Kuch Ashaar.. dedicated to the lovers of urdu poetry

I have always been an admirer of 'Urdu Shayari' and so very much wanted to dedicate at least one post to the same.. Whenever I get some time on my hands, my only past time other than reading is to browse through 'Ashaars' (couplets). My taste in Urdu shayari is of the sad hard hitting genre.. I have liked ashaars which are told straight from the heart and somehow can tell tales and move u to tears in just a few couplets.. Here are some which I found to my liking.. hope u like them as well.. I've translated them to the best of my ability.. Read and enjoy!

Jab main kehta hoon Ya Allah mera haal dekh
Hukm hota hain apna naam-e-amaal dekh
~Akbar Allahbaadi

'Look at my state O God' when I pray
Straight comes the answer 'Your own deeds survey'

Ibteda yeh thi ki jeene ke liye marta tha main
Inteha yeh hain ki marne ki bhi hastrat na rahi
~Mahir-ul-Qadri

I was dying to live in my early days
I do not even pine to die, this is the ultimate

Marte hain Mir sab, par na is bekasi ke saath
Maatam pe tere koi na roya pukar kar
~Mir Taqi Mir

Everyone dies Mir, but not in such a plight
None in your funeral wailed aloud or cried

Ab to ghabra ke yeh kehte hain ke mar jayenge
Mar ke bhi chain na paya to kidhar jayenge
~Zauq

We'll die' now we cry, fed up with this life
what shall we do, if death too fails to bring respite?

Mout ka ek din moyyan hain
Neend kyu raat bhar nahi aati

There is a time fixed for death
why cant I sleep at night?

Hue mar ke hum jo ruswa, kyun hue na gharqe darya
Na kabhi janaza uthta, na kahin mazhar hota
~Ghalib

Why didnt I drown in the river ere this disgrace?
There wouldn't have been a funeral, there wouldn't have been a grave

Aakhen khuli to jaag uthi hasratein tamaam
Usko bhi kho diya jise paaya tha khwab main
~Siraj Lakhnavi

With the opening of my eyes, yearnings too revived
I lost even the one I found in my dreams

Ik na-tamaan khwab mukammil na hosaka
Aane ko meri zindagi main bahut inqalaab aaye
~Andleeb Shadaani

The long cherished dream of mine never did realize
Many a revolution though occurred in my life

Mujhe rokega tu ai nakhuda kya gharq hone se
ke jinko doobna hain woh doob jaate hain safeenon main
~Iqbal

How can u O helmsman, save me from death?
Those fated to drown will drown despite the boat

Khismat se hi lachaar hoon aye zauq wa-garna
Har fun main hoon main taaq, mujhe kya nahi aata

Fate has bowed me down O Zouq, otherwise
What is it I do not know, Who can deny my skills?
~Zauq

Wo bewafa kahe mujhe jisse wafa karoon
Main badnaseeb apne muqaddar ka kya karoon
~Bekhud Dehlvi

Even those whom I love distrust my faith
What should I, the hapless, do about my fate?

Dil ke phaphole jal uthe seene ke dagh se
Is ghar ko aag lag gayi, ghar ke chiragh se
~Anon

My blistered heart is set afire by its inner scar
By its own lighted lamp, the house has been scorched

Kab tak kisi ke soog main royenge baith kar
Hum khud ko kitni baar yeh samjha ke ro pade
~Anon

Till when do I sit and weep in mourning for someone

I've cried many a times reasoning this with myself

Kabhi kaha na kisise tere fasaane ko

Na jaane kaise khabar hogayi zamane ko

Chaman main barq nahin chodti kisi soorat

Tarah tarah se banata hoon aashiyaane ko

~Qamar Jalalabadi

I have never revealed your story to anyone

I know not how everyone got to know of it

The lightning never fails to strike in the garden

Where I keep constructing my dwelling in so many ways

Mera khamosh reh kar bhi, unhen sab kuch suna dena

Zabaan se kuch na kehna, dekh kar aansoon baha dena

Ijazat ho to keh doon Qissa-e-Ulfat Sar-e Mehfil

Mujhe kuch to fasaana yaad hain, Kuch tum suna dena

Main mujrim hoon, mujhe iqraar hain Jurm-e-Mohabbat ka

Magar pehle khata par ghour karlo, phir saza dena

Main in halaat main pahuncha, hashrwaale khud pukaar utthe

Koi faryaad karne aaraha hain, rasta dena

~Qamar Jalalvi

In spite of being quiet, I would say everything to him
My tongue would be silent but my eyes would weep

Do I have your permission to reveal the story of our love to everyone
I remember some of it, the rest u tell everyone

I'm a sinner, I confess I'm guilty of the crime of love
But first reflect on my mistake, then punish me for it

I reached in that state, the people on the day of judgment shouted
Someone is coming with a plea, please give way

Duniya ne hum pe jab koi ilzaam rakh diya

Hum ne muqabil us ke tera naam rakh diya

Ik khaas hadh pe aagayi jab teri berukhi

Naam us ka hum ne Gardish-e-Ayyam rakh diya

Ab jis ke dil main aaye wohi paaye roshni
Hum ne to dil jala ke Sar-e-Aam rakh diya

Kya maslahat shanaas thaa vo aadamii 'Qateel'
Majbooriyon kaa jis ne vafaa naam rakh diyaa

When the world leveled an allegation against me
In answer to it, I placed your name before them

When your indifference reached a particular limit
I gave it the name of 'circle of time'

Now whoever wishes can get luminescence
I have set my heart afire and placed it in front of everyone

What a clever man it was 'Qateel'
Who gave the name 'faithfulness' to obligations

Kiya hain pyar humne jisse zindagi ki tarah
Wo Aashana bhi mila humse ajnabee ki tarah

Kabhi na soncha tha hum ne 'Qateel' uske liye
Karega hum pe sitam woh bhi har kisi ki tarah
~Qateel

He whom I loved more than my life
That friend met me like a total stranger

I never expected this from him 'Qateel'
That even he would be cruel like everyone else

Aye maut! Unhe bhulaye zamane guzar gaye
Aaja ke zeher khaaye zamaane guzar gaye

O jaanewale aa ke tere intezaar mein
Raste ko ghar banaye zamaane guzar gaye

Gham hain na ab khushi hain na ummeed hain na aas
Sab se najaat paaye zamane guzar gaye

Kya laayaq-e-sitam bhi nahi ab main doston
Patthar bhi ghar main aaye zamaane guzar gaye

Jaane bahaar phool nahi aadmi hoon main
Aaja ke muskuraaye zamaane guzar gaye
~Khumar Barabankhwi

O death! Its been ages since I erased him from my memories
Please come now that its been ages I've drank poison

O wayfarer come back, in ur endless waiting
Its been ages that I've made the street as my home

There is no grief, no happiness, no hope, no desire
Its been ages that I freed myself from them

Am I not not even befitted to cruelty my friends
Its been ages that a stone has been thrown into my house

O dear I'm not a flower but a human
Please come now that its been ages I smiled

Aap kehte the ke rone se na badalenge naseeb
Umr bhar aap ki is baat ne rone na diya

Tujhse milkar hamein rona tha bahot rona tha
Tangi-e-waqt-e-mulaaqaat ne rone na diya

Ek do roz kaa sadma ho to rolein 'Faakir'
Hum ko har roz ke sadamaat ne rone na diya

~Sudarshan Faakhir

Crying will not change your destiny is what you used to say
Your saying prevented me from crying my whole life

I wanted to meet u and cry and keep on crying
The so little time for the meeting prevented me from crying

I would have cried had it been a day or two's sorrow
Its an everyday state of sorrows that prevented me from crying