मौत माँगू तो मिले (Maut Manguu to Mile) -- Khwaja Hyder Ali 'Aatish'

[Urdu Couplet #28]

मौत माँगू तो मिले आरज़ूए ख़्वाब मुझे 

डूबने जाऊँ तो दरिया मिले पायाब मुझे 

Maut manguu to mile arzoo-e-khawab mujhe

dubane jaaun to dariya mile payaab mujhe

Khwaja Hyder Ali 'Aatish'
(1778 - 1847)

मौत (Maut) = death; आरज़ूए ख़्वाब (arzoo-e-khawab) = desires to have dreams; डूबना (dubana) = to drown, sink, dip, immerse; दरिया (dariya) = sea; पायाब (payaab) = shallow, not deep or a shoal (in relation with a water body like sea)

[English Meaning]

When I ask for death, I get desires to have dreams 

Even when I go to drown myself, I get a shallow sea

About the Poet

ख्वाजा हैदरअली 'आतिश' Khwaja Hyder Ali 'Aatish' was a 19th century poet, thus a poet from the initial days of the modern Urdu language era. He was a poet from Lucknow in the service of Nawaab Muhammad Ali. He was one of the greatest Lakhnawi  poets of his time and considered as one of the iconic poets in Urdu literature because of his unique style in writing poetry. He use to refrain himself from useless embellishment using heavy vocabulary. His style of poetry was simple and lyrical that had a natural flow. He had an ability to express deep emotions through sensitive and simple compositions.

हम जानते तो इश्क़ न करते (Hum Jaante To Ishq Na Karte) -- Mir Taqi Mir

[Urdu Couplet #27]

हम जानते तो इश्क़ न करते किसू के साथ 

ले जाते दिल को ख़ाक में इस आरज़ू के साथ 

Hum jaante to ishq na karte kisu ke saath

Le jaate dil ko khak me iss arzoo ke saath 

Mir Taqi Mir
(1723 - 1810)

इश्क़ (ishq) = love; किसू (kisu) = here it means 'anyone' (kisu is the ancient way of writing किसी kisi); ख़ाक (khak) = dust; ख़ाक में (khak me) = in the dust (it is used in relation to death. The usual usage is 'khak me milna'.); आरज़ू (arzoo) = desire

[English Meaning]

Had I known before, I would have not fallen in love with anyone

I would have taken my heart in the dust (died) with this desire (the desire to fall in love)

Note: Here the poet is repenting to have fallen in love because of the pain and longing it must have brought to him. He feels it is better to have the desires unfulfilled rather than making life miserable by falling in love.

About the Poet

मीर तक़ी मीर  Mir Taqi Mir was one of the most prominent Urdu poets of the 18th century. He was one of the pioneers in  building the Urdu language form and style. He was also a mentor of other prominent poets, one of them was the well-known poet Sauda. Read More