Sad Urdu Poetry with English Translation: 14 Famous Sher
- Language
- Urdu
About this novel
Read sad Urdu poetry in English: 14 famous ghamgeen sher by Mir, Ghalib, Dard, Zauq, Dagh and Iqbal, each in Urdu script, Roman Urdu and translation.
Sadness, separation and the pain of love are at the heart of classical Urdu poetry. This page collects 14 of the most moving sad couplets (ghamgeen sher) by the great poets of Urdu, each with the Urdu text, a Roman Urdu version you can read aloud, and a plain English translation of our own.
All of these poets lived between the 18th century and 1938, so their poetry is in the public domain and free to read and share. For happier lines, see our love poetry in Urdu.
14 sad Urdu poetry couplets with English translation
1. Yaad us ki itni khoob nahin Mir baaz aa
یاد اس کی اتنی خوب نہیں میرؔ باز آ
ناداں پھر وہ جی سے بھلایا نہ جائے گا
Yaad us ki itni khoob nahin Mir baaz aa
Nadan phir woh ji se bhulaya na jayega
Thinking of her so much is not good for you, Mir; stop, foolish one, or you will never be able to forget her.
— Mir Taqi Mir
2. Kin neendon ab tu soti hai ae chashm-e-girya-nak
کن نیندوں اب تو سوتی ہے اے چشمِ گریہ ناک
مژگاں تو کھول شہر کو سیلاب لے گیا
Kin neendon ab tu soti hai ae chashm-e-girya-nak
Mizhgan to khol shehr ko sailaab le gaya
What deep sleep is this, my weeping eye? Open your lashes: the flood of your tears has carried the whole city away.
— Mir Taqi Mir
3. Mere saliqe se meri nibhi mohabbat mein
مرے سلیقے سے میری نبھی محبت میں
تمام عمر میں ناکامیوں سے کام لیا
Mere saliqe se meri nibhi mohabbat mein
Tamaam umr main nakaamiyon se kaam liya
My love lasted only because of my own patience: all my life I made do with failure.
— Mir Taqi Mir
4. Nahin shikwa mujhe kuchh bewafai ka teri hargiz
نہیں شکوہ مجھے کچھ بے وفائی کا تری ہرگز
گلا تب ہو اگر تو نے کسی سے بھی نبھائی ہو
Nahin shikwa mujhe kuchh bewafai ka teri hargiz
Gila tab ho agar tu ne kisi se bhi nibhai ho
I have no complaint at all about your faithlessness; I would complain only if you had ever been faithful to anyone.
— Khwaja Mir Dard
5. Aziyyat musibat malamat balaen
اذیت مصیبت ملامت بلائیں
ترے عشق میں ہم نے کیا کیا نہ دیکھا
Aziyyat musibat malamat balaen
Tere ishq mein hum ne kya kya na dekha
Pain, hardship, blame and disaster: what have I not seen in your love?
— Khwaja Mir Dard
6. Dil bhi ae Dard qatra-e-khoon tha
دل بھی اے دردؔ قطرۂ خوں تھا
آنسوؤں میں کہیں گرا ہوگا
Dil bhi ae Dard qatra-e-khoon tha
Aansuon mein kahin gira hoga
My heart too, Dard, was only a drop of blood; it must have fallen somewhere along with my tears.
— Khwaja Mir Dard
7. Ek aansu ne duboya mujh ko un ki bazm mein
ایک آنسو نے ڈبویا مجھ کو ان کی بزم میں
بوند بھر پانی سے ساری آبرو پانی ہوئی
Ek aansu ne duboya mujh ko un ki bazm mein
Boond bhar paani se saari aabru paani hui
A single tear drowned me at her gathering; one drop of water washed away all my honour.
— Shaikh Ibrahim Zauq
8. Hum rone pe aa jaen to darya hi baha den
ہم رونے پہ آ جائیں تو دریا ہی بہا دیں
شبنم کی طرح سے ہمیں رونا نہیں آتا
Hum rone pe aa jaen to darya hi baha den
Shabnam ki tarah se hamein rona nahin aata
When I begin to weep I pour out whole rivers; I do not know how to cry gently like the dew.
— Shaikh Ibrahim Zauq
9. Maloom jo hota hamein anjam-e-mohabbat
معلوم جو ہوتا ہمیں انجامِ محبت
لیتے نہ کبھی بھول کے ہم نامِ محبت
Maloom jo hota hamein anjam-e-mohabbat
Lete na kabhi bhool ke hum naam-e-mohabbat
Had I known how love would end, I would never, even by mistake, have spoken its name.
— Shaikh Ibrahim Zauq
10. Ae shama teri umr-e-tabii hai ek raat
اے شمع تیری عمرِ طبیعی ہے ایک رات
ہنس کر گزار یا اسے رو کر گزار دے
Ae shama teri umr-e-tabii hai ek raat
Hans kar guzaar ya ise ro kar guzaar de
O candle, your whole natural life is a single night: spend it laughing, or spend it in tears.
— Shaikh Ibrahim Zauq
11. Raha na dil mein woh bedard aur dard raha
رہا نہ دل میں وہ بے درد اور درد رہا
مقیم کون ہوا ہے مقام کس کا تھا
Raha na dil mein woh bedard aur dard raha
Muqeem kaun hua hai maqam kis ka tha
The heartless one left my heart, and only the pain remained; the place was meant for one, and another has settled in.
— Dagh Dehlvi
12. Falak deta hai jin ko aish un ko gham bhi hote hain
فلک دیتا ہے جن کو عیش ان کو غم بھی ہوتے ہیں
جہاں بجتے ہیں نقارے وہاں ماتم بھی ہوتے ہیں
Falak deta hai jin ko aish un ko gham bhi hote hain
Jahan bajte hain naqqare wahan matam bhi hote hain
Those to whom fate gives pleasure are given sorrow too; where the drums of celebration play, mourning also comes.
— Dagh Dehlvi
13. Duniya ki mehfilon se ukta gaya hoon ya Rab
دنیا کی محفلوں سے اکتا گیا ہوں یا رب
کیا لطف انجمن کا جب دل ہی بجھ گیا ہو
Duniya ki mehfilon se ukta gaya hoon ya Rab
Kya lutf anjuman ka jab dil hi bujh gaya ho
O Lord, I have grown tired of the gatherings of the world; what joy is there in company when the heart itself has gone dark?
— Allama Iqbal
14. Aah ko chahiye ik umr asar hote tak
آہ کو چاہیے اک عمر اثر ہوتے تک
کون جیتا ہے تری زلف کے سر ہوتے تک
Aah ko chahiye ik umr asar hote tak
Kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar hote tak
A sigh needs a lifetime to have any effect; who can live long enough for you to finish arranging your curls?
— Mirza Ghalib
Why is Urdu poetry so sad?
The classical Urdu ghazal grew out of Persian poetry, where the lover is almost always separated from the beloved. Grief (gham), longing (hijr) and tears are not signs of weakness in this tradition but proof of a true heart. Poets like Mir Taqi Mir lived through the fall of Delhi and great personal loss, and their sorrow speaks to readers even today. That is why sad shayari is still shared in messages, on social media and at mushairas across Pakistan, India and the Urdu-speaking world.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the saddest Urdu poetry?
Mir Taqi Mir is often called the poet of sorrow, and many readers consider his couplets the saddest in Urdu. Khwaja Mir Dard and Mirza Ghalib also wrote some of the most quoted lines on grief and separation.
What does ghamgeen shayari mean?
Ghamgeen means sad or full of sorrow, and shayari means poetry. Ghamgeen shayari is sad poetry, usually about lost love, loneliness or the shortness of life.
Can I share these couplets?
Yes. The poets on this page died long ago and their poetry is in the public domain. The English translations are ours; you are welcome to share them with a link back to this page.
Where can I read more Urdu poetry with translation?
See Urdu poetry in English (29 famous couplets), love poetry in Urdu, Mirza Ghalib shayari and Allama Iqbal poetry.
The Urdu text of each couplet was checked against the Rekhta Urdu poetry archive. The English translations are our own.
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