121 Urdu ash'ar / shaayari (shers, couplets) on the theme:
Life, Learning, & Living
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 of spring begin to rain
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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
travelers
humility, modesty
kindness, grace, favor
poor, destitute
territory, region
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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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0
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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0
0
0
har ghar mein bas
ek hi kamra kam hai
everyone is just
one step away from happiness
every home is short of
just one room
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1
0
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
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0
2
1
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
haadsa ek dam
naheen hota
time nurtures
things for years
a disaster never
happens suddenly
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0
1
20
kya haqeeqi o
kya majaazi ka
the best occupation
is that of love
whether divine or worldly,
doesn't matter
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0
35
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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0
2
24
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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0
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7
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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0
7
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
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0
1
7
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
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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0
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
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
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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0
48
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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0
8
135
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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0
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
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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0
0
57
baaqi umr
izaafi hai
one love
is enough
the rest of life
is just surplus
3
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1
125
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
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2.8K
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
1.7K
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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4
2.7K
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
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3
1.9K
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
1
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0
4.8K
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
1
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0
2.8K
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
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4.1K
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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4.2K
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
2
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3.1K
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
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3.4K
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
1
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0
4.5K
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
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
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0
2.5K
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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0
0
3.4K
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
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2
2.8K
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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0
0
4.5K
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
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0
3.2K
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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2.2K
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
zeest ke ranj
bhool jaate hain
when your eyes
do smile
the sorrows of life
i forget for a while
eyes
smile
living, life
grief, hurt, sorrow
forget, mistake
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4.2K
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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5
4.5K
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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4.4K
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
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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2.4K
ruuTh kar vaqt ganvaane ki
zaroorat kya hai
as it is, life is
too short for loving
why get upset and
waste it all away
Anonymous
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1.9K
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
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0
4.3K
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
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0
1.8K
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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1
3.2K
ke naadaani hai
behtar aagahi se
i have learnt
this much from life
that ignorance is
better than awareness
Anonymous
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0
0
4.7K
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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0
2.3K
shaam to subha mein
badalte raho
this is only demand
of life
keep turning every evening
into a dawn
1
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0
4.1K
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
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
4.6K
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
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3.8K
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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1.8K
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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2
4.1K
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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0
1
3.2K
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
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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1
2.3K
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
2.6K
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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0
2.5K
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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4.5K
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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0
3.3K
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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2.3K
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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2.3K
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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2
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
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
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0
1.9K
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
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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0
3
4.1K
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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0
2.7K
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
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4.5K
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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0
3
5.0K
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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0
2
2.9K
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
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
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0
4.5K
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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1
3.2K
ibtidaa hai
kisi kahaani ki
that which you think
is the ending
is perhaps the start
of another story
0
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0
4.8K
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
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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0
3.4K
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
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
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3.0K
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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0
0
3.0K
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
1
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2
1.7K
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
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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0
1
3.6K
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
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0
2.9K
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
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
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
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
0
0
2
3.9K
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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0
1
4.9K
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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0
1
2.4K
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 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
0
0
0
2.6K
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
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
0
0
1
4.5K
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
4.3K
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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0
1
1.9K
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
vahi ghar hai
vahi qissa hamaara
our address so far
has not changed
same house
same story ours
0
0
0
2.9K
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
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
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
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
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
2
3.0K
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
0
0
0
2.6K
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
duuriyaan majbuuriyaan
tanhaaiyaan
life perhaps
is just this
distances, compulsions
loneliness
0
0
0
2.6K
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
0
0
1
5.0K
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
Featured Shaayars
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Urdu Poetry, Simply Told
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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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