Love Poetry in Urdu with English Translation: 17 Romantic Sher

About this novel

Read love poetry in Urdu with English translation: 17 famous romantic sher by Ghalib, Mir, Dagh, Dard, Zauq and Iqbal, in Urdu script and Roman Urdu.

Love is the great subject of the Urdu ghazal. For three hundred years Urdu poets have written about the beloved’s glance, the joy of meeting, the shyness of a first look and the sweet pain of longing. This page brings together 17 of the most loved romantic couplets (sher) of classical Urdu poetry, each in Urdu script, in Roman Urdu and with 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 share. For poems of grief and separation, see our sad Urdu poetry.

17 romantic Urdu poetry couplets with English translation

1. Rah-e-door-e-ishq mein rota hai kya

راہِ دورِ عشق میں روتا ہے کیا
آگے آگے دیکھیے ہوتا ہے کیا

Rah-e-door-e-ishq mein rota hai kya
Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya

Why weep at the start of love’s long road? Wait and see what lies ahead.

— Mir Taqi Mir

2. Ishq ik Mir bhaari patthar hai

عشق اک میرؔ بھاری پتھر ہے
کب یہ تجھ ناتواں سے اٹھتا ہے

Ishq ik Mir bhaari patthar hai
Kab ye tujh na-tawan se uthta hai

Love, Mir, is a heavy stone; how can a weak one like you ever lift it?

— Mir Taqi Mir

3. Hamare aage tera jab kisu ne naam liya

ہمارے آگے ترا جب کسو نے نام لیا
دلِ ستم زدہ کو ہم نے تھام تھام لیا

Hamare aage tera jab kisu ne naam liya
Dil-e-sitam-zada ko hum ne thaam thaam liya

Whenever anyone spoke your name in front of me, I had to hold on tight to my wounded heart.

— Mir Taqi Mir

4. Mir hum mil ke bahut khush hue tum se pyare

میرؔ ہم مل کے بہت خوش ہوئے تم سے پیارے
اس خرابے میں مری جان تم آباد رہو

Mir hum mil ke bahut khush hue tum se pyare
Is kharabe mein meri jaan tum aabaad raho

Mir, I was so happy to meet you, my dear; may you always flourish in this ruined world, my love.

— Mir Taqi Mir

5. Jag mein aa kar idhar udhar dekha

جگ میں آ کر ادھر ادھر دیکھا
تو ہی آیا نظر جدھر دیکھا

Jag mein aa kar idhar udhar dekha
Tu hi aaya nazar jidhar dekha

I came into the world and looked here and there; wherever I looked, I saw only you.

— Khwaja Mir Dard

6. Main jaata hoon dil ko tere paas chhode

میں جاتا ہوں دل کو ترے پاس چھوڑے
مری یاد تجھ کو دلاتا رہے گا

Main jaata hoon dil ko tere paas chhode
Meri yaad tujh ko dilata rahega

I am leaving, but I leave my heart with you; it will keep reminding you of me.

— Khwaja Mir Dard

7. Ghair ke dil mein na ja kijiyega

غیر کے دل میں نہ جا کیجیے گا
میری آنکھوں میں رہا کیجیے گا

Ghair ke dil mein na ja kijiyega
Meri aankhon mein raha kijiyega

Please do not make your home in someone else’s heart; stay in my eyes instead.

— Khwaja Mir Dard

8. Milate ho usi ko khaak mein jo dil se milta hai

ملاتے ہو اسی کو خاک میں جو دل سے ملتا ہے
مری جاں چاہنے والا بڑی مشکل سے ملتا ہے

Milate ho usi ko khaak mein jo dil se milta hai
Meri jaan chahne wala badi mushkil se milta hai

You crush into the dust the very one who loves you with all his heart; my darling, a true lover is very hard to find.

— Dagh Dehlvi

9. Hamein hai shauq ke be-parda tum ko dekhenge

ہمیں ہے شوق کہ بے پردہ تم کو دیکھیں گے
تمہیں ہے شرم تو آنکھوں پہ ہاتھ دھر لینا

Hamein hai shauq ke be-parda tum ko dekhenge
Tumhen hai sharm to aankhon pe haath dhar lena

I long to see you without a veil; if you feel shy, just cover your eyes with your hands.

— Dagh Dehlvi

10. Yun bhi hazaron lakhon mein tum intikhab ho

یوں بھی ہزاروں لاکھوں میں تم انتخاب ہو
پورا کرو سوال تو پھر لاجواب ہو

Yun bhi hazaron lakhon mein tum intikhab ho
Poora karo sawal to phir la-jawab ho

Even as you are, you are one in a hundred thousand; grant my wish, and you will be beyond compare.

— Dagh Dehlvi

11. Maana ke teri deed ke qabil nahin hoon main

مانا کہ تیری دید کے قابل نہیں ہوں میں
تو میرا شوق دیکھ مرا انتظار دیکھ

Maana ke teri deed ke qabil nahin hoon main
Tu mera shauq dekh mera intezar dekh

I admit I am not worthy of seeing you; but look at my longing, look at how I wait.

— Allama Iqbal

12. Sau sau umeeden bandhti hai ik ik nigah par

سو سو امیدیں بندھتی ہے اک اک نگاہ پر
مجھ کو نہ ایسے پیار سے دیکھا کرے کوئی

Sau sau umeeden bandhti hai ik ik nigah par
Mujh ko na aise pyaar se dekha kare koi

A hundred hopes are tied to every single glance; let no one look at me so lovingly.

— Allama Iqbal

13. Ishq bhi ho hijab mein husn bhi ho hijab mein

عشق بھی ہو حجاب میں حسن بھی ہو حجاب میں
یا تو خود آشکار ہو یا مجھے آشکار کر

Ishq bhi ho hijab mein husn bhi ho hijab mein
Ya to khud aashkar ho ya mujhe aashkar kar

Should love stay veiled and beauty stay veiled too? Either reveal yourself, or reveal me.

— Allama Iqbal

14. Koi mere dil se poochhe tere teer-e-neem-kash ko

کوئی میرے دل سے پوچھے ترے تیرِ نیم کش کو
یہ خلش کہاں سے ہوتی جو جگر کے پار ہوتا

Koi mere dil se poochhe tere teer-e-neem-kash ko
Ye khalish kahan se hoti jo jigar ke paar hota

Ask my heart about your half-drawn arrow: had it gone straight through, where would this sweet ache come from?

— Mirza Ghalib

15. Mohabbat mein nahin hai farq jeene aur marne ka

محبت میں نہیں ہے فرق جینے اور مرنے کا
اسی کو دیکھ کر جیتے ہیں جس کافر پہ دم نکلے

Mohabbat mein nahin hai farq jeene aur marne ka
Usi ko dekh kar jeete hain jis kafir pe dam nikle

In love there is no difference between living and dying: we live by looking at the very one we would die for.

— Mirza Ghalib

16. Un ke dekhe se jo aa jaati hai munh par raunaq

ان کے دیکھے سے جو آ جاتی ہے منہ پر رونق
وہ سمجھتے ہیں کہ بیمار کا حال اچھا ہے

Un ke dekhe se jo aa jaati hai munh par raunaq
Woh samajhte hain ke beemar ka haal achha hai

When she looks at me my face lights up, and she thinks the sick man must be getting better.

— Mirza Ghalib

17. Tum bhool kar bhi yaad nahin karte ho kabhi

تم بھول کر بھی یاد نہیں کرتے ہو کبھی
ہم تو تمہاری یاد میں سب کچھ بھلا چکے

Tum bhool kar bhi yaad nahin karte ho kabhi
Hum to tumhari yaad mein sab kuchh bhula chuke

You never remember me, not even by chance, while I have forgotten everything else in remembering you.

— Shaikh Ibrahim Zauq

Love in Urdu poetry: ishq, mohabbat and the beloved

Urdu has many words for love. Mohabbat is affection and love in general; ishq is a deep, burning passion that can take over a whole life; pyaar is the everyday word for love. In the classical ghazal the beloved (mehboob or yaar) is usually distant, proud and hard to reach, and the lover’s patience, longing and loyalty are what the poem celebrates. Many couplets can also be read as love for God, which is why the same lines are loved by romantics and by Sufis alike.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the best Urdu poet of love?

Mir Taqi Mir is often called the greatest poet of love in Urdu for the simple, heartfelt way he writes. Mirza Ghalib, Dagh Dehlvi and Momin Khan Momin are also famous for their romantic ghazals.

What is the difference between ishq and mohabbat?

Mohabbat is love and affection in general, while ishq means intense, passionate love. In poetry, ishq is the stronger word, the kind of love that the poet cannot escape.

Can I use these couplets for a message or a caption?

Yes. The poetry is in the public domain. The English translations are our own; 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, sad Urdu poetry, Mirza Ghalib shayari, Allama Iqbal poetry, or browse our romantic Urdu novels.

The Urdu text of each couplet was checked against the Rekhta Urdu poetry archive. The English translations are our own.