Sheesha toote toh sadaa aati hai, Dil jo toote, toh qazaa aati hai. When glass breaks, a sound comes, When the heart breaks, doom arrives. Ik zara si thes se, bikhar gaya wujood, Dil ka maamla, naazuk tha be-hudood. With just a slight injury, existence shattered, The heart’s affair was limitlessly delicate. Tukde chunte hain, … Read more
Dil-e-naadaan tujhe hua kya hai? Aakhir is dard ki dawa kya hai? (Ghalib) O foolish heart, what has happened to you? Ultimately, what is the cure for this pain? Hazaaron khwahishein aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle Bahut nikle mere armaan lekin phir bhi kam nikle. (Ghalib) Thousands of desires, each worth dying for, … Read more
Dil-e-naadaan tujhe hua kya hai? Aakhir is dard ki dawa kya hai? (Ghalib) O foolish heart, what has happened to you? Ultimately, what is the cure for this pain? Hazaaron khwahishein aisi ke har khwahish pe dam nikle Bahut nikle mere armaan lekin phir bhi kam nikle. (Ghalib) Thousands of desires, each worth dying for, … Read more
Khud ko parhta hoon, phir chhor deta hoon, Ik warq roz, maror deta hoon. I read myself, then I leave it, A page every day, I crumple. Kaainaat ik raaz, main bhi ik muamma, Hal na ho saka, yeh kaisa tamaasha. The universe a secret, I too am an enigma, It couldn’t be solved, what … Read more
Dil toota hai, aawaaz nahin aayi, Har aahat pe laga, shaayad woh aayi. The heart is broken, no sound came, At every footstep, it felt, perhaps she came. Ashk aankhon mein liye, muskuraate rahe, Dard-e-dil ko hum, chhupaate rahe. Carrying tears in our eyes, we kept smiling, We kept hiding the pain of our hearts. … Read more
Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle Khuda bande se khud poochhe bata teri raza kya hai. Elevate your Self so high that before every decree of fate, God Himself asks the servant, “Tell Me, what is your will?” Sitaron se aage jahaan aur bhi hain Abhi ishq ke imtihaan aur bhi … Read more
Here are 30 short Punjabi poems (sher/dohay), written in Urdu script, with Roman Punjabi and English translations: Rab Rab karde budhe ho gaye, mulla pandit saare, Rab da khoj khura na labha, sajde kar kar haare. Chanting ‘God, God,’ all mullahs and pandits grew old, They couldn’t find a trace of God, tired of prostrating. … Read more
Woh daur-e-mohabbat, woh ehd-e-wafaa, Ab yaadein hi baaqi, kya keejiye gilaa. That era of love, that covenant of faithfulness, Now only memories remain, what complaint can be made? Puraani haveli, woh boseeda dar, Kahaani sunaate, guzre hue pal. The old mansion, that worn-out door, They narrate stories of moments gone by. Shama jalti rahi, parwaana … Read more
La ilaha illallah, dil ka hai qaraar, Isi mein najaat hai, isi mein bahaar. There is no god but Allah, it is the heart’s solace, In it lies salvation, in it lies spring. Muhammad hamare, badi shaan waale, Do aalam ke aaqa, Nabi pyaare. Our Muhammad (PBUH), of great majesty, Master of both worlds, the … Read more
Khaamoshi bhi ik gehri zubaan, Jo sune, woh paaye raaz-e-nihaan. Silence too is a deep language, Whoever listens, finds hidden secrets. Lafzon ke jangal mein gum hai ma’ani, Kabhi be-zubaani bhi hai kahaani. Meaning is lost in the jungle of words, Sometimes, wordlessness too is a story. Aaina bhi hairaan hai mujh ko dekh kar, … Read more