POEM · PERMANENT EDITION
Mir Taqi Mir قصد گر امتحان ہے پیارے Qasd gar imtihān hai pyāre ●sher 1 of 4

قصد گر امتحان ہے پیارے

Qasd gar imtihān hai pyāre

اب تلک نیم جان ہے پیارے

Ab talak nīm jān hai pyāre

If the intention is a test, my dear,
Until now, I am half-dead, my dear.

گفتگو ریختے میں ہم سے نہ کر

Guftugū rekhte mein ham se na kar

یہ ہماری زبان ہے پیارے

Yeh hamārī zabān hai pyāre

Do not converse with us in Rekhta,
This is our language, my dear.

چھوڑ جاتے ہیں دل کو تیرے پاس

Chhoṛ jāte hain dil ko tere pās

یہ ہمارا نشان ہے پیارے

Yeh hamārā nishān hai pyāre

We leave our heart with you,
This is our mark, my dear.

میر عمدن بھی کوئی مرتا ہے

Mīr amdan bhī koī martā hai

جان ہے تو جہان ہے پیارے

Jān hai to jahān hai pyāre

Mir, does anyone die intentionally?
If there is life, there is the world, my dear.

Context

This ghazal excerpt, characteristic of Mir Taqi Mir, one of Urdu's greatest poets, demonstrates his mastery of expressing deep emotional and philosophical themes with poignant simplicity. The poem addresses a beloved, exploring themes of life's trials, the heart's endurance, and the very essence of language itself, with the reference to "Rekhta" highlighting Urdu's historical development. The final lines, often a poet's signature (takhallus), reveal Mir's introspective nature, reflecting on the preciousness of life and the futility of deliberate self-destruction, all conveyed with a tender, direct address.

love & longing (ishq, judāī) · grief (gham) · wonder & existence

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