POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mir Taqi Mir اترا تھا غریبانہ کنارے آکر Utra tha ghareebana kinare aakar ●sher 1 of 2

اترا تھا غریبانہ کنارے آکر

Utra tha ghareebana kinare aakar

لب خشک موا سو نورچشم حیدر

Lab khushk mua so noore-chashm-e-Haider

He descended humbly at the shore.
His lips dry, died the light of Ali's eye.

تر حلق دم آب سے اس کا نہ ہوا

Tar halq dam aab se us ka na hua

اے آب فرات خاک تیرے سر پر

Ae aab-e-Furat khaak tere sar par

His throat did not become wet with a drop of water.
O water of the Euphrates, dust be upon your head!

Context

This Urdu poem is an elegy (marsiya) lamenting the tragic death of Imam Hussain at Karbala. It poignantly describes his intense thirst ("لب خشک موا") and the denial of water from the Euphrates ("آب فرات") to the 'light of Ali's eye' ('نورچشم حیدر'). The verses express profound sorrow and condemnation of the river for its indifference, capturing the central theme of self-sacrifice and martyrdom that resonates deeply within Islamic, particularly Shia, culture.