1/21: Ahmed Faraz

ab ke ham bichhde to shaayad

kabhi khwabon mein milen

jis tarah sukhe hue phool

kitabon mein milen

as we part ways now, perhaps

we may meet again in our dreams

just as we find dried flowers

within the pages of an old book

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

2/21: Ahmed Faraz

wo khaar khaar hai

shaakh-e-gulaab ki maanind

main zakhm zakhm huun

phir bhi gale lagaaun use

she is prickly, prickly

like the branch of a rose

i am wounded, wounded

but yet longing for an embrace

Theme:Love, Passion and Longing (88)

3/21: Ahmed Faraz

ab dil ki tamanna hai to

aye kaash yahi ho

aansu ki jagah

aankh se hasrat nikal aaye

if there is just one desire of the heart

maybe...it's just this

instead of tears

dreams flow from my eyes

Theme:Hopes, Aspirations & Dreams (33)

4/21: Ahmed Faraz

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

Theme:Life, Living & Dying (104)

5/21: Ahmed Faraz

kisi ko ghar se nikalte hi

mil gayi manzil

koi hamaari tarah

umr bhar safar mein raha

some reach their destination

as they set out of their home

but some like me

keep traveling all their lives

Theme:Quest, Journey & Destination (44)

6/21: Ahmed Faraz

tu sirf dashna-e-nafrat

hi laharaata raha

tu ne kabhi dushman se

lipaT kar nahi dekha

you have only been waving

this dagger of hate

you haven't tried ever

embracing your enemy

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

7/21: Ahmed Faraz

tum takalluf ko bhi

ikhlaas samajhte ho 'faraz'

dost hota nahin

har hath milaane vaala

you mistake a gesture of formality

for sincere affection, 'faraz'

not every one who shakes your hand

is a friend

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

8/21: Ahmed Faraz

dost ban kar bhi

naheen saath nibhaane wala

wahi andaaz hai

zaalim ka zamaane wala

though being my friend

he does not stand by me

just like the way

the heartless world always behaves

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

9/21: Ahmed Faraz

aane waale sadiyan

tumko yaad karenge, humasron

jab unko ye pata chalega

tum federer ko dekha tha

generations to come will

remember you, my contemporaries

when they come to know

that you have seen federer

Theme:Nature, World & Universe (44)

10/21: Ahmed Faraz

tod diya tasbeeh ko

is khayaal se ‘faraz’

kya gin gin ke nam lena uska

jo behisaab deta hai

i broke the prayer rosary

with this thought, ‘faraz’

why count and pray to one

who gives without keeping an account

Theme:Religion, Reason & Tradition (48)

11/21: Ahmed Faraz

shahr-vaalon ki mohabbat ka

main qaael huun magar

main ne jis haath ko chooma

vahi khanjar nikla

i was convinced about the love

of those in my society

but, the hand that i sought to kiss

turned out to be a dagger

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

12/21: Ahmed Faraz

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)

13/21: Ahmed Faraz

jo ghazal aaj tere

hijr mein likhi hai woh kal

kya khabar ahl-e-mohabbat ka

taraana ban jaaye

that poem written today

on separation from you

who knows...could become a song

for those in love tomorrow

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

14/21: Ahmed Faraz

main ne dekha hai

bahaaron mein chaman ko jalte

hai koyi khwaab ki

taabir bataane wala

i have seen gardens

burning in spring

is there anyone who can

interpret this dream for me

Theme:Creativity, Philosophy & Enlightenment (30)

15/21: Ahmed Faraz

humsafar chahiye

hujuum nahin

ek musaafir bhi

qafila hai mujhe

need a companion

not a crowd

one such person

is a caravan for me

Theme:Friends, Family & Community (108)

16/21: Ahmed Faraz

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)

17/21: Ahmed Faraz

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)

18/21: Ahmed Faraz

shiddat-e-tishnagi mein bhi

ghairat-e-maikashi rahi

us ne jo pher li nazar

main ne bhi jaam rakh diya

even in the intensity of thirst

my dignity of drinking remained

when she turned her face away

i too put down my cup

Theme:Miscellany (44)

19/21: Ahmed Faraz

suna hai us ko bhi hai

sher-o-shaayari se shaghaf

so hum bhi mojaze apne

hunar ke dekhte hain

i hear that she is also

fond of couplets and poetry

so let me try impressing her

with the magic of my poetic skills

Theme:Voice, Expression & Language (61)

20/21: Ahmed Faraz

akele to hum

pehle hi jee rahe the

kyu tanha se ho gaye hum

tere jaane ke baad

I was living by myself

even earlier

why am I now lonely,

after you left?

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)

21/21: Ahmed Faraz

chaaraagar ne bahr-e-taskeen

rakh diya hai dil pe haath

meherbaan hai vo magar

na-aashnaa-e-zakhm hai

the healer, for comfort’s sake,

placed his hand on my heart

he is kind, but he is

not familiar with my ailment

Theme:Loneliness, Solitude & Grief (92)