POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mir Taqi Mir کو عمر کہ اب فکر امیری کریے Ko umr ki ab fikr-e amīrī kariye ●sher 1 of 2

کو عمر کہ اب فکر امیری کریے

Ko umr ki ab fikr-e amīrī kariye

بن آوے تو اندیشۂ پیری کریے

Ban aawe to andeshah-e pīrī kariye

Is this the age to aspire for wealth now?
If it comes easily, then worry about old age.

آگے مرنے سے خاک ہوجے اے میرؔ

Aage marne se khaak ho jaye ai Meer

یعنی کہ کوئی روز فقیری کریے

Ya'ni ki koi roz faqīrī kariye

Before dying and turning to dust, O Mir,
Meaning, let's practice poverty for a few days.

Context

This ghazal couplet by Mir Taqi Mir reflects a common philosophical theme in classical Urdu poetry, particularly Sufi-influenced thought, on the transient nature of life and the futility of worldly ambition. Mir questions the pursuit of wealth and status ("ameeri") in old age, suggesting instead a simpler path of detachment ("faqeeri") before the inevitable end. It's a poignant call to eschew material desires and embrace a more ascetic, spiritually aware existence, a recurring motif in the works of masters like Mir who often contemplate life, death, and human folly.