By Ahmad Faraz
ik aur gaya us ke
ke hote hue hote the mere
ke hote hue hote the mere
“Today another year has passed without her — the one whose presence once made the whole age mine.”
Romanहिन्दीAhmad Faraz
इक और बीत गया उसके
के होते हुए होते थे ज़माने मेरे
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
More from Ahmad Faraz
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →