is tarah zindagi ne diya hai hamara saath jaise koi nibah raha ho raqib se

na main samjha na aap aae kahin se pasina pochhiye apni jabin se

le mere tajrabon se sabaq ai mire raqib do-char saal umr men tujh se bada huun main

rafiqon se raqib achchhe jo jal kar naam lete hain gulon se khaar behtar hain jo daman thaam lete hain

mujh se bigad gae to raqibon ki ban gai ghhairon men bat raha hai mira e'tibar aaj

tumhare khat men naya ik salam kis ka tha na tha raqib to akhir vo naam kis ka tha

that new greeting in your note, from whom was it do say if not my rival's signature, whose name was it then, pray? the speaker reads the beloved’s letter and is jolted by a “new سلام” and an unfamiliar name, sensing a hidden third person. the letter becomes evidence, and the new greeting a metaphor for shifting loyalties. by denying “raqib” yet insisting on an explanation, the couplet captures the ache of love mixed with suspicion. its emotional core is jealous doubt: the fear that affection is no longer exclusive.

us naqsh-e-pa ke sajde ne kya kya kiya zalil main kucha-e-raqib men bhi sar ke bal gaya

bowing to her footsteps brought me shame i dread i went to my rival's street standing on my head the beloved’s footprint becomes a symbol of extreme worship: the lover’s reverence is so excessive that it turns into public humiliation. the second line intensifies the shame—he lowers himself so completely that he even enters the rival’s lane, where his pride should have stopped him. the couplet captures love as obsession that breaks dignity and makes one cross forbidden boundaries. the emotional core is helpless devotion mixed with self-awareness of disgrace.

raqib qatl hua us ki teghh-e-abru se haram-zada tha achchha hua halal hua

baithe hue raqib hain dilbar ke as-pas kanton ka hai hujum gul-e-tar ke as-pas

ghhair se kheli hai holi yaar ne daale mujh par dida-e-khun-bar rang

apni zaban se mujhe jo chahe kah len aap badh badh ke bolna nahin achchha raqib ka

hamen nargis ka dasta ghhair ke hathon se kyuun bheja jo ankhen hi dikhani thiin dikhate apni nazron se

the poet uses a clever play on words involving the narcissus flower (nargis), which is metaphorically compared to an eye in urdu poetry, and the idiom 'to show eyes' (meaning to glare or show anger). the lover complains that if the beloved wanted to scold him, direct eye contact would have been preferred over sending symbolic 'eyes' via a rival.

kahte ho ki hamdard kisi ka nahin sunte main ne to raqibon se suna aur hi kuchh hai

jis ka tujh sa habib hovega kaun us ka raqib hovega

raqib donon jahan men zalil kyuun hota kisi ke biich men kam-bakht agar nahin aata

vo jise saare zamane ne kaha mera raqib main ne us ko ham-safar jaana ki tu us ki bhi thi

jama karte ho kyuun raqibon ko ik tamasha hua gila na hua

you collect my enemies, why in this manner? pray a spectacle this is and not the way to remonstrate the poet addresses the beloved, asking why they have assembled his rivals to witness their interaction. the intention was to express a private grievance (gila) about love, but the presence of an audience has turned this intimate moment into a mockery and a public show (tamasha), stripping it of its sincerity and dignity.

aap hi se na jab raha matlab phir raqibon se mujh ko kya matlab

haal mera bhi ja-e-ibrat hai ab sifarish raqib karte hain

samne us ke na kahte magar ab kahte hain lazzat-e-ishq gai ghhair ke mar jaane se

i would not say this to her, but now it can be said the pleasure of romance has gone, now with my rival dead

is tarah zindagi ne diya hai hamara saath jaise koi nibah raha ho raqib se

na main samjha na aap aae kahin se pasina pochhiye apni jabin se

le mere tajrabon se sabaq ai mire raqib do-char saal umr men tujh se bada huun main

rafiqon se raqib achchhe jo jal kar naam lete hain gulon se khaar behtar hain jo daman thaam lete hain

mujh se bigad gae to raqibon ki ban gai ghhairon men bat raha hai mira e'tibar aaj

tumhare khat men naya ik salam kis ka tha na tha raqib to akhir vo naam kis ka tha

that new greeting in your note, from whom was it do say if not my rival's signature, whose name was it then, pray? the speaker reads the beloved’s letter and is jolted by a “new سلام” and an unfamiliar name, sensing a hidden third person. the letter becomes evidence, and the new greeting a metaphor for shifting loyalties. by denying “raqib” yet insisting on an explanation, the couplet captures the ache of love mixed with suspicion. its emotional core is jealous doubt: the fear that affection is no longer exclusive.

us naqsh-e-pa ke sajde ne kya kya kiya zalil main kucha-e-raqib men bhi sar ke bal gaya

bowing to her footsteps brought me shame i dread i went to my rival's street standing on my head the beloved’s footprint becomes a symbol of extreme worship: the lover’s reverence is so excessive that it turns into public humiliation. the second line intensifies the shame—he lowers himself so completely that he even enters the rival’s lane, where his pride should have stopped him. the couplet captures love as obsession that breaks dignity and makes one cross forbidden boundaries. the emotional core is helpless devotion mixed with self-awareness of disgrace.

raqib qatl hua us ki teghh-e-abru se haram-zada tha achchha hua halal hua

jama karte ho kyuun raqibon ko ik tamasha hua gila na hua

you collect my enemies, why in this manner? pray a spectacle this is and not the way to remonstrate the poet addresses the beloved, asking why they have assembled his rivals to witness their interaction. the intention was to express a private grievance (gila) about love, but the presence of an audience has turned this intimate moment into a mockery and a public show (tamasha), stripping it of its sincerity and dignity.

baithe hue raqib hain dilbar ke as-pas kanton ka hai hujum gul-e-tar ke as-pas

yaad aaiin us ko dekh ke apni musibaten roe ham aaj khuub lipat kar raqib se

apni zaban se mujhe jo chahe kah len aap badh badh ke bolna nahin achchha raqib ka

aap hi se na jab raha matlab phir raqibon se mujh ko kya matlab

ghhussa aata hai pyaar aata hai ghhair ke ghar se yaar aata hai

jis ka tujh sa habib hovega kaun us ka raqib hovega

ham apne ishq ki ab aur kya shahadat den hamen hamare raqibon ne mo'tabar jaana

vo jise saare zamane ne kaha mera raqib main ne us ko ham-safar jaana ki tu us ki bhi thi

go aap ne javab bura hi diya vale mujh se bayan na kiije adu ke payam ko

though you may have replied to him as rudely as you claim don't tell me what was in my rival's message, just the same the speaker accepts the beloved’s bitter response, but draws a boundary: he won’t tolerate hearing an adversary’s “message” delivered through the beloved. “adu” (enemy/rival) hints at a rival in love; repeating his words would feel like humiliation and a betrayal of intimacy. the couplet turns on self-respect—pain from the beloved is endurable, but disgrace via the rival is not.

samne us ke na kahte magar ab kahte hain lazzat-e-ishq gai ghhair ke mar jaane se

i would not say this to her, but now it can be said the pleasure of romance has gone, now with my rival dead

ye kah ke mere samne taala raqib ko mujh se kabhi ki jaan na pahchan jaiye