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This is such an amazing initiative! This is a great collection of Urdu poetry which has been made accessible to everybody.

— Aditi Rao Hydari, Actor

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9 Urdu couplets and shers with ajab

ajab: strange, odd, unique

1 / 9: ajab

ajab hareef tha mere hi saath Doob gayaa

mere safeene ko

gharqaab dekhne ke liye

such a strange rival

he drowned along with me

just to witness

my boat go under

Irfan Siddiqi (5)

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

hareef (m) (1)

rival

Doob (m) (4)

sink, drown

safeene (m) (1)

boat, ship

gharqaab (m) (1)

sinking, drowning

Theme: Friends, Family, & Community (135)

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2 / 9: ajab

waqt se lamha lamha kheli hai

zindagi ik

ajab paheli hai

time unfolded

moment by moment

life is indeed

a strange riddle

Ameeta Parsuram Meeta (1)

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

waqt (m) (20)

time

lamha (m) (1)

moment

paheli (f) (1)

riddle

Theme: Miscellany (44)

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3 / 9: ajab

talaash-e-rizq ka ye marhala ajab hai ki ham

gharon se door bhi

ghar ke liye base hue hain

in search of livelihood

this stage is so strange that

we have settled far away from home

just for the sake of our homes

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

talaash (f) (9)

quest, search

rizq (m) (1)

livelihood, sustenance

marhala (m) (1)

stage

Theme: Home, Country, & Belonging (30)

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4 / 9: ajab

jab ghunche ko washud hui tahreek saba se

bulbul se ajab kya

jo kare naghma-sarai

when the morning zephyr inspires

the bud to bloom

what wonder if the nightingale

begins to sing

Ismail Merathi (4)

ghunche (m) (2)

bud, budding flower

washud (m) (1)

bloom

tahreek (m) (1)

urge, incitement

saba (m) (5)

breeze, zephyr

bulbul (m) (8)

nightingale

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

naghma (m) (2)

melody, song

sarai (f) (1)

singing

Theme: Nature, World & Universe (50)

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5 / 9: ajab

hai dussehra mein bhi yuun gar farhat-o-zeenat 'nazir'

par diwali bhi ajab

pakeeza-tar tyohaar hai

in dussehra too

there is joy and beauty, nazir

but diwali is

uniquely and purely joyous

Nazeer Akbarabadi (9)

farhat (f) (1)

joy

zeenat (f) (1)

beauty

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

pure

Theme: Religion, Reason, & Tradition (70)

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6 / 9: ajab

ajab junoon hai ye intiqaam ka jazba

shikast kha ke woh

pani mein zahr Daal aaya

what a strange passion

this thirst for revenge is

after being defeated,

he returned, poisoning the water

Azhar Inayati (2)

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

junoon (m) (10)

passion, madness

intiqaam (m) (1)

revenge

jazba (m) (4)

passion, emotion

shikast (m) (4)

broken, defeated

zahr (m) (2)

poison

Theme: Miscellany (44)

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7 / 9: ajab

ye kaisa nasha hai main kis ajab khumaar mein huun

tu aa ke jaa bhi chuka hai

main intezaar mein huun

what is this intoxication

what is this strange dizziness

you had come and gone

and i am still waiting

Muneer Niyazi (4)

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

intezaar (m) (21)

waiting

khumaar (m) (2)

also intoxication

Theme: Loneliness, Separation, & Grief (113)

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8 / 9: ajab

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?

Safi Lakhnavi (2)

khataaen (m) (2)

mistakes, crimes

sazaaen (m) (1)

punishments

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

insaaf (m) (2)

justice

Theme: Life, Learning, & Living (126)

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9 / 9: ajab

kya ajab kaar-e-tahayyur hai supurd-e-naar-e-ishq

ghar mein jo tha bach gaya

aur jo naheen tha jal gaya

what a work of wonder is

surrendering to the fire of love

those in the house were saved

those that weren’t got burnt

Saleem Kausar (Muhammad Saleem) (3)

ajab (m) (9)

strange, odd, unique

kaar (m) (2)

thing, work

tahayyur (m) (1)

wonder

supurd (m) (1)

surrender, custody

naar (m) (1)

fire

ishq (m) (34)

love

Theme: Love, Passion, and Longing (112)

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Featured Themes

Grit, Resilience, & Courage (57)

Quest, Journey, & Destination (53)

Love, Passion, and Longing (112)

Loneliness, Separation, & Grief (113)

Heart, Mind, & Memory (65)

Nature, World & Universe (50)

Home, Country, & Belonging (30)

Oppression, Rebellion, & Freedom (58)

Hopes, Aspirations, & Dreams (37)

Creativity, Philosophy, & Enlightenment (38)

Friends, Family, & Community (135)

Voice, Expression, & Language (76)

Beauty, Charm, & Union (107)

Miscellany (44)

Life, Learning, & Living (126)

Religion, Reason, & Tradition (70)

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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