1/50: Featured

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

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

2/50: Featured

kuchh qafas ki teeliyon se

chhan rahaa hai noor sa

kuchh faza kuchh

hasrat-e-parvaaz ki baaten karo

through the bars of the cage

some light is seeping through

speak of the expanse

speak of the desire to fly

3/50: Featured

hava-e-zulm sochti hai

kis bhanwar mein aa gayi

vo ek diya bujha to

saikadon diye jala gaya

the wind of tyranny wonders

what vortex it finds itself in

as it snuffs out one lamp

a thousand lamps get lit

Theme:Oppression, Rebellion & Freedom (38)

4/50: Featured

be-waqt agar jaaunga

sab chaunk paDenge

ik umr hui din mein

kabhi ghar nahi dekha

if i go at an unexpected time

everyone will be shocked

it has been a lifetime and

i have not seen my home in daylight

Theme:Home, Country & Belonging (23)

5/50: Featured

bazm-e-adab-e-hind ke

har gul mein hai khushbu

mulla, gul-e-urdu ki mehak

aur hi kuchh hai

every flower of indian literature

has a wonderful scent

but the fragrance of urdu, mulla,

is something else

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

6/50: Featured

aashiyaan jal gaya gulsitaan lut gaya

hum qafas se nikal kar kidhar jaayenge

itne manoos sayyaad se ho gaye

ab rihaayi milegi to mar jayenge

home burned, the garden destroyed

where will we go, getting out of the cage

having gotten accustomed to the captor

we will only die if we get freedom now

Theme:Oppression, Rebellion & Freedom (38)

7/50: Featured

mehangi sharaab ho gayi

kaifi ne chhoD dii

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

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

8/50: Featured

jahaan mein hone ko, ai dost

yuun to sab hoga

tere labon pe mere lab hon

aisa kab hoga

in this world, my beloved,

everything can happen

but my lips on yours

when will that happen?

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

9/50: Featured

nazar lage na kaheen

uske dasto baazoo ko

ye log kyon mere

zakhm-e-jigar ko dekhte hain

may no evil eye fall

on her hands and arms

why do these people

keep gazing at my heart’s wounds

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

10/50: Featured

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

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

11/50: Featured

jin aankhon se

mujhe tum dekhte ho

mein un aankhon se

duniya dekhta hoon

those eyes through

which you see me

through those eyes

i see the world

Theme:Nature, World & Universe (44)

12/50: Featured

talaash-e-talab mein woh lazzat mili hai

dua kar raha hoon ke manzil na aaye

raah-e-aashiqi ka taqaaza yehi hai ke

kashti chale par saahil na aaye

i found so much joy in the seeking of my desire

i am praying the destination never arrives

the demand of the path of love is just this:

boat keeps sailing, but shore is never reached

Theme:Quest, Journey & Destination (44)

13/50: Featured

kya kahen aur

dil ke baare mein

hum mulaazim hain

is idaara mein

what else can i say

about the heart

i am just an employee

in this organization

Theme:Heart, Mind & Memory (58)

14/50: Featured

ishq mein bhi

siyaasaten nikli

qurbaton mein bhi

faasla nikla

in love too

politics arose

in even closeness

distances emerged

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

15/50: Featured

vo bhi shaayad ro paDe

veeraan kaaghaz dekh kar

main ne us ko aakhiri khat mein

likhaa kuch bhi naheen

maybe she will break down

seeing my blank letter

in this last message to her

i didn’t write anything

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

16/50: Featured

abhi to aayi ho

jaldi kahaan hai jaane ki

uTho na pahlu se

Thahro zara...kidhar ko chale

you have just arrived

what’s the hurry to leave

don’t get up just yet from my side

stay a while, where are you headed

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

17/50: Featured

aaj hi lakshmi pujaa ki

hai taqreeb-e-sa'iid

jis ke jalve se

tajallii pe tajallii hai maziid

today is the joyful

celebration of lakshmi puja

whose radiance brings

waves and waves of illumination

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

18/50: Featured

aurat huun magar

soorat-e-kohsaar khaDi huun

ik sach ke tahaffuz ke liye

sab se laDi huun

i am a woman, but

stand like a mountain range

for the protection of the truth

i have fought with everyone

Theme:Oppression, Rebellion & Freedom (38)

19/50: Featured

ek ishq hai ki jis ki gali

ja raha huun main

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

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

20/50: Featured

insha-ji ab ajnabiyon mein

chain se baaqi umr kaaTe

jin ki khaatir basti chhoDi

naam na lo un pyaaron ka

insha, spend the rest of your life

in peace among strangers

the loved ones for whom you

left your town, think not about them

Theme:Home, Country & Belonging (23)

21/50: Featured

tawajjoh chaaragar ki

baaes-e-takleef hai 'bekhud'

izaafa hai museebat mein

dawaaon ka asar karna

the attention of the healer is

the cause of more torment, ‘bekhud’

the medicine having effect

adds to my misery

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

22/50: Featured

subh-e-kaazib ki hawa mein

dard tha kitna 'muneer'

rail ki seeti baji to

dil lahu se bhar gaya

how much pain there is

in the breeze of the dawn of deceit

hearing the whistle of the train

the heart is filled with blood

Theme:Home, Country & Belonging (23)

23/50: Featured

khud ko paaya to

gham-e-aalam mein bhi khushi paayi

tanhaayi mein bhi

apni hi mehfil sajaayi

when I found myself

i found joy even in worldly sorrows

even in solitude

i arranged my own gathering

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

24/50: Featured

murjha ke bikhar jaate hain

woh mayoos rishte

mehroom rehte hain jo

shafiq-e-deed aar se

they wilt and they scatter

those sad relationships

that are deprived of the

compassionate sight of the beloved

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

25/50: Featured

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

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

26/50: Featured

ye masail-e tasawwuf

ye tera bayaan, ghalib

tujhe hum wali samajhte

jo na baada-khvaar hota

these mystical discussions

and your unique narration, ghalib,

we would have deemed you a saint

had you not been a drinker

Theme:Creativity, Philosophy & Enlightenment (30)

27/50: Featured

ek pal ke rukne se

duur ho gayee manzil

sirf hum nahin chalte

raaste bhi chalte hain

when we stopped for a moment

the destination receded away

it isn't just us that's moving

the paths are moving too

Theme:Quest, Journey & Destination (44)

28/50: Featured

izhaar pe bhari hai

khamoshi ka takallum

harfon ki zubaan aur hai

aankhon ki zubaan aur

the eloquence of silence

outweighs any expression

the language of words is one

the language of eyes is something else

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

29/50: Featured

kisi bewafa ki khaatir

yeh junoon 'faraz' kab tak

jo tumhen bhulaa chuka hai

use tum bhi bhool jaao

for how long this obsession over the

unfaithfulness of someone, ‘faraz’

the one who has forgotten you

you should forget them too

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

30/50: Featured

na kisi ki aankh ka noor huun

na kisi ke dil ka qaraar huun

jo kisi ke kaam na aa sakey

main vo ek musht-e-gubaar huun

am not the light of anyone’s eyes

nor offer comfort to any heart

could not be of value to anyone

was just a handful of dust

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

31/50: Featured

ghalib chhuTi sharaab

par ab bhi kabhi kabhi

peeta hoon

roz-e-abr-o-shab-e-mahtaab mein

ghalib has given up drinking

but, still, once in a while

i enjoy a drink

on cloudy days and moon-filled nights

Theme:Nature, World & Universe (44)

32/50: Featured

hain jo iraaden bata doon tumko

sharma hi jaaogi tum

dhadkane jo suna doon tumko

ghabra hi jaaogi tum

if i were to tell you my wishes

you will surely blush

if i were to listen to my heartbeat

you will surely be scared

Theme:Beauty, Charm & Union (84)

33/50: Featured

tum se pahle wo jo ek shakhs

yahan takht-nasheen tha

us ko bhi apne khuda hone pe

itna hi yaqeen tha

before you another man

was the ruling king here

who was just as convinced

that he was god himself

34/50: Featured

ishq se tabiyat ne

zeest ka mazaa paya

dard ki dawa pai

dard-e-bedawa paya

from love did my being

find the joy and fun of life

found a cure for pain

found a pain without a cure

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

35/50: Featured

apne chehre ko badalna to

bahut mushkil hai

dil bahal jaayega

aaina badal kar dekho

changing your face

is quite tough

you heart will be allayed

just change the mirror and see

Theme:Heart, Mind & Memory (58)

36/50: Featured

is se pehle ki

log pehchane

khud ko pehchan

lo to behtar hai

before others

figure you out

better you

figure yourself out

Theme:Miscellany (44)

37/50: Featured

agar baazi ishq ki baazi hai

jo chaho lagado dar kaisa

agar jeet gaye to kya kahna

haaray bhi to baazi maat nahi

if the gamble is of love

bet what you want, why fear

if you win, nothing like it

even if you lose, it is not a loss

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

38/50: Featured

ik pal ka qurb

ek baras ka phir intezaar

aayi hai january

to december chala gaya

a moment of closeness

and then a year of waiting again

january has come

but december has gone

Theme:Miscellany (44)

39/50: Featured

kis din tum ne rakkha tha

hinaai haath seene par

khuda shaahid hai…thanDak

aaj tak hum dil mein paate hain

that day you placed your

henna-ed hand on my chest

god as my witness, to this day

i find the comfort in my heart

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

40/50: Featured

na shab-o-roz hi badle hain

na haal achchha hai

kis barhaman ne kaha tha

ki ye saal achchha hai

days and nights have not changed

nor is the condition any good

which brahmin foretold

this is a good year

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

41/50: Featured

iqraar mein kahaan hai

inkaar ki si khoobi

hota hai shauq, ghalib

us ki naheen naheen par

where is the refusal's fun

in ready acceptance

so much charm there is, ghalib,

in her repeated rejections

Theme:Beauty, Charm & Union (84)

42/50: Featured

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

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

43/50: Featured

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

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

44/50: Featured

roz kahta hun ke

ab unko na dekhoonga kabhi

roz us kooche mein kuch

kaam nikal aata hai

i say every day that

i am never going to see her again

but every day i find i have

some work to do in her street

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

45/50: Featured

maloom jo hota hame

anjaam-e-mohabbat

lete na kabhi bhool ke ham

naam-e-mohabbat

had i known the

consequences of love

even by mistake, i wouldn’t have

uttered the name of love

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

46/50: Featured

shaam ko jis waqt khaalee haath

ghar jaataa huun main

muskuraa dete hain bachche

aur mar jaataa huun main

at the end of the day

when i return home, empty-handed

my kids make me smile

and i die a little inside

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

47/50: Featured

bahaaron ki nazar mein

phool aur kaante barabar

mohabbat kya karenge

dost dushman dekhne waale

in the eyes of nature

flowers and thorns are the same

how can one ever love, thinking

in terms of friends and foes

Theme:Nature, World & Universe (44)

48/50: Featured

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

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

49/50: Featured

raagon mein daudte phirne ke

hum naheen qayaal

jab aankh hi se na Tapka to

phir lahoo kya hai

that which courses through veins

i don't much care for

if it doesn't drip from the eyes

how can it be blood?

Theme:Miscellany (44)

50/50: Featured

dekhna taqreer ki lazzat

ke jo us ne kaha

main ne ye jaana ke

goya ye bhi mere dil mein hai

behold the charm of his speech

as what he said, i figured...

resonates within me

as if it is in my heart too

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)