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Firaq Gorakhpuri

1896 - 1982 | Allahabad, India

One of the most influential pre-modern poets who paved the way for the modern Urdu ghazal. Known for his perceptive critical comments. Recipient of the Gyanpeeth Award.

One of the most influential pre-modern poets who paved the way for the modern Urdu ghazal. Known for his perceptive critical comments. Recipient of the Gyanpeeth Award.

Sher of Firaq Gorakhpuri

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ek muddat se tirī yaad bhī aa.ī na hameñ

aur ham bhuul ga.e hoñ tujhe aisā bhī nahīñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet holds a quiet contradiction: the beloved hasn’t been consciously remembered for ages, yet the bond hasn’t ended. The speaker separates “not thinking of you” from “forgetting you,” suggesting love can go silent without dying. It conveys emotional numbness, distance, and a lingering attachment that survives even in absence.

ek muddat se teri yaad bhi aai na hamein

aur hum bhul gae hon tujhe aisa bhi nahin

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet holds a quiet contradiction: the beloved hasn’t been consciously remembered for ages, yet the bond hasn’t ended. The speaker separates “not thinking of you” from “forgetting you,” suggesting love can go silent without dying. It conveys emotional numbness, distance, and a lingering attachment that survives even in absence.

shaam bhī thī dhuāñ dhuāñ husn bhī thā udaas udaas

dil ko ka.ī kahāniyāñ yaad aa ke rah ga.iiñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet links outer scenery with inner feeling: a smoky dusk mirrors a dim, heavy mood. Even “beauty” appears depressed, suggesting love itself has lost its shine. In that atmosphere, old memories and unfinished tales rise inside the heart and linger, not becoming clear words—only a persistent ache.

sham bhi thi dhuan dhuan husn bhi tha udas udas

dil ko kai kahaniyan yaad si aa ke rah gain

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet links outer scenery with inner feeling: a smoky dusk mirrors a dim, heavy mood. Even “beauty” appears depressed, suggesting love itself has lost its shine. In that atmosphere, old memories and unfinished tales rise inside the heart and linger, not becoming clear words—only a persistent ache.

bahut pahle se un qadmoñ aahaT jaan lete haiñ

tujhe ai zindagī ham duur se pahchān lete haiñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says that with long experience, they can sense what is coming even before it arrives. “Footsteps” stand for the familiar arrival of life’s troubles, routines, and inevitable demands. Addressing life directly, they convey a tired, knowing intimacy: nothing in life surprises them anymore. The emotion is a mix of foreknowledge, resignation, and hard-earned insight.

bahut pahle se un qadmon ki aahaT jaan lete hain

tujhe ai zindagi hum dur se pahchan lete hain

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says that with long experience, they can sense what is coming even before it arrives. “Footsteps” stand for the familiar arrival of life’s troubles, routines, and inevitable demands. Addressing life directly, they convey a tired, knowing intimacy: nothing in life surprises them anymore. The emotion is a mix of foreknowledge, resignation, and hard-earned insight.

tum muḳhātib bhī ho qarīb bhī ho

tum ko dekheñ ki tum se baat kareñ

You're in front and near me too

Should I converse or look at you?

tum muKHatib bhi ho qarib bhi ho

tum ko dekhen ki tum se baat karen

You're in front and near me too

Should I converse or look at you?

koī samjhe to ek baat kahūñ

ishq taufīq hai gunāh nahīñ

if someone were to listen, one thing I will opine

Love is not a crime forsooth it is grace divine

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker feels surrounded by misunderstanding and offers a single, clarifying truth to anyone capable of insight. By calling love “taufiq,” he frames it as a gift that elevates the heart rather than a moral offense. The couplet defends love against social or religious blame, turning accusation into spiritual dignity. Its emotional core is quiet insistence: love deserves reverence, not condemnation.

koi samjhe to ek baat kahun

ishq taufiq hai gunah nahin

if someone were to listen, one thing I will opine

Love is not a crime forsooth it is grace divine

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker feels surrounded by misunderstanding and offers a single, clarifying truth to anyone capable of insight. By calling love “taufiq,” he frames it as a gift that elevates the heart rather than a moral offense. The couplet defends love against social or religious blame, turning accusation into spiritual dignity. Its emotional core is quiet insistence: love deserves reverence, not condemnation.

maut bhī ilaaj ho shāyad

zindagī koī ilaaj nahīñ

for death a cure there well may be

but for this life no remedy

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet turns the usual fear upside down: death seems like a problem that might be solved, yet life is the deeper, unsolvable affliction. “Cure” becomes a metaphor for relief from pain, restlessness, and the burdens of existence. The emotional core is weary resignation, suggesting that living brings complexities no remedy can fully fix.

maut ka bhi ilaj ho shayad

zindagi ka koi ilaj nahin

for death a cure there well may be

but for this life no remedy

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet turns the usual fear upside down: death seems like a problem that might be solved, yet life is the deeper, unsolvable affliction. “Cure” becomes a metaphor for relief from pain, restlessness, and the burdens of existence. The emotional core is weary resignation, suggesting that living brings complexities no remedy can fully fix.

ham se kyā ho sakā mohabbat meñ

ḳhair tum ne to bevafā.ī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker admits helplessness and a sense of personal failure in love, as if they couldn’t fulfill what love demanded. In the second line, the tone turns sharply ironic: even if the speaker achieved nothing, the beloved did accomplish something—disloyalty. The contrast creates a bitter, wounded humor that highlights emotional imbalance and moral disappointment.

hum se kya ho saka mohabbat mein

KHair tum ne to bewafai ki

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker admits helplessness and a sense of personal failure in love, as if they couldn’t fulfill what love demanded. In the second line, the tone turns sharply ironic: even if the speaker achieved nothing, the beloved did accomplish something—disloyalty. The contrast creates a bitter, wounded humor that highlights emotional imbalance and moral disappointment.

maiñ huuñ dil hai tanhā.ī hai

tum bhī hote achchhā hotā

my loneliness my heart and me

would be nice

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet compresses an entire emotional world into a bare room: the self, the heart, and solitude. “Heart” stands for a restless inner life that cannot be comforted by the speaker alone. The second line is a soft, conditional wish—your presence is imagined as the missing piece that could turn emptiness into ease. The pain is quiet, expressed through simplicity rather than complaint.

main hun dil hai tanhai hai

tum bhi hote achchha hota

my loneliness my heart and me

would be nice

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet compresses an entire emotional world into a bare room: the self, the heart, and solitude. “Heart” stands for a restless inner life that cannot be comforted by the speaker alone. The second line is a soft, conditional wish—your presence is imagined as the missing piece that could turn emptiness into ease. The pain is quiet, expressed through simplicity rather than complaint.

tere aane kyā umiid magar

kaise kah duuñ ki intizār nahīñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker admits the mind’s realism—there is little chance of the beloved’s return—yet the heart cannot stop yearning. The couplet hinges on a contradiction: hopelessness and waiting coexist. It captures love’s helpless persistence, where reason gives up but desire keeps watch.

tere aane ki kya umid magar

kaise kah dun ki intizar nahin

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker admits the mind’s realism—there is little chance of the beloved’s return—yet the heart cannot stop yearning. The couplet hinges on a contradiction: hopelessness and waiting coexist. It captures love’s helpless persistence, where reason gives up but desire keeps watch.

aa.e the hañste khelte mai-ḳhāne meñ 'firāq'

jab chuke sharāb to sanjīda ho ga.e

we came to the tavern all gay and frolicsome

now having drunk the wine, somber have become

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet shows an ironic reversal: the place associated with lightness and revelry becomes a doorway to gravity. “Wine” works as a metaphor for experience and truth—once tasted, it strips away easy laughter. The emotional core is sobering self-awareness: joy gives way to reflection, as if the intoxication awakens, rather than numbs, the mind.

aae the hanste khelte mai-KHane mein 'firaq'

jab pi chuke sharab to sanjida ho gae

we came to the tavern all gay and frolicsome

now having drunk the wine, somber have become

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet shows an ironic reversal: the place associated with lightness and revelry becomes a doorway to gravity. “Wine” works as a metaphor for experience and truth—once tasted, it strips away easy laughter. The emotional core is sobering self-awareness: joy gives way to reflection, as if the intoxication awakens, rather than numbs, the mind.

na koī va.ada na koī yaqīñ na koī umiid

magar hameñ to tirā intizār karnā thā

no promise,surety, nor any hope was due

yet I had little choice but to wait for you

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures love as an inner compulsion: even when the beloved offers no commitment, assurance, or hope, the speaker cannot stop waiting. The repetition of no intensifies the emptiness on one side, while had to shows helpless devotion on the other. Waiting becomes a fate the lover accepts, despite knowing it may be futile.

na koi wada na koi yaqin na koi umid

magar hamein to tera intizar karna tha

no promise,surety, nor any hope was due

yet I had little choice but to wait for you

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures love as an inner compulsion: even when the beloved offers no commitment, assurance, or hope, the speaker cannot stop waiting. The repetition of no intensifies the emptiness on one side, while had to shows helpless devotion on the other. Waiting becomes a fate the lover accepts, despite knowing it may be futile.

ġharaz ki kaaT diye zindagī ke din ai dost

vo terī yaad meñ hoñ tujhe bhulāne meñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet says life has been consumed by one obsession: the beloved. Even remembrance and forgetting become the same kind of captivity, because both keep the beloved at the center. Time is shown as “cutting through” days—endured rather than lived. The emotional core is helplessness: every effort, even to move on, turns into another form of attachment.

gharaz ki kaT diye zindagi ke din ai dost

wo teri yaad mein hon ya tujhe bhulane mein

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet says life has been consumed by one obsession: the beloved. Even remembrance and forgetting become the same kind of captivity, because both keep the beloved at the center. Time is shown as “cutting through” days—endured rather than lived. The emotional core is helplessness: every effort, even to move on, turns into another form of attachment.

ab to un yaad bhī aatī nahīñ

kitnī tanhā ho ga.iiñ tanhā.iyāñ

nowadays even her thoughts do not intrude

see how forlorn and lonely is my solitude

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures emotional numbness after separation: the beloved’s memory, once constant, has faded. This is not relief but a harsher stage of grief—an inner emptiness where even the companion of sorrow (loneliness) disappears. By personifying “loneliness,” the poet shows isolation intensifying into a cold, echoing void.

ab to un ki yaad bhi aati nahin

kitni tanha ho gain tanhaiyan

nowadays even her thoughts do not intrude

see how forlorn and lonely is my solitude

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures emotional numbness after separation: the beloved’s memory, once constant, has faded. This is not relief but a harsher stage of grief—an inner emptiness where even the companion of sorrow (loneliness) disappears. By personifying “loneliness,” the poet shows isolation intensifying into a cold, echoing void.

sar-zamīn-e-hind par aqvām-e-ālam ke 'firāq'

qāfile baste ga.e hindostāñ bantā gayā

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet portrays India as a ground where diverse peoples continually came and made homes. The “caravans” suggest waves of migration, not just travelers, turning settlement into nation-building. ‘Hindustan’ is shown as an identity formed over time through plurality, where many become one shared homeland.

sar-zamin-e-hind par aqwam-e-alam ke 'firaq'

qafile baste gae hindostan banta gaya

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet portrays India as a ground where diverse peoples continually came and made homes. The “caravans” suggest waves of migration, not just travelers, turning settlement into nation-building. ‘Hindustan’ is shown as an identity formed over time through plurality, where many become one shared homeland.

ye maanā zindagī hai chaar din

bahut hote haiñ yaaro chaar din bhī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet admits life’s shortness, using “four days” as a metaphor for a brief lifespan. Yet it shifts the perspective: even a small span can carry many experiences, pains, and joys. Addressing “friends” makes it intimate, suggesting we should value time rather than dismiss it as too little.

ye mana zindagi hai chaar din ki

bahut hote hain yaro chaar din bhi

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet admits life’s shortness, using “four days” as a metaphor for a brief lifespan. Yet it shifts the perspective: even a small span can carry many experiences, pains, and joys. Addressing “friends” makes it intimate, suggesting we should value time rather than dismiss it as too little.

sunte haiñ ishq naam ke guzre haiñ ik buzurg

ham log bhī faqīr usī silsile ke haiñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker treats “Love” like a spiritual path with saints and a lineage. Calling the elder a “buzurg” and themselves a “faqir” expresses humility and devotion, as if they are disciples on the same road. The couplet blends romantic and mystical tones: love is not a mere feeling but a disciplined way of being. Its emotional core is proud-yet-modest belonging to Love’s fellowship.

sunte hain ishq nam ke guzre hain ek buzurg

hum log bhi faqir usi silsile ke hain

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker treats “Love” like a spiritual path with saints and a lineage. Calling the elder a “buzurg” and themselves a “faqir” expresses humility and devotion, as if they are disciples on the same road. The couplet blends romantic and mystical tones: love is not a mere feeling but a disciplined way of being. Its emotional core is proud-yet-modest belonging to Love’s fellowship.

raat bhī niiñd bhī kahānī bhī

haa.e kyā chiiz hai javānī bhī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet bundles “night,” “sleep,” and “story” to evoke youth as a time of dreamy intensity—where life feels like a tale told in half-wakeful moments. The sigh “haye” carries both delight and regret, admiring youth’s charm while sensing how quickly it slips away. The core emotion is wonder mixed with bittersweet nostalgia for a fleeting season of romance and imagination.

raat bhi nind bhi kahani bhi

hae kya chiz hai jawani bhi

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet bundles “night,” “sleep,” and “story” to evoke youth as a time of dreamy intensity—where life feels like a tale told in half-wakeful moments. The sigh “haye” carries both delight and regret, admiring youth’s charm while sensing how quickly it slips away. The core emotion is wonder mixed with bittersweet nostalgia for a fleeting season of romance and imagination.

maiñ muddatoñ jiyā huuñ kisī dost ke baġhair

ab tum bhī saath chhoḌne ko kah rahe ho ḳhair

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker has already endured long stretches of isolation, so the beloved/friend’s departure feels like the final cut. The word “khair” (goodbye/“all right then”) carries a bitter politeness, masking hurt with forced acceptance. The couplet’s emotional core is weary endurance meeting fresh abandonment. It turns a farewell into a quiet accusation.

main muddaton jiya hun kisi dost ke baghair

ab tum bhi sath chhoDne ko kah rahe ho KHair

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker has already endured long stretches of isolation, so the beloved/friend’s departure feels like the final cut. The word “khair” (goodbye/“all right then”) carries a bitter politeness, masking hurt with forced acceptance. The couplet’s emotional core is weary endurance meeting fresh abandonment. It turns a farewell into a quiet accusation.

kam se kam maut se aisī mujhe ummīd nahīñ

zindagī ne to dhoke pe diyā hai dhoka

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker contrasts death with life: death may be feared, yet it is straightforward and final, not duplicitous. Life, however, keeps offering hopes and meanings only to snatch them away, turning promises into repeated betrayals. The emotional core is bitter disillusionment—being worn down not by endings, but by continual, layered deception.

kam se kam maut se aisi mujhe ummid nahin

zindagi tu ne to dhoke pe diya hai dhoka

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker contrasts death with life: death may be feared, yet it is straightforward and final, not duplicitous. Life, however, keeps offering hopes and meanings only to snatch them away, turning promises into repeated betrayals. The emotional core is bitter disillusionment—being worn down not by endings, but by continual, layered deception.

bahut dinoñ meñ mohabbat ko ye huā ma.alūm

jo tere hijr meñ guzrī vo raat raat huī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures how the meaning of separation becomes clear only through prolonged suffering. “Night” is a metaphor for darkness, loneliness, and emotional heaviness, and repeating it (“night, night”) suggests an unbroken chain of sorrow. The beloved’s absence stretches time, so even a single period of waiting feels multiplied. The emotional core is a delayed realization: love learns its own depth through the cruelty of long, dark nights.

bahut dinon mein mohabbat ko ye hua malum

jo tere hijr mein guzri wo raat raat hui

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures how the meaning of separation becomes clear only through prolonged suffering. “Night” is a metaphor for darkness, loneliness, and emotional heaviness, and repeating it (“night, night”) suggests an unbroken chain of sorrow. The beloved’s absence stretches time, so even a single period of waiting feels multiplied. The emotional core is a delayed realization: love learns its own depth through the cruelty of long, dark nights.

ik umr kaT ga.ī hai tire intizār meñ

aise bhī haiñ ki kaT na sakī jin se ek raat

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet contrasts two measures of time to show the intensity of emotion: a lifetime can feel “spent” in patient longing for the beloved, while with certain people even one night becomes unbearable. Waiting turns into proof of love and devotion, and the irony highlights how companionship can either soothe time or make it heavy. The emotional core is steadfast desire mixed with a sharp comparison.

ek umr kaT gai hai tere intizar mein

aise bhi hain ki kaT na saki jin se ek raat

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet contrasts two measures of time to show the intensity of emotion: a lifetime can feel “spent” in patient longing for the beloved, while with certain people even one night becomes unbearable. Waiting turns into proof of love and devotion, and the irony highlights how companionship can either soothe time or make it heavy. The emotional core is steadfast desire mixed with a sharp comparison.

jo un ma.asūm āñkhoñ ne diye the

vo dhoke aaj tak maiñ khā rahā huuñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet plays on the contrast between outward innocence and inner trickery. The beloved’s “ma’soom” eyes become a metaphor for charming appearances that mislead. The speaker’s pain is not momentary; it has stretched into a lasting wound. Emotionally, it is a confession of love mixed with regret and enduring hurt.

jo un masum aankhon ne diye the

wo dhoke aaj tak main kha raha hun

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet plays on the contrast between outward innocence and inner trickery. The beloved’s “ma’soom” eyes become a metaphor for charming appearances that mislead. The speaker’s pain is not momentary; it has stretched into a lasting wound. Emotionally, it is a confession of love mixed with regret and enduring hurt.

lahū vatan ke shahīdoñ rang laayā hai

uchhal rahā hai zamāne meñ nām-e-āzādī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

Firaq Gorakhpuri presents freedom as something made vivid and credible by the martyrs’ blood. “Color” suggests proof, intensity, and a visible reality born from sacrifice. The second line personifies “freedom” as a name that leaps through time, spreading and gaining force. The couplet’s emotional core is pride mixed with reverence for the cost paid to make liberty meaningful.

lahu watan ke shahidon ka rang laya hai

uchhal raha hai zamane mein nam-e-azadi

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

Firaq Gorakhpuri presents freedom as something made vivid and credible by the martyrs’ blood. “Color” suggests proof, intensity, and a visible reality born from sacrifice. The second line personifies “freedom” as a name that leaps through time, spreading and gaining force. The couplet’s emotional core is pride mixed with reverence for the cost paid to make liberty meaningful.

aane vaalī nasleñ tum par faḳhr kareñgī ham-asro

jab bhī un ko dhyān aa.egā tum ne 'firāq' ko dekhā hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet addresses his peers and turns a simple meeting into a badge of honor. Seeing the poet becomes a kind of “witness” to greatness, something later generations will admire. The couplet blends self-aware fame with the idea of legacy: a moment of presence today becomes pride and memory tomorrow.

aane wali naslen tum par faKHr karengi ham-asro

jab bhi un ko dhyan aaega tum ne 'firaq' ko dekha hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet addresses his peers and turns a simple meeting into a badge of honor. Seeing the poet becomes a kind of “witness” to greatness, something later generations will admire. The couplet blends self-aware fame with the idea of legacy: a moment of presence today becomes pride and memory tomorrow.

kisī yuuñ to huā kaun umr bhar phir bhī

ye husn o ishq to dhokā hai sab magar phir bhī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet carries a resigned wisdom: lasting, complete belonging in love is rare, yet the heart keeps returning to it. Calling beauty and love a “deception” points to their promise of fulfillment that often slips away. Still, the repeated “yet even then” shows an unwillingness to stop hoping—despite knowing the truth. It captures the tug between clear-eyed disillusionment and stubborn desire.

kisi ka yun to hua kaun umr bhar phir bhi

ye husn o ishq to dhoka hai sab magar phir bhi

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet carries a resigned wisdom: lasting, complete belonging in love is rare, yet the heart keeps returning to it. Calling beauty and love a “deception” points to their promise of fulfillment that often slips away. Still, the repeated “yet even then” shows an unwillingness to stop hoping—despite knowing the truth. It captures the tug between clear-eyed disillusionment and stubborn desire.

zarā visāl ke baa'd aa.ina to dekh ai dost

tire jamāl doshīzgī nikhar aa.ī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet invites the beloved to confirm a change by looking in the mirror after union. The “mirror” stands for self-seeing and proof, while “maidenliness” suggests a delicate freshness that paradoxically seems to bloom further after intimacy. Emotionally, the couplet blends tenderness and wonder, presenting love as something that refines and brightens beauty rather than diminishing it.

zara visal ke ba'd aaina to dekh ai dost

tere jamal ki doshizgi nikhar aai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet invites the beloved to confirm a change by looking in the mirror after union. The “mirror” stands for self-seeing and proof, while “maidenliness” suggests a delicate freshness that paradoxically seems to bloom further after intimacy. Emotionally, the couplet blends tenderness and wonder, presenting love as something that refines and brightens beauty rather than diminishing it.

tabī.at apnī ghabrātī hai jab sunsān rātoñ meñ

ham aise meñ tirī yādoñ chādar taan lete haiñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

In the silence of lonely nights, the speaker’s anxiety rises. To cope, they turn to the beloved’s memories as if they were a warm shawl. The “chadar” becomes a metaphor for protection and emotional warmth, showing how remembrance can soothe fear. The couplet holds tenderness: absence hurts, yet memory offers shelter.

tabiat apni ghabraati hai jab sunsan raaton mein

hum aise mein teri yaadon ki chadar tan lete hain

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

In the silence of lonely nights, the speaker’s anxiety rises. To cope, they turn to the beloved’s memories as if they were a warm shawl. The “chadar” becomes a metaphor for protection and emotional warmth, showing how remembrance can soothe fear. The couplet holds tenderness: absence hurts, yet memory offers shelter.

zindagī kyā hai aaj ise ai dost

soch leñ aur udaas ho jaa.eñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet invites a friend into an honest, inward inquiry: define “life,” and its fragile, passing nature becomes unavoidable. The act of thinking itself turns into a verdict, because clarity exposes loss, emptiness, and impermanence. The couplet’s emotional core is quiet, shared melancholy—wisdom that doesn’t console, but sobers.

zindagi kya hai aaj ise ai dost

soch len aur udas ho jaen

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet invites a friend into an honest, inward inquiry: define “life,” and its fragile, passing nature becomes unavoidable. The act of thinking itself turns into a verdict, because clarity exposes loss, emptiness, and impermanence. The couplet’s emotional core is quiet, shared melancholy—wisdom that doesn’t console, but sobers.

kho diyā tum ko to ham pūchhte phirte haiñ yahī

jis taqdīr bigaḌ jaa.e vo kartā kyā hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures the shock of separation and the speaker’s wandering, restless mind. Losing the beloved feels like destiny itself has been ruined, so the grief turns into a single helpless question. “Fate” here is a metaphor for life’s whole order collapsing, making action feel pointless. The emotional core is resignation mixed with aching longing.

kho diya tum ko to hum puchhte phirte hain yahi

jis ki taqdir bigaD jae wo karta kya hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures the shock of separation and the speaker’s wandering, restless mind. Losing the beloved feels like destiny itself has been ruined, so the grief turns into a single helpless question. “Fate” here is a metaphor for life’s whole order collapsing, making action feel pointless. The emotional core is resignation mixed with aching longing.

paal le ik rog nādāñ zindagī ke vāste

sirf sehhat ke sahāre umr to kaTtī nahīñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet speaks with ironic tenderness: mere physical well-being is not enough to make life feel lived. “Disease” becomes a metaphor for some consuming attachment—love, longing, worry, or a cause—that gives existence intensity and meaning. Without such inner turbulence, life may be safe and healthy yet emotionally empty. The couplet nudges the reader toward a lived, passionate vulnerability rather than sterile comfort.

pal le ek rog nadan zindagi ke waste

sirf sehhat ke sahaare umr to kaTti nahin

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet speaks with ironic tenderness: mere physical well-being is not enough to make life feel lived. “Disease” becomes a metaphor for some consuming attachment—love, longing, worry, or a cause—that gives existence intensity and meaning. Without such inner turbulence, life may be safe and healthy yet emotionally empty. The couplet nudges the reader toward a lived, passionate vulnerability rather than sterile comfort.

kuchh na pūchho 'firāq' ahd-e-shabāb

raat hai niind hai kahānī hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet refuses to recount youth because it is too elusive to pin down in plain facts. Youth appears like night: dim, intimate, and fleeting. In that darkness, memory turns into sleep and dream, and lived experience becomes a “story.” The couplet captures nostalgia mixed with sadness at how quickly that time slips away.

kuchh na puchho 'firaq' ahd-e-shabab

raat hai nind hai kahani hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet refuses to recount youth because it is too elusive to pin down in plain facts. Youth appears like night: dim, intimate, and fleeting. In that darkness, memory turns into sleep and dream, and lived experience becomes a “story.” The couplet captures nostalgia mixed with sadness at how quickly that time slips away.

ab yād-e-raftagāñ bhī himmat nahīñ rahī

yāroñ ne kitnī duur basā.ī haiñ bastiyāñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet mourns how time and distance weaken even the courage to revisit the past. “Remembering the departed” is shown as an act that itself needs stamina, because it reopens wounds. The far-off “settlements” of friends become a metaphor for emotional and life-distance: people have moved on, leaving the speaker stranded with loss and helpless longing.

ab yaad-e-raftagan ki bhi himmat nahin rahi

yaron ne kitni dur basai hain bastiyan

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet mourns how time and distance weaken even the courage to revisit the past. “Remembering the departed” is shown as an act that itself needs stamina, because it reopens wounds. The far-off “settlements” of friends become a metaphor for emotional and life-distance: people have moved on, leaving the speaker stranded with loss and helpless longing.

koī aayā na aa.egā lekin

kyā kareñ gar na intizār kareñ

she came not, nor is likely to

save waiting what else can I do

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet holds a tension between certainty and compulsion: the speaker knows the beloved (or relief) will not arrive, yet waiting continues. “Waiting” becomes a necessity of love, not a rational choice. The emotional core is helpless hope—an attachment that survives even after hope seems logically defeated.

koi aaya na aaega lekin

kya karen gar na intizar karen

she came not, nor is likely to

save waiting what else can I do

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet holds a tension between certainty and compulsion: the speaker knows the beloved (or relief) will not arrive, yet waiting continues. “Waiting” becomes a necessity of love, not a rational choice. The emotional core is helpless hope—an attachment that survives even after hope seems logically defeated.

tujh ko kar bhī na kam ho sakī be-tābī-e-dil

itnā āsān tire ishq ġham thā nahīñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker admits that union does not cure the inner turmoil of love. “Restlessness of the heart” becomes a metaphor for a desire that keeps renewing itself, even when the beloved is attained. The couplet carries a quiet disillusionment: love’s grief is not a problem with a simple solution, but a deep, enduring condition.

tujh ko pa kar bhi na kam ho saki be-tabi-e-dil

itna aasan tere ishq ka gham tha hi nahin

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker admits that union does not cure the inner turmoil of love. “Restlessness of the heart” becomes a metaphor for a desire that keeps renewing itself, even when the beloved is attained. The couplet carries a quiet disillusionment: love’s grief is not a problem with a simple solution, but a deep, enduring condition.

dekh raftār-e-inqalāb 'firāq'

kitnī āhista aur kitnī tez

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet points to the paradoxical rhythm of real change: outwardly it may crawl for long stretches, but when conditions ripen it can surge rapidly. “Revolution” here stands for deep social or inner transformation, whose motion is uneven and surprising. The emotional core is wonder mixed with alertness—an invitation to watch time’s hidden work and its sudden leaps.

dekh raftar-e-inqalab 'firaq'

kitni aahista aur kitni tez

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet points to the paradoxical rhythm of real change: outwardly it may crawl for long stretches, but when conditions ripen it can surge rapidly. “Revolution” here stands for deep social or inner transformation, whose motion is uneven and surprising. The emotional core is wonder mixed with alertness—an invitation to watch time’s hidden work and its sudden leaps.

isī khañDar meñ kahīñ kuchh diye haiñ TuuTe hue

inhīñ se kaam chalāo baḌī udaas hai raat

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The ruin suggests a life or heart already damaged, where only a few “broken lamps” of comfort remain. The speaker urges using even these imperfect sources of light—small hopes, memories, or fragile supports—to face a long, oppressive night. The “sad night” becomes a metaphor for grief and isolation, and the couplet’s core emotion is endurance through scant resources.

isi khanDar mein kahin kuchh diye hain TuTe hue

inhin se kaam chalao baDi udas hai raat

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The ruin suggests a life or heart already damaged, where only a few “broken lamps” of comfort remain. The speaker urges using even these imperfect sources of light—small hopes, memories, or fragile supports—to face a long, oppressive night. The “sad night” becomes a metaphor for grief and isolation, and the couplet’s core emotion is endurance through scant resources.

saañs letī hai vo zamīn 'firāq'

jis pe vo naaz se guzarte haiñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet personifies the earth as a living being, implying that the beloved’s presence animates even lifeless soil. “Breathing” suggests a sudden awakening, freshness, and sanctity in the place touched by their steps. The beloved’s “naaz” (proud, graceful walk) heightens their radiance, while the speaker’s emotion is wonder mixed with reverent love.

sans leti hai wo zamin 'firaq'

jis pe wo naz se guzarte hain

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet personifies the earth as a living being, implying that the beloved’s presence animates even lifeless soil. “Breathing” suggests a sudden awakening, freshness, and sanctity in the place touched by their steps. The beloved’s “naaz” (proud, graceful walk) heightens their radiance, while the speaker’s emotion is wonder mixed with reverent love.

rone ko to zindagī paḌī hai

kuchh tere sitam pe muskurā leñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says sorrow is abundant and lifelong, so there’s no hurry to exhaust tears on this one wound. Instead, they choose a bitter, defiant smile—turning the beloved’s cruelty into something they can momentarily rise above. The couplet holds irony: pain remains real, yet the response is self-protective dignity and resilience.

rone ko to zindagi paDi hai

kuchh tere sitam pe muskura len

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says sorrow is abundant and lifelong, so there’s no hurry to exhaust tears on this one wound. Instead, they choose a bitter, defiant smile—turning the beloved’s cruelty into something they can momentarily rise above. The couplet holds irony: pain remains real, yet the response is self-protective dignity and resilience.

tum ise shikva samajh kar kis liye sharmā ga.e

muddatoñ ke baa'd dekhā thā to aañsū aa ga.e

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker clarifies that the emotion shown was not a grievance but an uncontrollable overflow of feeling. The beloved mistakes the intensity for a reproach and becomes embarrassed, while the speaker insists it was the natural result of a long-awaited reunion. Tears here become a metaphor for accumulated longing finally breaking its dam. The couplet captures tenderness, vulnerability, and the ease with which love is misunderstood.

tum ise shikwa samajh kar kis liye sharma gae

muddaton ke ba'd dekha tha to aansu aa gae

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker clarifies that the emotion shown was not a grievance but an uncontrollable overflow of feeling. The beloved mistakes the intensity for a reproach and becomes embarrassed, while the speaker insists it was the natural result of a long-awaited reunion. Tears here become a metaphor for accumulated longing finally breaking its dam. The couplet captures tenderness, vulnerability, and the ease with which love is misunderstood.

maiñ der tak tujhe ḳhud na roktā lekin

jis adā se uThā hai usī ronā hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says they did not intend to hold the beloved back; the real wound is not merely the departure, but the manner of it. The “ada” (style/gesture) of rising suggests coldness, finality, or indifference, making the separation feel harsher. Grief here is tied to tone and attitude, not just the act of leaving. The couplet captures regret and helplessness at how a moment of parting is performed.

main der tak tujhe KHud hi na rokta lekin

tu jis ada se uTha hai usi ka rona hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says they did not intend to hold the beloved back; the real wound is not merely the departure, but the manner of it. The “ada” (style/gesture) of rising suggests coldness, finality, or indifference, making the separation feel harsher. Grief here is tied to tone and attitude, not just the act of leaving. The couplet captures regret and helplessness at how a moment of parting is performed.

aaj bahut udaas huuñ

yuuñ koī ḳhaas ġham nahīñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures a quiet, untraceable sadness: a heaviness that exists without a clear cause. The speaker separates mood from event, suggesting an inner, existential melancholy rather than a specific wound. The simplicity makes the feeling more universal—sometimes the heart is down even when life offers no single reason.

aaj bahut udas hun

yun koi KHas gham nahin

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures a quiet, untraceable sadness: a heaviness that exists without a clear cause. The speaker separates mood from event, suggesting an inner, existential melancholy rather than a specific wound. The simplicity makes the feeling more universal—sometimes the heart is down even when life offers no single reason.

laa.ī na aisoñ-vaisoñ ko ḳhātir meñ aaj tak

ūñchī hai kis qadar tirī nīchī nigāh bhī

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says they have never given importance to “such-and-such” ordinary people, but then turns the point toward the beloved/addressee: even when you look down, that very act reveals your high pride and elevated self-image. The couplet hinges on irony—“low” (demeaning) gaze becomes proof of “high” (superior) stature. Emotionally it mixes complaint, admiration, and sharp sarcasm at the beloved’s disdain.

lai na aison-waison ko KHatir mein aaj tak

unchi hai kis qadar teri nichi nigah bhi

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says they have never given importance to “such-and-such” ordinary people, but then turns the point toward the beloved/addressee: even when you look down, that very act reveals your high pride and elevated self-image. The couplet hinges on irony—“low” (demeaning) gaze becomes proof of “high” (superior) stature. Emotionally it mixes complaint, admiration, and sharp sarcasm at the beloved’s disdain.

zabt kiije to dil hai añgārā

aur agar roiye to paanī hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet contrasts two responses to pain: restraint and release. When emotions are suppressed, the heart burns like an ember—hot, tense, and consuming from within. When one cries, that same intensity melts into water, easing through tears. Fire and water become metaphors for inner torment versus emotional relief.

zabt kije to dil hai angara

aur agar roiye to pani hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet contrasts two responses to pain: restraint and release. When emotions are suppressed, the heart burns like an ember—hot, tense, and consuming from within. When one cries, that same intensity melts into water, easing through tears. Fire and water become metaphors for inner torment versus emotional relief.

kaun ye le rahā hai añgḌā.ī

āsmānoñ ko niiñd aatī hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet turns a small human act—stretching—into a cosmic event. By personifying the heavens as drowsy, he suggests a wave of languor spreading through the universe, as though the beloved’s movement or the night’s hush has cast a spell. The couplet holds playful wonder and romantic awe, enlarging an intimate moment into vast imagery.

kaun ye le raha hai angDai

aasmanon ko nind aati hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The poet turns a small human act—stretching—into a cosmic event. By personifying the heavens as drowsy, he suggests a wave of languor spreading through the universe, as though the beloved’s movement or the night’s hush has cast a spell. The couplet holds playful wonder and romantic awe, enlarging an intimate moment into vast imagery.

tire pahlū meñ kyuuñ hotā hai mahsūs

ki tujh se duur hotā rahā huuñ

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures the paradox of being physically close yet emotionally drifting apart. “In your side” signifies intimacy, but the heart senses growing distance, hinting at fading warmth, misconnection, or inner withdrawal. The pain lies in realizing separation can begin even in togetherness, as if closeness has turned hollow.

tere pahlu mein kyun hota hai mahsus

ki tujh se dur hota ja raha hun

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet captures the paradox of being physically close yet emotionally drifting apart. “In your side” signifies intimacy, but the heart senses growing distance, hinting at fading warmth, misconnection, or inner withdrawal. The pain lies in realizing separation can begin even in togetherness, as if closeness has turned hollow.

jis meñ ho yaad bhī tirī shāmil

haa.e us be-ḳhudī ko kyā kahiye

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet marvels at a trance-like condition where even losing oneself is not free of the beloved’s remembrance. The speaker feels overwhelmed: the very “unconsciousness” is colored by memory and love. This fusion of absence (self-forgetfulness) and presence (memory) creates a sweet, astonished pain that words fail to name.

jis mein ho yaad bhi teri shamil

hae us be-KHudi ko kya kahiye

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet marvels at a trance-like condition where even losing oneself is not free of the beloved’s remembrance. The speaker feels overwhelmed: the very “unconsciousness” is colored by memory and love. This fusion of absence (self-forgetfulness) and presence (memory) creates a sweet, astonished pain that words fail to name.

sar meñ saudā bhī nahīñ dil meñ tamannā bhī nahīñ

lekin is tark-e-mohabbat bharosā bhī nahīñ

EXPLANATION #1

There is no madness in my head, and no longing left in my heart.

Yet I still cannot trust this claim that I have given up love.

The speaker insists he feels neither obsession nor desire, as if love has ended. But he doubts his own “renunciation,” sensing that feelings can return or are merely hidden. The couplet captures the tension between outward calm and inner uncertainty. It exposes how hard it is to be sure that love has truly been left behind.

Shafaq Sopori

sar mein sauda bhi nahin dil mein tamanna bhi nahin

lekin is tark-e-mohabbat ka bharosa bhi nahin

EXPLANATION #1

There is no madness in my head, and no longing left in my heart.

Yet I still cannot trust this claim that I have given up love.

The speaker insists he feels neither obsession nor desire, as if love has ended. But he doubts his own “renunciation,” sensing that feelings can return or are merely hidden. The couplet captures the tension between outward calm and inner uncertainty. It exposes how hard it is to be sure that love has truly been left behind.

Shafaq Sopori

devtāoñ ḳhudā se hogā kaam

aadmī ko aadmī darkār hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet shifts focus from the divine to the human: lofty beings may seek help from the highest power, but ordinary life is sustained by mutual human support. It suggests that in real suffering and need, what matters most is empathy, presence, and practical help from people around us. The emotional core is a quiet plea for solidarity over empty reliance on distant forces.

dewtaon ka KHuda se hoga kaam

aadmi ko aadmi darkar hai

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The couplet shifts focus from the divine to the human: lofty beings may seek help from the highest power, but ordinary life is sustained by mutual human support. It suggests that in real suffering and need, what matters most is empathy, presence, and practical help from people around us. The emotional core is a quiet plea for solidarity over empty reliance on distant forces.

parda-e-lutf meñ ye zulm-o-sitam kyā kahiye

haa.e zālim tirā andāz-e-karam kyā kahiye

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says the beloved’s hurtful behavior is disguised as لطف—so it looks like kindness while functioning as ظلم. This creates sharp irony: “mercy” becomes a refined instrument of pain. The lament “haye zalim” shows helpless protest, while “andaaz-e-karam” exposes how love can dress cruelty in elegant manners. The couplet captures the emotional confusion of being wounded by someone who appears caring.

parda-e-lutf mein ye zulm-o-sitam kya kahiye

hae zalim tera andaz-e-karam kya kahiye

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker says the beloved’s hurtful behavior is disguised as لطف—so it looks like kindness while functioning as ظلم. This creates sharp irony: “mercy” becomes a refined instrument of pain. The lament “haye zalim” shows helpless protest, while “andaaz-e-karam” exposes how love can dress cruelty in elegant manners. The couplet captures the emotional confusion of being wounded by someone who appears caring.

kah diyā ne jo ma.asūm to ham haiñ ma.asūm

kah diyā ne gunahgār gunahgār haiñ ham

if you call me innocent then innocent I be

and if a sinner you proclaim, then sinner surely

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker surrenders their identity to the beloved’s verdict: innocence and guilt are not decided by facts but by the beloved’s word. This shows an extreme imbalance of power—love turns judgment into destiny. Emotionally, it conveys helpless devotion, where being “right” matters less than being accepted.

kah diya tu ne jo masum to hum hain masum

kah diya tu ne gunahgar gunahgar hain hum

if you call me innocent then innocent I be

and if a sinner you proclaim, then sinner surely

Interpretation: Rekhta AI

The speaker surrenders their identity to the beloved’s verdict: innocence and guilt are not decided by facts but by the beloved’s word. This shows an extreme imbalance of power—love turns judgment into destiny. Emotionally, it conveys helpless devotion, where being “right” matters less than being accepted.

Recitation

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