raabte, nasir
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
0
0
8
135
ek do zakhm nahin
jism hai saara chhalni
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
0
0
0
78
rah gayi hai kuch kami to
kya shikaayat hai 'faheem'?
is jahaan mein sab adhuure hain
mukammal kaun hai?
if you are lacking something
why complain so much, faheem?
in this world, everyone is partly done
who is ever fully complete?
0
0
0
58
ek lamhe mein
bikhar jaata hai taana-baana
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
0
0
0
57
ek mohabbat
kaafi hai
baaqi umr
izaafi hai
one love
is enough
the rest of life
is just surplus
3
0
1
117
main apne jism ke andar
na dafn ho jaaun
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
1
1
1
2.7K
dabaa ke qabr mein
sab chal diye dua na salaam
zara si der mein
kya ho gaya zamaane ko
after burying me, they all walked away
without a greeting or a prayer
what has happened to the world
in such a short time
0
0
1
1.7K
hungaama hai kyun barpaa
thoDi si jo peeli hai
Daaka to nahin maara
chori to naheen ki hai
why such clamor just
just because i drank some
i haven't assaulted anybody
nor stolen from anyone
0
0
4
2.7K
koyi bhi ghar mein samajhta na tha
mere dukh sukh
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
0
0
3
1.8K
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
1
0
0
4.8K
tumhe is inquilaab-e-deher ka
kya gham hai, ai akbar
bahut nazdeek hain woh din
ke tum hoge na hum honge
why do you worry so much about
tumult and changes of the world, oh akbar
that day is near when
neither will you nor i be around
1
0
0
2.7K
kis ne paaya
sukoon duniya mein
zindagaani ka
saamna kar ke
who has ever found
peace in this world
facing the trials and travails
of this life
world
comfort, peace
to gain, to secure
confront, encounter
life
0
0
0
4.1K
shauq chaDhtii dhoop
jaataa waqt ghaTtii chaanv hai
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
0
0
0
4.2K
duniya mein huun
duniya ka talabgaar nahin huun
baazaar se guzra huun
kharidaar nahin 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
2
0
1
3.1K
ishq se tabiyat ne
zeest ka mazaa paya
dard ki dawa paayi
dard-e-bedawa paaya
from love did my being
find the joy and fun of life
found a cure for pain
found a pain without a cure
0
0
1
3.3K
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 many mosques
and searched endlessly in the temples
1
0
0
4.5K
adhuri chhoD ke tasveer
mar gaya wo 'zeb'
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
0
0
0
5.0K
yaqeen mohkam, amal paiham
mohabbat fateh-e-alam
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
2
0
0
2.5K
daagh duniya ne diye
zakhm zamaane se mile
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
0
0
0
3.4K
bahut haseen sahi
sohbaten gulon ki, magar
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
usii ko kahte hain jannath
usii ko dozakh bhi
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
0
0
0
4.5K
usii ko kahte hain jannath
usii ko dozakh bhi
vo zindagi jo haseenon
ke darmiyaan guzre
that is called heaven
that is also hell
life that is spent
among the beautiful
1959: Sahitya Akademi
0
0
0
3.1K
kisi ka ahd-e-javaani
mein paarsaa hona
qasam khuda ki ye
tauheen hai javaani ki
seeking to be virtuous
while young
by god, it's an
insult to youth
0
0
0
2.2K
yeh maana haath mein saagar hai
lekin kya bharosa hai
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
0
0
0
5.0K
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
forget, mistake
smile
eyes
living, life
grief, hurt, sorrow
0
0
1
4.2K
har qayaamat se
ba-khabar hona
ek qayaamat hai
deedawar hona
to be always aware
of every possible calamity
it is indeed a calamity
to be so aware (and fearful)
0
0
5
4.5K
mauquuf hai kyuun
hashr pe insaaf hamaara
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
1
0
1
4.4K
khushbu-e-hinaa kehna
narmi-e-saba kehna
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
0
0
2
2.4K
kam se kam maut se
aisi mujhe ummeed nahin
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
1
0
0
4.3K
koyi ummeed bar nahi aati
koyi soorat nazar nahi aati
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
1
0
0
1.8K
khwaabon par ikhtiyaar
na yaadon pe zor hai
kab zindagi guzaari hai
apne hisaab mein
no control over dreams
no power over memories
when has life ever
transpired on my terms
0
0
1
3.2K
zindagi kam paDhe
pardesi ka khat hai 'ibrat'
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
0
0
0
2.3K
zindagi ka yahi
taqaaza hai
shaam to subha mein
badalte raho
this is only demand
of life
keep turning every evening
into a dawn
1
0
0
4.1K
kis tarah jama kijiye
ab apne aap ko
kaagaz bikhar rahe hain
puraani kitaab ke
pull yourself together
somehow
the pages of the old book
are getting scattered
0
0
0
2.5K
zindagi main itne
manzar dekh liya hain ki
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
0
3.8K
tu ise paimaana-e-imroz-o-farda
se na naap
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
0
0
0
1.8K
shahed tu ye na bhool ke
is zindagi ka lutf
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 (to learn)
0
0
2
4.1K
baad marne ki bhi na chhoDi
rifaaqat meri
meri turbat se lagi baithi hai
hasrat meri
even after my death
my love did not leave me
my desires stay shackled
to my grave
0
0
1
3.2K
gul par kya kuchh
beet gayi hai
albela jhonka
kya jaane
what all has
happened to the flower
what does the
carefree gust (of wind) know
0
0
0
5.1K
ek khwaab ka khayaal hai
duniya kahen jise
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
0
0
0
2.3K
kahaani khatam hui
aur aisi khatam hui
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
0
0
1
2.6K
aksar maazi se poochta tha
kismat ka pataa
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
0
0
0
2.5K
bahut pahle se un qadmon ki
aahaT jaan lete hain
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
0
0
0
4.5K
vo ek aks ki pal bhar
nazar mein Thehra tha
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
0
0
0
3.3K
kiije izhaar-e-mohabbat
chahe jo anjaam ho
zindagi mein
zindagi jaisa koi to kaam ho
declare your love
regardless of the outcome
let there be in life
something that resembles life
0
0
0
2.3K
usoolon pe jahaan aanch aaye
Takraana zaroori hai
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
0
0
0
2.3K
koi luqma jo kabhi
ham ko mayassar aaya
saath hi daant ke neeche
koi kankar aaya
a morsel
that we obtained with ease
we also found a stone
under our teeth
0
0
2
3.8K
dil mein na ho jurat
to mohabbat nahi milti
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
1
0
0
1.9K
kabhi yun tha ki hazaar teer
jigar mein the to dukhi na the
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
0
0
3
4.1K
aapki tasveer thi
akhbaar mein
kya sabab hai
aap ghar jaate nahi
saw your photo
in the newspaper
what is the reason
you don’t seem to go home
0
0
0
2.7K
jo mil gaya usi ko
muqaddar samajh liya
jo kho gaya main
usko bhulata 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
fate, fortune
0
0
0
4.5K
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
0
0
3
5.0K
gham aur khushi mein
farak na mehsoos ho jaha
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
0
0
2
2.9K
itna kyun sikhaye
jaa rahi hai zindagi?
humne kaunsi sadiyan
guzarni hai yahan
why is life teaching me
so many lessons?
how many ages am I
going to spend here?
0
0
0
3.9K
aur bhi dukh hain zamaane mein
mohabbat ke siva
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
0
0
0
4.5K
jise anjaam
tum samajhte ho
ibtidaa hai
kisi kahaani ki
that which you think
is the ending
is perhaps the start
of another story
0
0
0
4.8K
be-kaif jawani
be-dard zamana
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
zulmaton mein roshni ki
justuju karte raho
zindagi bhar zindagi ki
justuju karte raho
in deep darkness,
keep looking for light
all through life,
keep looking for life
0
0
0
3.4K
zindagi gul hai
naghma hai, mahtab hai
zindagi ko faqat
imtihaan mat samajh
life is beautiful
with melodies and moons
don't think life is just
trials and troubles
1
0
3
3.1K
woh afsaana jise anjaam tak
lana na ho mumkin
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
0
0
0
3.0K
agar dard-e-mohabbat se
na insaan aashna hota
na kuchh marne ka gham hota
na jeene ka maza hota
if one is not familiar
with the pain of love
he feels neither the sadness
of death nor the joy of life
0
0
0
3.0K
kuch iss tarah se
guzaari hai zindagi jaise
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
0
1
3.7K
justuju jis ki thi
us ko to na paaya hum ne
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
0
0
1
3.6K
khudi ka raazdaan ho kar
khudi ki daastaan ho jaa
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
0
0
0
2.9K
dekh zindan se pare
rang-e-chaman, josh-e-bahaar
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
0
0
1
3.7K
fakat baal rangne se
kuch nahi hota, ghalib
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
0
0
0
1.9K
aql mein yun to
nahi koi kami
ik zara divaangi
darkaar hai
there is nothing lacking
in intellect and reason
but you still need
a touch of madness
1
0
2
2.2K
chal saath ki hasrat
dil-e-marhoom se nikle
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 procession
let it be with pomp and celebration
0
0
0
3.9K
maazi-e-marhoom ki
naakaamiyon ka zikr chhod
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
0
0
1
4.9K
rau mein hai rakhsh-e-umr
kahaan dekhiye thaame
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
0
0
1
2.4K
na jaane kis ki hamen
umr bhar talaash rahi
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
1
0
1
3.2K
kuch kaTi himmat-e-savaal
mein umr
kuch ummeed-e-javaab
mein guzri
some time in life has gone
in mustering the courage to ask
the rest was spent
in waiting for an answer
0
0
0
2.6K
hoshwalon ko khabar kya
bekhudi kya cheez hai
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
0
1
2.9K
kitna hai badnaseeb 'zafar’
dafn ke liye
do gaz zameen bhi na mili
koo-e-yaar mein
how wretched is your fate, ‘zafar’
that for your burial
you couldn’t get two yards
in the lane (land) of the beloved
0
0
1
4.5K
kahaan ke ishq-o-mohabbat
kidhar ke hijr-o-visaal
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
0
0
0
4.2K
thakna bhi laazmi tha
kuch kaam karte karte
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
0
0
1
1.9K
kabhi kisi ko mukammal
jahaan nahi milta
kahin zameen
kahin aasmaan nahi milta
nobody ever
gets the entire world
sometimes the earth
sometimes the sky…you don’t get
1
0
5
3.9K
pata ab tak
nahin badla hamaara
vahi ghar hai
vahi qissa hamaara
our address so far
has not changed
same house
same story ours
0
0
0
2.9K
apni gali mein mujhko
na kar dafan baad-e-qatal
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
0
0
0
3.7K
bojh uThana shauq kahaan hai
majboori ka sauda hai
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
0
0
0
1.9K
aseer-e-panja-e-ahd-e-shabaab
kar ke mujhe
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
0
0
2
3.0K
aankh mein paani rakho
honTon pe chingaari rakho
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
0
0
0
4.5K
ab jidhar dekhiye
lagta hai ki is duniya mein
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
1
0
1
3.0K
ye maana zindagi
hai chaar din ki
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
0
0
0
2.5K
minnat-e-chaara-saaz
kaun kare
dard jab
jaan-nawaaz ho jaaye
who would seek
the favor of the healer
when the pain itself
becomes a life-giver
0
0
1
2.1K
zindagi shaayad
isii ka naam hai
duuriyaan majbuuriyaan
tanhaaiyaan
life perhaps
is just this
distances, compulsions
loneliness
0
0
0
2.5K
mamnuun huun jahaan ke
nasheb-o-faraaz ka
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
0
0
4
3.5K
chalaa jaata huun
hansta khelta mauj-e-hawaadis se
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
0
0
1
3.0K
dasht-e-tanhaayi mein
jeene ka saleeqa seekhiye
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
1.6K
sada aish dauraan
dikhaata naheen
gaya waqt phir
haath aata naheen
fun and pleasure
don't show time passing
and the time that's passed
never returns
0
0
0
4.6K
amal se zindagi banti hai
jannat bhi jahannam bhi
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
0
0
2
3.7K
main chaahtaa huun yaheen
saare faisle ho jaayen
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
0
0
0
3.6K
khataaen umr-e-rafta ki
sazaaen umr-e-haazir ko
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?
0
0
0
2.4K
subh ke takht-nasheen
shaam ke mujrim tahre
hum ne pal bhar mein
naseebon ko badalte dekha
those seated on the throne in the morn
were declared criminals by dusk
we have in seconds
seen fortunes change wildly
0
0
1
5.0K
dasht aankhon mein tha
aawaaz mein veerani thi
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
0
0
3
1.8K
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