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Sher on Love, Longing, Loss

Selected couplets from

Love, Longing, Loss - A collection of beautiful Urdu verses rendered in rhyme to the English language by Sanjiv Saraf. Click the translation button to read the English translations.

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?

Firaq Gorakhpuri

ishq par zor nahīñ hai ye vo ātish 'ġhālib'

ki lagā.e na lage aur bujhā.e na bane

One has no power over Love, it is that flame, to wit,

Which neither can be set alight, nor extinguished once lit

ishq par zor nahin hai ye wo aatish 'ghaalib'

ki lagae na lage aur bujhae na bane

One has no power over Love, it is that flame, to wit,

Which neither can be set alight, nor extinguished once lit

Mirza Ghalib

karūñgā kyā jo mohabbat meñ ho gayā nākām

mujhe to aur koī kaam bhī nahīñ aatā

What will I do in love / if I don't succeed

I know no other task, I have to concede

karunga kya jo mohabbat mein ho gaya nakaam

mujhe to aur koi kaam bhi nahin aata

What will I do in love / if I don't succeed

I know no other task, I have to concede

Ghulam Mohammad Qasir

gar baazī ishq baazī hai jo chāho lagā do Dar kaisā

gar jiit ga.e to kyā kahnā haare bhī to baazī maat nahīñ

If it be Love's wager, bet what you wish, why wait?

If you win it's wonderful, loss too is no check-mate

gar bazi ishq ki bazi hai jo chaho laga do Dar kaisa

gar jit gae to kya kahna haare bhi to bazi mat nahin

If it be Love's wager, bet what you wish, why wait?

If you win it's wonderful, loss too is no check-mate

Faiz Ahmad Faiz

dil vīrānī kyā mazkūr hai

ye nagar sau martaba luuTā gayā

Of this heart's desolation, what is there to say?

This city has, a hundred times, to plunder fallen prey

dil ki virani ka kya mazkur hai

ye nagar sau martaba luTa gaya

Of this heart's desolation, what is there to say?

This city has, a hundred times, to plunder fallen prey

Meer Taqi Meer

ishq ma.ashūq ishq āshiq hai

yaanī apnā mubtalā hai ishq

Love is the beloved, Love's the paramour

Love is thus enmeshed/ in its own allure

ishq mashuq ishq aashiq hai

yani apna hi mubtala hai ishq

Love is the beloved, Love's the paramour

Love is thus enmeshed/ in its own allure

Meer Taqi Meer

ḳhudā hai na mirā ishq farishtoñ jaisā

donoñ insāñ haiñ to kyuuñ itne hijāboñ meñ mileñ

Neither are you God nor is / my love the angel's sort

Both are human beings then why, in veils should we consort?

tu KHuda hai na mera ishq farishton jaisa

donon insan hain to kyun itne hijabon mein milen

Neither are you God nor is / my love the angel's sort

Both are human beings then why, in veils should we consort?

Ahmad Faraz

us ne apnā banā ke chhoḌ diyā

kyā asīrī hai kyā rihā.ī hai

She made me hers, away then sent

What's freedom? What's imprisonment?

us ne apna bana ke chhoD diya

kya asiri hai kya rihai hai

She made me hers, away then sent

What's freedom? What's imprisonment?

Jigar Moradabadi

kyuuñ nahīñ letā hamārī ḳhabar ai be-ḳhabar

kyā tire āshiq hue the dard-o-ġham khāne ko ham

Unmindful one, why do you not / enquire after me?

Did I become your paramour / to suffer agony?

kyun nahin leta hamari tu KHabar ai be-KHabar

kya tere aashiq hue the dard-o-gham khane ko hum

Unmindful one, why do you not / enquire after me?

Did I become your paramour / to suffer agony?

Nazeer Akbarabadi

ishq meñ maut naam hai zindagī

jis ko jiinā ho marnā gavārā kare

Life is but another name / for the death, in Love' domain

He who wants to live, should first / be willing to be slain

ishq mein maut ka nam hai zindagi

jis ko jina ho marna gawara kare

Life is but another name / for the death, in Love' domain

He who wants to live, should first / be willing to be slain

Kaleem Aajiz

taḌaptī dekhtā huuñ jab koī shai

uThā letā huuñ apnā dil samajh kar

Any trembling object when I see

I pick it up, my heart it seems to me

taDapti dekhta hun jab koi shai

uTha leta hun apna dil samajh kar

Any trembling object when I see

I pick it up, my heart it seems to me

Munshi Amirullah Tasleem

ka.abe se ġharaz us ko na but-ḳhāne se matlab

āshiq jo tirā hai na idhar na udhar

For mosques he does not bother, for temples does not care

Anyone who Loves you is / from neither here nor there

kabe se gharaz us ko na but-KHane se matlab

aashiq jo tera hai na idhar ka na udhar ka

For mosques he does not bother, for temples does not care

Anyone who Loves you is / from neither here nor there

Shah Naseer

nā-kāmi-e-ishq kāmyābī

donoñ hāsil ḳhāna-ḳharābī

Love's despair or jubilation

Both result in ruination

na-kaami-e-ishq ya kaamyabi

donon ka hasil KHana-KHarabi

Love's despair or jubilation

Both result in ruination

Hafeez Jalandhari

parastish yaañ tak ki ai but tujhe

nazar meñ sabhoñ ḳhudā kar chale

I worshipped you, O idol, to such extremity

In everybody's vision, you are divinity

parastish ki yan tak ki ai but tujhe

nazar mein sabhon ki KHuda kar chale

I worshipped you, O idol, to such extremity

In everybody's vision, you are divinity

Meer Taqi Meer

bāteñ nāseh sunīñ yaar ke nazzāre kiye

āñkheñ jannat meñ rahīñ kaan jahannam meñ rahe

I listened to the preacher, eyes on my Dear did dwell

My eyes remained in paradise, my ears remained in hell

baaten naseh ki sunin yar ke nazzare kiye

aankhen jannat mein rahin kan jahannam mein rahe

I listened to the preacher, eyes on my Dear did dwell

My eyes remained in paradise, my ears remained in hell

Ameer Minai

sau baar band-e-ishq se āzād ham hue

par kyā kareñ ki dil adū hai farāġh

A hundred times, Love's manacles, I've broken and got free

But what is to be done? My heart / is freedom's enemy

sau bar band-e-ishq se aazad hum hue

par kya karen ki dil hi adu hai faragh ka

A hundred times, Love's manacles, I've broken and got free

But what is to be done? My heart / is freedom's enemy

Mirza Ghalib

bas mohabbat bas mohabbat bas mohabbat jān-e-man

baaqī sab jazbāt iz.hār kam kar dījiye

Only love, Only love and only love my dear

From stating other feelings / You should stay well clear

bas mohabbat bas mohabbat bas mohabbat jaan-e-man

baqi sab jazbaat ka izhaar kam kar dijiye

Only love, Only love and only love my dear

From stating other feelings / You should stay well clear

Farhat Ehsas

ho gayā zard paḌī jis pe hasīnoñ nazar

ye ajab gul haiñ ki tāsīr-e-ḳhizāñ rakhte haiñ

Pale and wan he turned, on whom / beauties cast their glance

These flowers are strange, they bear / an autumnal stance

ho gaya zard paDi jis pe hasinon ki nazar

ye ajab gul hain ki tasir-e-KHizan rakhte hain

Pale and wan he turned, on whom / beauties cast their glance

These flowers are strange, they bear / an autumnal stance

Imam Bakhsh Nasikh

tā-falak le ga.ī betābi-e-dil tab bole

hazrat-e-ishq ki pahlā hai ye ziinā apnā

When my heart's / restlessness, to the skies did lead

"This is just my first rung", Mr. Love decreed

ta-falak le gai betabi-e-dil tab bole

hazrat-e-ishq ki pahla hai ye zina apna

When my heart's / restlessness, to the skies did lead

"This is just my first rung", Mr. Love decreed

Jurat Qalandar Bakhsh

ḳhvāh dil se mujhe na chāhe vo

zāhirī vaz.a to nibāhe vo

Though, at heart, she holds me in disdain

A civil aspect should at least maintain

KHwah dil se mujhe na chahe wo

zahiri waza to nibahe wo

Though, at heart, she holds me in disdain

A civil aspect should at least maintain

Anwar Shuoor

Jashn-e-Rekhta | 13-14-15 December 2024 - Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium , Gate No. 1, New Delhi

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