na jane kis gali mein zindagi ki shaam ho jaae
“Let the light of your memories stay with me — who knows in which lane the evening of life may fall.”
न जाने किस गली में ज़िंदगी की शाम हो जाए
The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
This is one of Badr's most beloved verses, and its tenderness comes from restraint — it asks only for the light of memory, nothing grander. The second line names the fear behind the request without naming death directly, calling it the evening of life that may fall in some unknown lane. The not-knowing is the ache: the where is hidden, only the certainty remains.
Gather and keep the warm memories now, while you can — they are the light you will want with you when the road turns dark.
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →