By Nida Fazli
har aadmi mein hote hain das bis aadmi
jis ko bhi dekhna ho kai baar dekhna
jis ko bhi dekhna ho kai baar dekhna
“Within every person live ten or twenty persons — whomever you wish to know, look at them many times over.”
Romanहिन्दीNida Fazli
हर आदमी में होते हैं दस बीस आदमी
जिस को भी देखना हो कई बार देखना
जिस को भी देखना हो कई बार देखना
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
Fazli observes that a person is not one fixed thing but a crowd of selves, ten or twenty deep. The instruction that follows is patient and humane — to know anyone, you must look repeatedly, across moods and moments. It is a small argument against the snap judgment.
For You, Today
Do not decide who someone is from a single encounter — return, look again, and let the fuller person come into view.
The verse distils Fazli's belief that human beings are plural and only reveal themselves over time.
Themes:WisdomThe Self
More from Nida Fazli
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →