POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Mir Taqi Mir زانو پہ قد خم شدہ سر کو لایا Zaano pe qad kham shuda sar ko laaya ●sher 1 of 2

زانو پہ قد خم شدہ سر کو لایا

Zaano pe qad kham shuda sar ko laaya

جاے دنداں کو ہم نے خالی پایا

Jaye dandaan ko hum ne khaali paaya

He brought his bowed head to his knee.
We found the place of teeth empty.

آنکھوں کی بصارت میں تفاوت آیا

Aankhon ki basaarat mein tafavvut aaya

پیری نے عجب سماں ہمیں دکھلایا

Peeri ne ajab samaan humein dikhlaaya

A disparity appeared in vision.
Old age showed us a strange spectacle.

Context

This Urdu quatrain (rubai) reflects on the physical decline and transformative effects of old age, a recurring theme in classical and modern Urdu poetry. It vividly describes common signs of aging – a stooped posture, the loss of teeth, and failing eyesight – culminating in the realization that old age presents a profoundly altered and 'strange' reality. Such verses often evoke a sense of melancholy, contemplation on mortality, and the transient nature of human existence, urging reflection on life's inevitable progression.