Golden Era Verse: 30 Timeless Old Urdu Poems

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 aata raha,
Ishq ka dastoor, zamaana nibhaata raha.
The candle kept burning, the moth kept coming,
The tradition of love, the world kept fulfilling.

Khutoot puraane, woh sookhe gulaab,
Zinda hain dil mein, ban kar azaab.
Old letters, those dried roses,
Are alive in the heart, having become a torment.

Saaqi woh maikhaana, woh daur-e-sharaab,
Ab toh bas hasrat, hai dil mein betaab.
O Saqi, that tavern, that era of wine,
Now only a restless longing is in the heart.

Woh pehli nazar ka, jaadu tha ajeeb,
Aaj bhi dil mein, wohi hai tabeeb.
The magic of that first glance was strange,
Even today, it is the healer in the heart.

Raftagaan ki yaadein, dil ko sataayein,
Aansoo ban kar, aankhon se beh jaayein.
Memories of those departed torment the heart,
Flowing from the eyes as tears.

Dayaar-e-yaar mein, jab qadam thay apne,
Lagte thay sach, woh saare sapne.
When my steps were in the beloved’s land,
All those dreams seemed true.

Waqt ka dariya, behta hi jaaye,
Koi lamha waapas, kabhi na aaye.
The river of time keeps flowing,
No moment ever returns.

Daastaan-e-maazi, warq warq yaad,
Dil mein chhupi hai, ik meethi faryaad.
The story of the past, remembered page by page,
A sweet lament is hidden in the heart.

Woh saada zamaana, woh log bhi kya thay,
Dilon mein mohabbat, zabaan pe wafaa thay.
That simple era, what wonderful people they were,
Love in their hearts, faithfulness on their tongues.

Kohna deewaron pe, naqsh hain puraane,
Guzre waqton ke, afsaane sunaane.
On ancient walls, there are old imprints,
Narrating tales of bygone times.

Charaagh-e-aarzoo, bujhne ko hai ab,
Woh daur-e-junoon, guzar gaya kab.
The lamp of desire is about to extinguish now,
When did that era of passion pass?

Bazm-e-yaaraan mein, woh qehqahe kahaan,
Ab toh bas khaamoshi, hai har su ayaan.
Where is that laughter in the assembly of friends?
Now only silence is evident everywhere.

Woh ehd-e-jawaani, woh khwaab suhaane,
Yaad aate hain ab, ban kar fasaane.
That era of youth, those pleasant dreams,
Now come to mind as mere tales.

Puraane saazon pe, woh dhunein mutarannim,
Rooh ko bakhshti theen, ik ajab tabassum.
Those melodious tunes on old instruments,
Used to bestow a strange smile upon the soul.

Gali koochon mein, woh raunaq kahaan ab,
Har shai pe chhaai, udaasi hai ajab.
Where is that vibrancy in the lanes and alleys now?
A strange sadness has enveloped everything.

Woh reet-o-rawaaj, woh tehzeeb puraani,
Ab qissa hui, ik bhooli kahaani.
Those customs and traditions, that old culture,
Have now become a tale, a forgotten story.

Yaadon ke jharoke se, jhaankta hai maazi,
Dil kehta hai kaash, laut aaye woh baazi.
The past peeps through the window of memories,
The heart wishes, if only that game could return.

Lafzon mein puraani, woh sheereeni kahaan,
Ab toh bas baatein hain, be-rooh-o-be-jaan.
Where is that old sweetness in words?
Now there are only talks, soulless and lifeless.

Woh meethe taraane, woh geet puraane,
Goonjte hain dil mein, ban ke fasaane.
Those sweet melodies, those old songs,
Echo in the heart, becoming legends.

Puraane zakhmon ko, na chhero aye dost,
Warna dard uthega, ban kar toofaan-e-sust.
Do not poke old wounds, O friend,
Otherwise, pain will arise, becoming a slow storm.

Woh saada libaas, woh saada se log,
Dilon mein na keena, na koi rog.
Those simple clothes, those simple people,
No malice in their hearts, nor any ailment.

Chaandni raaton mein, woh qisse kahaaniyaan,
Ab dhoondti hain aankhein, waisi nishaaniyaan.
Those tales and stories in moonlit nights,
Now the eyes search for such signs.

Buzurgon ki baatein, hikmat se bhari,
Nayi nasl ko ab, lagti hain khari.
The words of elders, full of wisdom,
Now seem stark (and true) to the new generation.

Woh mehfilein kahaan, woh yaaraane kahaan,
Ab toh bas tanhaai, hai har su rawaan.
Where are those gatherings, where are those friendships?
Now only loneliness flows everywhere.

Qadeem shaa’iri mein, tha dard-o-asar,
Sun kar jise dil, hota tha zer-o-zabar.
In ancient poetry, there was pain and effect,
Hearing which, the heart would be turned upside down.

Woh rasm-o-rawaaj, ab hue hain khwaab,
Badal gaya zamaana, hue sab kharaab.
Those customs and traditions have now become dreams,
The era has changed, all have deteriorated.

Puraani yaadon ka, ik bojh hai dil par,
Kabhi hansaaye yeh, kabhi rulaaye jee bhar kar.
There is a burden of old memories on the heart,
Sometimes it makes one laugh, sometimes cry to the fullest.

Waqt ki dhool mein, gum ho gaye woh pal,
Jin ki yaadon se, aaj bhi dil hai be-kal.
Those moments got lost in the dust of time,
With whose memories, the heart is still restless today.