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زندگانی ہے صدَف، قطرۂ نیساں ہے خودی
وہ صدَف کیا کہ جو قطرے کو گُہر کر نہ سکے
Zindagani hai sadaf, qatra-e-naisan hai khudi
Woh sadaf kya ke jo qatre ko guhar kar na sake
ہو اگر خودنِگر و خودگر و خودگیر خودی
یہ بھی ممکن ہے کہ تُو موت سے بھی مر نہ سکے
Ho agar khud-nigar o khud-gar o khud-gir khudi
Ye bhi mumkin hai ke tu maut se bhi mar na sake
Source: Zarb-e-Kalim (1936) — section Islam aur Musalman, nazm
Spotted a mistake in the text? Tell us — every poem is checked against its source. Rights holder? Request removal.
Two couplets on lasting life. Life is the oyster shell and the self (khudi) is the raindrop inside it; a shell that cannot turn its drop into a pearl is worthless. If the self watches, shapes and holds itself, the poem says, it may outlast even death.
Short quotes only (up to characters): the book stays the author’s. Line breaks are kept — good for couplets.
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