koi tujh sa ho to phir bhi tujh sa
“It pleases me not that anyone should share your name — let one bear a name like yours only if they are like you.”
कोई तुझ सा हो तो फिर भी तुझ सा रक्खे
The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
The couplet treats even the beloved's name as something singular and unrepeatable, refusing to let it be shared by lesser people. It sets a steep condition — a name like hers may be borne only by one who is like her — and so makes worth, not chance, the price of the name. Love here guards not just the person but every word attached to her.
When something matters to you, you grow protective even of the small things that carry its name — let that tell you how much it means.
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →