By Ahmad Faraz
aaj ik aur baras biit gaya us ke baghair
jis ke hote hue hote the zamane mere

Today another year has passed without her — the one whose presence once made the whole age mine.

Romanहिन्दीAhmad Faraz
आज इक और बरस बीत गया उसके बग़ैर
जिस के होते हुए होते थे ज़माने मेरे

The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.

♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation

An anniversary couplet that counts time by absence — another year gone, marked not by what happened but by who was missing. The second line reveals the true loss: her presence once made the whole age feel like his to live in. Without her, time merely passes; with her, it had belonged to him.

For You, Today

Notice that certain people do not just share your years — they make the years feel like yours; honour that while they are still present.

A favourite for its quiet accounting, the verse turns a calendar date into a measure of how much one person can mean.
Themes:TimeLove & Loss
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More from Ahmad Faraz
Longing
karun na yaad magar kis tarah bhulaun use
Longing
ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhane ke liye aa
Love & Loss
ab ke ham bichhde to shayad kabhi khwabon mein milen
All couplets by Ahmad Faraz

The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →