By Umair Najmi
tum pe kya khaak asar hoga mire she'ron ka
tum ko to mir-taqi 'mir' nahin khinch saka

What hope have my couplets of moving you — when even Mir Taqi Mir could not draw you in.

Romanहिन्दीUmair Najmi
तुम पे क्या ख़ाक असर होगा मिरे शे'रों का
तुम को तो मीर-तक़ी 'मीर' नहीं खींच सका

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

The poet despairs of moving his beloved with his verses, and proves the point by invoking Mir Taqi Mir, the supreme master of Urdu poetry, who also failed to draw her in. The self-deprecation is double — it bows to Mir while turning his greatness into the ultimate measure of the beloved's unreachable coldness.

For You, Today

When even the best cannot move someone, stop blaming your own efforts — some doors do not open for anyone.

A graceful couplet that flatters the beloved by spending the tradition's highest name on her.
Themes:Love & LossLonging
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More from Umair Najmi
Love & Loss
bichhad gaye to ye dil umr bhar lagega nahin
The Self
nikal laya hun ek pinjre se ik parinda
Beauty
kisi gali mein kirae pe ghar liya us ne
All couplets by Umair Najmi

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