By Qabil Ajmeri
rasta hai ki katta jata hai
fasla hai ki kam nahin hota

The road keeps being covered, yet the distance never grows shorter.

Romanहिन्दीQabil Ajmeri
रास्ता है कि कटता जाता है
फ़ासला है कि कम नहीं होता

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 couplet sets two facts side by side that should not be able to coexist — the road is steadily being covered, and yet the distance never shrinks. It is the exact sensation of a goal that recedes as you approach it, and the plain, almost weary phrasing makes the futility feel lived rather than argued.

For You, Today

If real effort still leaves the goal as far off as ever, the problem may be the goal itself — some destinations are defined so they can never quite be reached.

It captures the modern ache of striving without arrival, a journey that moves without progress.
Themes:AspirationTime
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More from Qabil Ajmeri
Wisdom
khud tumhein chaak-e-gareban ka shaoor aa jaaega
Time
vaqt karta hai parvarish barson
Justice
rang-e-mahfil chahta hai ik mukammal inqalab
All couplets by Qabil Ajmeri

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