From Mir to Shad Azimabadi: Selection of great Urdu couplets--I

For centuries the couplets of these master Urdu poets have survived and become part of our conversation. Some of the 'ashaar' are posted here (more or less chronologically). This is a literary selection of poetry. Read these ashaar (couplets) in Urdu or Hindi scripts at Best Ghazals & Nazms.

ab ke junuuN meN faasla shaayad na kuchh rahe
daaman ke chaak aur girebaaN ke chaak meN
[Mir Taqi Mir]

Khudaa ke vaaste usko na Toko
yahii ek shahar meN qaatil rahaa hai
[Mirza Mazhar Jaan-e-JaanaaN]

kuchh to hote haiN mohabbat meN junuuN ke aasaar
aur kuchh log bhii diivaanaa banaa dete haiN[Ghulam Hamdaani 'Mus.hafi']

na chheD aye nikhat-e-baad-e-bahaarii raah lag apnii
tujhe atkheliyaaN sujhii haiN, ham bezaar baiThe haiN
[Insha]

terii suurat se kisii kii nahiiN miltii suurat
ham jahaaN meN terii tasviir liye phirte haiN
[Imam Bakhsh 'Nasikh']

ab to ghabraa ke ye kahte haiN ki mar jaayenge
mar ke bhii chain na pyaa to kidhar jaayenge
[Zauq]

meherbaaN ho ke bulaa lo mujhe chaaho jis waqt
maiN gayaa waqt nahiiN huuN ki phir aa bhii na sakuuN
[Ghalib]

taDaptii dekhtaa huuN jab koi shai
uThaa letaa huuN apnaa dil samajh kar
(Taslim]

but ko but aur Khudaa ko jo Khudaa kahte haiN
ham bhii dekheN ki tujhe dekh ke kyaa kahte haiN
[DaaGh Dehlvi]

ye bazm-e-mai hai, yahaaN kotaah-dastii meN hai mahruumii
jo baDh kar Khud uThaa le haath meN miinaa usii kaa hai
[Shaad Azimabadi]

To be continued...