Bashir Badr shayari: Check 20 most popular sher by the celebrated Urdu poet, with English meanings

On 28 May, celebrated Urdu poet Bashir Badr passed away at the age of 91. He breathed his last at his home, Bashir Manzil, in Bhopal, after prolonged illness and dementia.

He was known for his melancholic love poems. Here are the 20 most popular Bashir Badr sher with their English meanings.

Main chahta hun khafa ho to vo khafa hi lage

(Strange is this person, smiles when displeased

I wish that when angry, the anger should show)

Aankhon mein raha dil mein utar kar nahin dekha

Kashti ke musafir ne samundar nahin dekha

(You lived in my eyes, never descended to my heart

The sailor of the boat never visited the sea)

Aashiqi mein bahut zaruri hai

Bewafai kabhi kabhi karna

(In love, it is sometimes necessary to practice a little faithlessness)

Dushmani jam kar karo lekin ye gunjaish rahe

Jab kabhi ham dost ho jayen to sharminda na hon

(Fight your enemies hard, but leave this door open that,

If we ever become friends, neither of us feels ashamed)

Gharon pe naam the namon ke saath ohde the

Bahut talaash kiya koi aadmi na mila

(houses had names, names had titles I searched for long,

But found no human being)

Isi shahar mein kai saal se mere kuchh qaribi aziiz hain

Unhen meri koi khabar nahin mujhe un ka koi pata nahin

(In this very city, for many years, I have had some dear ones

They have no news of me, I have no address of theirs)

Ji bahut chahta hai sach bolen

Kya karen hausla nahin hota

(The heart desires greatly to speak the truth

What can one do, the courage is simply not there)

Kabhi kabhi to chhalak padti hain yunhi aankhen

Udaas hone ka koi sabab nahin hota

(Sometimes the eyes just brim over, just like that

You don’t need a reason to be sad)

Khuda aise ehsaas ka naam hai

rahe saamne aur dikhai na de

(God is the name of a feeling like this

Present right before you, yet nowhere to be seen)

Koi haath bhi na milaega jo gale miloge tapaak se

Ye nae mizaaj ka shahr hai zara faasle se mila karo

(No one will shake your hand if you embrace too eagerly

This is a city of new temperaments, meet people with some distance)

Kuchh to majburiyaan rahi hongi

Yun koi bewafa nahin hota

(There must have been some compulsions after all

No one becomes faithless without a reason)

Log toot jaate hain ek ghar banaane mein

Tum taras nahin khaate bastiyan jalaane mein

(People break themselves to build just one home

And, you feel no pity burning down entire settlements)

Mohabbaton mein dikhaave ki dosti na mila

Agar gale nahin milta to haath bhi na mila

(in love, give me no friendship of pretense

If you don’t want a hug, do not even offer your hand)

Mujh se kya baat likhani hai ki ab mere liye

Kabhi sone kabhi chandi ke qalam aate hain

(What is it that they want me to write now

Sometimes, pens of gold, sometimes pens of silver arrive for me)

Mujhe gilaas bade de sharaab kam kar de

Yahan libaas ki qimat hai aadmi ki nahin

(Give me a larger glass, pour me less wine

In this world, the price of clothing matters, not the man)

Musafir hain ham bhi musafir ho tum bhi

Kisi mod par phir mulaaqat hogi

(I am a traveller, and you are a traveller as well

At some turn in the road, we shall meet again)

Sar jhukaoge to patthar devta ho jaega

Itna mat chaho use vo bevafa ho jaega

(if you bow your head, the stone will become a god

Do not desire someone so much; they’ll cheat on you)

Ujaale apni yadon ke hamare saath rehne do

Na jaane kis gali mein zindagi ki shaam ho jaaye

(Let the light of your memories stay with me

Who knows in which lane the evening of life may fall)

Us ki aankhon ko ghaur se dekho

Mandiron mein charagh jalte hain

(Look closely into her eyes

They burn like lamps in temples)

Zindagi tune mujhe qabr se kam di hai zameen

Paanv phailaun to deewar mein sar lagta hai

(Life, you have given me less ground than a grave

If I stretch my legs, my head hits the wall)

Source: Rekhta