POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mir Taqi Mir اوقات لڑکپن کے گئے غفلت میں Auqaat ladakpan ke gaye ghaflat mein ●sher 1 of 2

اوقات لڑکپن کے گئے غفلت میں

Auqaat ladakpan ke gaye ghaflat mein

ایام جوانی کے کٹے عشرت میں

Ayyam jawani ke kate ishrat mein

The days of childhood passed in negligence.
The days of youth were spent in pleasure.

پیری میں جز افسوس کیا کیا جائے

Peeri mein juz afsos kya kya jaaye

یک بارہ کمی ہی آگئی طاقت میں

Yak-bara kami hi aa gayi taaqat mein

In old age, what can be done but regret?
All at once, strength indeed diminished.

Context

This Urdu poem, often reflective in nature, encapsulates a common theme in classical Subcontinental poetry: the passage of time and the human experience of aging. It laments a childhood spent in heedlessness and youth in pleasure, leading to an old age filled with regret over lost strength and missed opportunities. This reflects a didactic or philosophical current in Urdu ghazal, urging contemplation of life's transient nature and the eventual decay of physical faculties, often highlighting the importance of spiritual or moral pursuits over worldly indulgences.