Popular verses

main akela hi chala tha jaanib-e-manzil magar log sath aate gae aur karwan banta gaya

ishq ne 'ghaalib' nikamma kar diya warna hum bhi aadmi the kaam ke ghalib, a worthless person, this love has made of me otherwise a man of substance i once used to be the poet humorously yet sorrowfully confesses that the pursuit of love has consumed all his worldly potential. he reflects on his former self, claiming that before falling in love, he possessed great utility and capability, which has now been wasted away by his passion.

sair kar duniya ki ghafil zindagani phir kahan zindagi gar kuchh rahi to ye jawani phir kahan

ye jabr bhi dekha hai tarikh ki nazron ne lamhon ne khata ki thi sadiyon ne saza pai

be-khudi be-sabab nahin 'ghaalib' kuchh to hai jis ki parda-dari hai the speaker insists that his dazed, self-forgetful state has a real cause, not mere whim. “veiling” suggests a secret sorrow, love, or truth that cannot be openly named. the couplet captures an inner disturbance that shows itself as bewilderment while its source stays concealed. it turns confusion into evidence of a deeper, guarded reality.

maktab-e-ishq ka dastur nirala dekha us ko chhutti na mile jis ko sabaq yaad rahe

dil ke phaphule jal uthe sine ke dagh se is ghar ko aag lag gai ghar ke charagh se this hearts blisters are inflamed by its own desire by its own lamp,alas, this house is set afire

rah-e-dur-e-ishq mein rota hai kya aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya meer taqi meer presents love as a long, demanding journey where early tears are premature. the speaker urges endurance, hinting that harsher trials may come later. the couplet carries a stoic, almost teasing consolation: don’t collapse at the start; love reveals its true cost as one moves forward.

hue namwar be-nishan kaise kaise zamin kha gai aasman kaise kaise

surkh-ru hota hai insan thokaren khane ke baad rang lati hai hina patthar pe pis jaane ke baad

'umr sari to kati 'ishq-e-butan mein 'momin' aakhiri waqt mein kya khak musalman honge momin all your life in idol worship you did spend how can you be a muslim say now towards the end? the couplet is a sharp confession of wasted life and a fear of ending badly. “ishq-e-butan” symbolizes attachment to worldly charms that distract from faith. the poet mocks his own last-minute hope of piety, suggesting that a lifetime of misdirected love cannot be undone at death’s door. its emotional core is regret mixed with self-judgment.

ab to jate hain but-kade se 'mir' phir milenge agar khuda laya the couplet is a quiet goodbye filled with uncertainty: the speaker departs from the beloved’s place, called a “but-kadah” in the lover’s idiom. by saying “if god brings it about,” he admits that reunion is not in his control but in fate’s hands. the emotional core is a restrained sadness—hope remains, yet it is surrendered to divine will.

khanjar chale kisi pe tadapte hain hum 'amir' sare jahan ka dard hamare jigar mein hai

eid ka din hai gale aaj to mil le zalim rasm-e-duniya bhi hai mauqa bhi hai dastur bhi hai

shah-zor apne zor mein girta hai misl-e-barq wo tifl kya girega jo ghutnon ke bal chale

sada aish dauran dikhata nahin gaya waqt phir hath aata nahin

aaina kyun na dun ki tamasha kahen jise aisa kahan se laun ki tujh sa kahen jise the poet expresses the absolute uniqueness of the beloved. since there is no one else in the world who compares to the beloved's beauty, the only way to show them a match is to present a mirror. the 'spectacle' is the beloved seeing their own reflection, as that is the only image that rivals their reality.

chal sath ki hasrat dil-e-marhum se nikle aashiq ka janaza hai zara dhum se nikle

qais jangal mein akela hai mujhe jaane do khub guzregi jo mil baithenge diwane do

bhanp hi lenge ishaara sar-e-mahfil jo kiya tadne wale qayamat ki nazar rakhte hain

khabar sun kar mere marne ki wo bole raqibon se khuda bakhshe bahut si khubiyan thin marne wale mein upon my death she stated to my rivals, if you please may god spare the parted soul had many qualities the couplet turns grief into sharp irony: the beloved, who didn’t value the lover in life, offers praise only after his death—and that too before his rivals. her words sound like a formal condolence, yet they sting because the appreciation comes too late. the emotional core is the lover’s bitter sense that recognition is easiest when it costs nothing.

ai sanam wasl ki tadbiron se kya hota hai wahi hota hai jo manzur-e-khuda hota hai

aakhir gil apni sarf-e-dar-e-mai-kada hui pahunche wahan hi khak jahan ka khamir ho

shab ko mai khub si pi subh ko tauba kar li rind ke rind rahe hath se jannat na gai

na jaana ki duniya se jata hai koi bahut der ki mehrban aate aate the couplet is a lament spoken at the edge of separation: life is fragile, and departure can happen without warning. the “kind one” (beloved or dear person) arrives after the crucial moment has passed, turning affection into pain. the emotional core is regret—both for not foreseeing mortality and for the delayed care that cannot undo loss.

'mir' amdan bhi koi marta hai jaan hai to jahan hai pyare the couplet counters despair with a practical, loving reminder: deliberate self-destruction is unnatural, because life is the condition for everything else. “jaan” (life) becomes the key metaphor—once it is saved, “jahaan” (the world, possibilities, relationships) is still accessible. the emotional core is tender counsel to hold on, because survival itself keeps meaning and hope alive.

ai 'zauq' dekh dukhtar-e-raz ko na munh laga chhutti nahin hai munh se ye kafar lagi hui the poet personifies wine as 'dukhtar-e-raz' (daughter of the grape) and warns against tasting it. by calling it 'kafir' (infidel or cruel one), he suggests that wine is an enchanting but dangerous mistress. the core theme is the difficulty of breaking an addiction; once one indulges, the habit refuses to leave.

sun to sahi jahan mein hai tera fasana kya kahti hai tujh ko khalq-e-khuda ghaebana kya

agar bakhshe zahe qismat na bakhshe to shikayat kya sar-e-taslim kham hai jo mizaj-e-yar mein aae

hazrat-e-dagh jahan baith gae baith gae aur honge teri mahfil se ubharne wale the poet asserts his own stature: when dagh takes a seat, it is as if the place is claimed and the matter is decided. yet he also concedes that the beloved’s assembly is so fertile and dazzling that new celebrated figures can still emerge from it. the emotional core blends confident self-regard with a wry acknowledgement of the rival-filled, fame-making world of the mehfil.