दिल में अब यूं तेरे भूले हुए (Dilme Ab Yuun Tere Bhoole Huye) -- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[Urdu Couplet #41]

दिल में अब यूं तेरे भूले हुए ग़म आते हैं 

जैसे बिछड़े हुए काबे में सनम आते हैं 

Dilme ab yuun tere bhoole huye gam aate hain

Jaise bichade huye kaabe me sanam aate hain

Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(1911-1984)

ग़म (gam) = sorrow; काबा (kaabaa) = sacred Muslim pilgrim shrine; सनम (sanam) = beloved, idol (reference from 'the idol in old mecca')

[English Meaning]

In my heart now, your forgotten sorrows return

As a beloved (God) returns to the separated shrine

Notes:
The couplet is derived from a poem published in Faiz Ahmed Faiz's book "Nuskha Hai Wafa". The poet uses metaphorical analogy in the couplet by giving "the beloved" the place of God in a shrine. Metaphorically, the shrine can also be equated to poet's heart. This first couplet sets the tone of the theme covered in the entire poem, that is love, longing, sorrow and spiritual reflection of lost love. The poet builds an imagination so that the readers can understand the depth of the longing by describing the continuous return of the "forgotten sorrows" as if "God" returns in the most sacred shrine (Kaaba). Further, the poet also explains the piousness of his love and emotions by giving his beloved the place equivalent to God, while symbolically mentioning his own heart as shrine. Thus, the poet elevates his personal experience of loss and pain to a profoundly sacred spiritual experience.

तुम आये हो न शबे-इंतज़ार (Tum aaye ho na shab-e-intezaar) -- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[Urdu Couplet #40]

तुम आये हो न शबे-इंतज़ार गुज़री है 

तलाश में है सहर, बार-बार गुज़री है

Tum aaye ho na shab-e-intezaar guzri hai 

Talash me hai sahar, baar-baar guzri hai

Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(1911-1984)

शब (shab) = night; शबे-इंतज़ार (shab-e-intezaar) = the night of awaiting; तलाश (talash) = search; सहर (sahar) = morning

[English Meaning]
Neither you came nor did this night of awaiting has passed
In search (of you), the dawn has passed by again and again

Notes:
In this couplet, the poet narrates pathos of the lover who is waiting indefinitely for his beloved. The lover spends his night longing for his beloved and spends his day searching for her. He keeps waiting but neither the night seems to end nor does his beloved comes back. In the first line, the poet appears to talk of one night but in the second line, his reference "baar baar guzri hai" reveals that the poet (the lover) has been pining for his beloved for several days. It also accentuates his longing and distress.

दोनों जहान तेरी मोहब्बत (Dono Jahaan Teri Mohabbat) -- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[Urdu Couplet #39]

दोनों जहान तेरी मोहब्बत में हार के 

वो जा रहा है कोई शबे-ग़म गुज़ार के 

Dono jahaan teri mohabbat me haar ke

Wo ja raha hai koi shab-e-gam guzaar ke

Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(1911-1984)

जहान (jahaan) = world; दोनों जहान (dono jahaan) = both the worlds, i.e. the earth and the heaven; मोहब्बत (mohabbat) = love; हारना (haarna) = lose; शब (shab) = night; शबे-ग़म  (shab-e-gam) = sorrowful night; गुज़ारना (guzaarna) = spend

[English Meaning]
After losing both the worlds in your love
Look someone's going after spending a sorrowful night

Notes:

The couplet has the opening lines of the poem "Dono jahaan teri mohabbat me haar ke" from the book "Nuskha Hai Wafa" by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. In the poem, the poet laments the separation from his beloved and describes the state of his grief-stricken heart. In this couplet, the poet highlights that inspite of sacrificing everything for love, he had to suffer the pain of separation. 

The poet uses analogical terms to emphasize his expressions. The first analogical term is "dono jahaan" (both the worlds), which means both the earth and the heaven. The term "earth and heaven" includes everything a person can think of before and after life. Thus, the poet uses hyperbolic expression to explain the extent of sacrifice he did for love. 

In the second phrase, the word "shab-e-gam" can be considered as an analogy for sorrow due to hopelessness. Here, night can have two meanings - literal and symbolic. In the literal sense, the phrase means "someone is sadly passing by after the night when he separated from his beloved". In a symbolic way, it points to the night (i.e. darkness, sadness, hopelessness) that follows after separation. 

By the third person usage in the second phrase, the poet adds a generalization to the state of any lover who suffers heart break. It can also mean that the poet is referring himself as a stranger whose plight has changed him beyond recognition. Hence, the poet says "koi" (someone).

गुलों में रंग भरे (Gulonme Rang Bhare) -- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[Urdu Couplet #38]

गुलों में रंग भरे बादे-नौबहार चले 

चले भी आओ की गुलशन का कारोबार चले 

Gulonme rang bhare baade-naubahaar chale

Chale bhi aao ki gulshan ka karobaar chale

Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(1911-1984)

गुल (gul) = flower; रंग (rang) = colour; बादे-नौबहार (baade-naubahaar) = The air of a new spring (season); गुलशन (gulshan) = garden; कारोबार (karobaar) = business, affair, trade

[English Meaning]

Filling the colour in flowers, the air of a new spring passes by

You come so that the garden can continue with its business (of blooming)

or

The air of the new spring passes by giving the flowers their colour

(Atleast now) you come so that the garden can keep blooming

Notes:
The couplet is an ardent request of a lover to his beloved to come to meet him. The couplet describes the state of a lover who is waiting for his beloved to enjoy the beautiful spring together. To emphasize the lover's condition, the poet uses the exaggeration by using an example of garden. By saying that "you come so that the garden can continue to bloom", the poet establishes the beloved's importance in his (lover's) life. The lines also convey that without the beloved, spring is not spring and even the blooming garden holds no charm.

Symbolically, the couplet can also mean that the lover's life is at halt without his beloved. Here, the garden means the lover's life, spring means youth which adds colours to the desires (related to the romantic feelings), wherein desires are depicted by flowers.

तेरे दस्ते-सितम का (Tere Dast-e-Sitam Ka) -- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[Urdu Couplet #36]

तेरे दस्ते-सितम का अज्ज़ नहीं 

दिल ही काफ़िर था जिसने आह न की 

Tere dast-e-sitam ka ajj nahi

Dil hi kaafir tha jisne aah na ki

Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(1911-1984)

दस्ते-सितम (dast-e-sitam) =  hand of tyranny (or tyrannical hand); अज्ज़ (ajj) = humility, modesty, civility; काफ़िर (kaafir) = unbeliever, non-believer (the word is derived from the reference in Quran for anyone who doesn't believe in Allah or God); आह (aah) = sigh, moan or painful cry

[English Meaning]

Your hand of tyranny (tyrannical hand) knows no humility

(yet my) heart, an ardent lover, didn't let out a sigh

Notes:
In the couplet, the poet highlights that in spite of his lover's immodest tyrannical behaviour towards him, his love-struck heart believed in nothing else but love and bore the torture without letting out a sigh.

Here, the word 'kaafir' is used in a slightly different context where it can mean 'an ardent lover who believes in nothing but the feeling of being in love in spite of the pain'. The regular political or religious usage of the word 'kaafir' is to refer a non-Muslim who doesn't follow Quran or Allah.

इलाही दुनियामें और कुछ दिन (Illahi Duniyame Aur Kuch Din) -- Bismil Saeedi

[Urdu Couplet #35]

इलाही दुनियामें और कुछ दिन अभी क़यामत न आने पाये 

तेरे बनाये हुए बशरको अभी मैं इन्साँ बना रहा हूँ 

Illahi duniyame aur kuch din abhi qayamat na aane paaye

Tere banaye huye basharko abhi mein insaan bana raha hun

Bismil Saeedi (1901-1977)

इलाही (illahi) = God; क़यामत (qayamat) = doomsday, resurrection; बशर (bashar) = man; इन्साँ (insaan) = human; अभी (abhi) = at present

[English Meaning]

God! In the world, for few more days, the doomsday should not come

The man you created, I am making him a human at present

or

God! Let not the world's doomsday come for few more days

At present, I am making your creation 'man' a human

Notes:
In the couplet, the poet highlights his effort in spreading humanity. The underlying meaning also suggests that God created man but our efforts are needed to become a human (some one who practises humanity) else the doomsday is not far. Thus, in the couplet, the poet is praying to the God to delay resurrection (or doomsday) and give more time (or a chance) because he (the poet) is trying to make the people more humane. The couplet also highlights the poet's pathos on lack of humanity in the world created by the God and his realisation that doomsday is nothing but a world with people without humanity.

The couplet can also be explained from another view point where the poet is referring to himself as the बशर (man). And he is praying to the God to delay the "doomsday" (for the man - the poet) because he is trying to transform himself into a true human (someone who knows/practices humanity).

About the Poet
Bismil Saeedi (बिस्मिल सईदी) was the twentieth century poet. He expressed traditional topics in a new style apt for his era. Primarily, he was a ghazal writer. His native was Tonk the state of Rajasthan while he was settled in Delhi. Most of the poets who hailed from Tonk, followed Momin's style of poetry writing and Bismil Saeedi was no exception to this tradition. Read more

अपनी हस्तीको गमो-दर्द (Apni Hastii ko Gham-o-Dard) - Shad Azimabadi 'Shaad'

[Urdu Couplet #34]

अपनी हस्तीको ग़मो-दर्द मुसीबत समझो

मौतकी क़ैद लगा दी है ग़नीमत समझो

Apni hastii ko gham-o-dard musibat samjho

Maut ki qaid laga di hai ganiimat samjho

Shad Azimabadi 'Shaad'
(1846-1927) 

हस्ती (hastii) = existence, life; गमो-दर्द (gam-o-dard) = sorrow and pain; मुसीबत (musibat) = trouble; मौत (maut) = death; क़ैद (qaid) = imprisonment, restraint, confinement ; ग़नीमत (ganiimat) = boon, blessing

[English Meaning]

Think of your existence as sorrow, pain and  trouble

Death's confinement has been put, think of it as a boon

Notes:

• The poet has summed up his philosophy about life and death in the verse. He glorifies death as an end to the painful existence. Thus, he considers living as a journey full of troubles that ends only when death comes as a boon to restrain it. The verse also reflects the poet's pessimistic view on the process of living, however, it also reflects his profound views about life & death.

• The word 'qaid': In general usage, the word has a negative tone; a restricting force that stops you from achieving something or that makes you incapable to act. In this verse, this simple word is used in positive sense to portray 'death' as a hero, a saviour, who rescues you from the trouble by the act of imprisoning you in its grip.

About the Poet

Shad Azimabadi 'Shaad' शाद अज़ीमाबादी 'शाद' was one of the prominent pre-modern poets of the 19th century. He hailed from Bihar; born as Syed Ali Mohammad in Azimabad, which is today's Patna. He wrote under the pen name 'Shaad' and is popularly known as Shad Azimabadi. He was a scholar and poet with exceptional talent. He broke the stereotypes of his times and used new and unique ways of expression in his poetry. The central theme in most of his poems was philosophy, mysticism and ethics. He was given a title of 'Khan Bahadur' by the British government for his prowess as a poet and an intellectual.

औसान वो कहां हैं (Ausaan Wo Kahan Hain) -- Bahadur Shah Zafar

[Urdu Couplet #33]

थे कल जो अपने घर में, मेहमान वो कहां हैं

जो खो गए हैं यारब, औसान वो कहां हैं

The kal jo apne ghar me, mehman wo kahan hain

Jo kho gaye hain yarab, ausaan wo kahan hain

Bahadur Shah Zafar
(1775 - 1862)

मेहमान (mehman) = guest; यारब (yarab) = Oh God; औसान (Ausaan) = senses, presence of mind

[English Meaning]

Yesterday those who were in our house, where are those guests

Those that are lost Oh God, where are those senses

or

The guests, who were there in our house yesterday, where are they (now)

Oh, God! The senses that were lost, where are they (now)

Note on possible implied meaning: Keeping in mind the political situation during Bahadur Shah Zafar's era and his helplessness under the patronage of the British rule, this couplet can also have an implied meaning. It can also mean the guests (the British rulers) who entered the house (the country) or the guests who won the trust as friends so much so that the senses of the householder (or the poet/the emperor) were lost forever to make a sound judgement.

About the Poet

Bahadur Shah Zafar (बहादुर शाह ज़फर) was the last Mughal emperor in India. A poet by heart and a ruler by birth, he is famous as one of the prominent poets but faced great difficulties as the ruler under the British rule in India. The British were instrumental in his coronation as an Emperor of Delhi sultanate after the death of his father. However, due his involvement in the 1857 uprising, the first battle for India's Independence, the British turned against. He was seized and imprisoned him. Though he was the Emperor, he never had the freedom to rule and had to function within the limits of the British Empire's patronage. This helplessness reflects in his sensitive poetry. Read More...

हर मज़हब का तत (Har Majhab ka Tat) -- Allama Iqbal

[Urdu Couplet #32]

जान जाये हाथ से जाये न सत।

है यही इक बात हर मज़हब का तत।

Jaan jaye haath se jaye na Sat

Hai yahi ikk baat har majhab ka Tat

Allama Muhammed Iqbal
(1877-1938)

जान (jaan) = life;  सत (Sat) = truth, reality (here, it can 'beliefs' - reality believed by each religion); मज़हब (majhab) = religion; तत (Tat) = supreme

[English Meaning]

Even if life is lost, the hand should not let go of the beliefs

This is the only thing in every religion supreme

or

Even at the cost of life, one should not let go of the beliefs 

This is the only supreme thought in every religion

Notes: This is a satirical remark of the poet on all religions. In this, he makes it evident that the religions don't care for life. For them their beliefs have become their God for whom they will give or take life. It can be the poet's take on the communal conflicts during his time.

हर अजनबी हमें महरम (Har Ajnabi Hame Mahram) -- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[Urdu Couplet #31]

हर अजनबी हमें महरम दिखाई देता है 

जो अब भी तेरी गली से गुजरने लगते है 

Har ajnabi hame mahram dikhayi deta hai

Jo ab bhi teri gali se gujarne lagte hai

Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(1911-1984)

अजनबी (ajnabi) = stranger; गली (gali) = lane or alley; गुजरना (gujarna) = to pass; महरम (mahram) = confidant, close relative or friend (who is allowed to escort a woman or visit her house anytime) 

[Notes about the word: Mahram are usually the ones with whom marriage is prohibited. In early days and in orthodox muslim families, women use to live in purdah before outsiders (gayr) especially men. Thus, not everyone was allowed to visit her room or meet her without purdah.]

[English Meaning]

Every stranger appears to me a confidant (of yours)

When I still pass through your lane (means, the lane near your house)

जो दिल तेरे ग़म का निशाना (Jo Dil Tere Gam ka Nishana) -- Asrar ul Haq Majaz

[Urdu Couplet #30]

जो दिल तेरे ग़म का निशाना भी है 

क़तीले-जफ़ाएं-ज़माना भी है 

Jo dil tere gam ka nishana bhi hai

Qatiil-e-jafaa-e-zamana bhi hai

Asrar ul Haq Majaz

(1911-1955)

ग़म (gam) = sorrow; निशाना (nishana) = target; क़तील (qatiil) = killed; ज़माना (zamana) = world; क़तीले-जफ़ाएं-ज़माना (  ) = troubled by the atrocities of the world

[English Meaning]

The heart that is your target for sorrow

Is also troubled by the atrocities of the world

It can also mean:

The heart that gets pain from you

Is tortured even by the cruel world

About the Poet
असरारुलहक़ मजाज़ Asrar ul Haq Majaz popularly known as Majaz was a revolutionary romantic poet of his time. The central theme in many of his poems is pain and pathos of a lover. Read More

आये उश्शाक़ गये वादा-ए-फ़र्दा (Aaye Ushshaaq Gaye Vaada-e-Fardaa) -- Allama Muhammad Iqbal

[Urdu Couplet #29]

आये उश्शाक़ गये वादा-ए-फ़र्दा लेकर 

अब उन्हें ढूंढ चिराग़े-रूखे-ज़ेबा लेकर 

Aaye ushshaaq gaye vaada-e-fardaa lekar

Ab unhe dhondh chiraage-rukhe-zebaa lekar 

Allama Muhammad Iqbal
(1877 - 1938)

उश्शाक़ (ushshaaq) = lovers; वादा (vaada) = promise; वादा-ए-फ़र्दा (vaada-e-fardaa) = promise to meet again (the word is usually used in the reference where the promises which are unfulfilled); ढूंढ (dhondh) = search; चिराग  (chiraag) = lamp; ज़ेबा (zebaa) = beautiful; चिराग़े-रूखे-ज़ेबा (chiraage-rukhe-zebaa) = light of the beautiful face

[English Meaning]

Lovers came and left making promises to meet again

Now go and search them in the light of your beautiful face

Notes: The couplet is from Iqbal's poem शिकवा Shikvaa. The central theme of the poem is the complaint of a distraught lover, who has been shunned by a disloyal beloved. The beautiful beloved's reason for rejecting him is the attention that she gets from other lovers. After expressing his resentment, the poet (or the distraught lover) uses sarcasm to mock his beloved for choosing temporary admirers over him. He ridicules her by saying her admirers come to spend time with her (a night with her) and in the morning they leave forever making a fake promise to return. The second sentence in the couplet is written on the lines of the idiom 'चिराग लेकर ढूंढना' 'chiraag lekar dhondh na' which means to search for something with great difficulty (in the dark). The poet uses the analogy between the chiraag (lamp) and his beloved's beautiful face to pass another caustic remark in the last line of this couplet. 

About the Poet

अलामा मुहम्मद इक़बाल Allama Muhammad Iqbal (popularly known only as Iqbal) is one of the most celebrated Urdu poets of all time. He was a prominent voice in the progressive writer's movement in pre-partition India. His contribution was not just in poetry but also in shaping the pre-partition political thought both in India and Pakistan. Apart from Urdu poetry, he is credited for writing the patriotic song 'सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिन्दोस्तान हमारा' 'Sare Jahan se Accha Hindostan Hamara'. Read More

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 

मेरी क़िस्मत से खेलने वाले (Meri Kismat Se Khelne Wale) - Faiz Ahmed Faiz

[Urdu Couplet #26]

मेरी क़िस्मत से खेलने वाले 

मुझको क़िस्मत से बेख़बर कर दे 

Meri kismat se khelne wale

Mujhko kismat se bekhabar kar de

Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(1911 - 1984)

क़िस्मत (kismat) = destiny, fate; खेलना (khelna) = to play; बेख़बर (bekhabar) = ignorant

[English Meaning]

The one who is playing with my destiny

[You] Make me ignorant about my destiny

About the Poet

फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़ Faiz Ahmed Faiz is one of the most prominent and influential Urdu poet. Read More...

शग्ले शबे तन्हाई (Shagle Shab-e-Tanhaayi) -- Nawab Mirza Muhammad Taqi Khan 'Hawis'

[Urdu Couplet #25]

शग्ले शबे तन्हाई किससे कहें हम अपना 

दो-चार घड़ी रोकर बहलाते हैं ग़म अपना 

Shagle shab-e-tanhaayi kisse kahen hum apna

Do-chaar ghadi rokar bahaalate hain gam apna

शग्ले शबे तन्हाई (shagle shab-e-tanhaayi) = the way to spend a lonely night; शब (shab) = night; तन्हाई (tanhaayi) = loneliness; रोकर (rokar) = by crying ; बहलाते (bahaalate) = pacifying

[English Meaning]

The way I pass a lonely night whom should I tell

For few moments I cry and pacify my sorrow

or

Who should I tell how I pass a lonely night 

I cry awhile and pacify my sorrow

Note: In this couplet, the poet is talking about the night when he is away from his beloved. He tells about the loneliness that fills his heart with sorrow, which he is unable to share with anyone. The only way he is able to pacify his grieving heart is by shedding tears in the midst of the night.

About the Poet

नवाब मिर्जा मुहम्मदतकी खाँ 'हविस' Nawab Mirza Muhammad Taqi Khan 'Hawis' hailed from Faizabad while he completed his education from Lucknow. He was a disciple of मुसहफ़ी Musahfi. His poetry had the charm like the poems of the great poet मीर Mir. 

आँखोंमे उसकी मैंने जो (Aankhonme Uski Maine Jo) -- Ghulam Hamdani 'Musahfi'

[Urdu Couplet #24]

आँखोंमे उसकी मैंने जो तसवीर खींच ली 

सुरमेने उसकी चश्मके शमशीर खींच ली 

Aankhon me uski maine jo tasveer khich li

Surmene uski chashm ke shamsheer khich li

Ghulam Hamdani 'Musahfi'
(1751 - 1824)

तसवीर (tasveer) = picture; सुरमा (surma) = kohl; चश्म (chashm) = eyes; शमशीर (shamsheer) = sword

[English Meaning]

As I clicked her picture in my eyes

The kohl in her eyes was like a drawn sword

Note: The couplet means 'As I saw her, I felt the kohl in her eyes were like an open sword'. The poet uses the analogy between his beloved's kohl-smeared eyes and a sword to depict that the kohl added to the beauty of the eyes such that they were capable to kill like a sword.

About the Poet

गुलाम हमदानी 'मुसहफ़ी Ghulam Hamdani 'Musahfi' is considered as one of the classic poets of Urdu ghazal. Read more...

दिल थामता कि चश्मपर करता (Dil Thaamta Ki Chashmpar Karta) -- Hakim Sana Ullah 'Firaq'

[Urdu Couplet #23]

दिल थामता कि चश्मपर करता तेरी निगाह 

सागरको देखता कि मैं शीशा सम्हालता 

Dil thaamta ki chashmpar karta teri nigah 

Sagar ko dekhta ki mein shisha samhalta

थामना (thaamna) = to hold, (here, take care); चश्म (chasm) = the eye;  निगाह (nigah) = look, glance सागर (sagar) = ocean; शीशा (shisha) = glass; सम्हालता (samhalta) or संभालता (sambhalta) = would have balanced

[English Meaning]

Should I take care of my heart or look at your eyes

Should I look at the ocean or balance the glass

Note: In the couplet, the poet makes an analogy of his heart with a fragile glass and his lover's eyes with the depth of the ocean. The poet talks about the condition of his heart when he meets his lover. 

About the Poet

हकीम सना उल्लाह 'फ़िराक़' Hakim Sana Ullah 'Firaq' was an 18th-century poet. He was a disciple of the renowned poet Dard.

नातवानीका भी एहसाँ है (Naatvani ka bhi ehsaan hai) -- Hidaayat Ullah Khan 'Hidaayat'

[Urdu Couplet #22]

नातवानीका भी एहसाँ है मिरी गर्दनपर 

कि तेरे पाँवसे सर मुझको उठाने न दिया 

Naatvani ka bhi ehsaan hai miri gardanpar

ki tere panwse sir mujhko uthane na diya

नातवानी (naatvani) = feebleness, weakness; एहसाँ (ehsaan) = favour; गर्दन (gardanpar) = neck; पाँव (panw) = legs (here, it means feet); सर (sir) = head

[English Meaning]

Feebleness too has its favour on my neck

That it didn't allow me to lift my head from your feet

Note: In the 18th century, many poets use to write मिरी Miri instead of मेरी Meri, which means 'my' in English. In this couplet, the poet is being sarcastic about his weakness of being with a lover who ill-treats or doesn't respect him.

About the Poet:
Hidaayat Ullah Khan 'Hidaayat' was a poet from the 18th century. He was a disciple of the renowned poet Dard. Like many other poets of his time, the central theme of his poetry was love, romance and heartbreak.

दश्तमें कर चलनेकी तदबीर (Dasht me kar chalne ki tadbir) -- Mirza Zaafar Ali 'Hasrat'

[Urdu Couplet #21]

दश्तमें कर चलनेकी तदबीर होना हो-सो-हो

तोड़ दीवाने तू अब जंजीर होना हो-सो-हो

Dasht me kar chalne ki tadbir hona ho-so-ho

Tod deewane tu ab zanjeer hona ho-so-ho

दश्त (dasht) = forest; तदबीर (tadbir) = plan; दीवाना (deewana) = madman, maniac, crazy man (in literal sense; however, it is often used to refer to a person who is madly in love); जंजीर (zanjeer) = chain

[English Meaning]

Make a plan to walk in the forest happens what-so-ever

You break madman now the chain happens what-so-ever

Note: In this couplet, the poet intends to tell a lover to get ready to go away from everyone under any circumstance and break free of the shackles of love (probably, false love).

About the Poet
मिर्ज़ा ज़ाफ़र अली 'हसरत' Mirza Zaafar Ali 'Hasrat' was from originally from Luckhnow. He wrote two poetry collections (Dewaans).