POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mir Taqi Mir کیا کیا اے عاشقی ستایا تونے Kya kya ae aashiqui sataya tune ●sher 1 of 2

کیا کیا اے عاشقی ستایا تونے

Kya kya ae aashiqui sataya tune

کیسا کیسا ہمیں کھپایا تونے

Kaisa kaisa hamein khapaya tune

Oh love, how greatly you have tormented us!
In countless ways, you have worn us down!

اول کے سلوک میں کہیں کا نہ رکھا

Awwal ke sulook mein kahin ka na rakha

آخر کو ٹھکانے ہی لگایا تونے

Aakhir ko thikane hi lagaya tune

In your initial ways, you left us without a home.
Yet, in the end, you finally found us a place.

Context

This Urdu couplet embodies a classic theme in South Asian poetry, particularly within the ghazal tradition, where love (ishq) is depicted as a profound and often arduous journey. The verses articulate the initial torment and disorientation caused by love, suggesting a period of intense suffering and emotional upheaval. However, they pivot to acknowledge love's ultimate role in providing resolution or a sense of belonging, implying that despite its trials, love eventually guides one to a destined place or inner peace. This reflects the mystic (Sufi) interpretation of love as a path to divine truth, or simply the transformative power of human affection.