Din kuch aise guzarta hai koi, jaise ehsaan utarta hai koi
Dil mei kuch yun sambhalta hun gham, jaise zavar sambhalta hai koi
Aaina dekh kar tasalli hui, humko is ghar mein jaanta hai koi.
Gulzar – a name synonymous with soul-stirring poetry, piercing deep lines, and tear-jerking emotions – is one of the greatest Urdu Shayari legends of all times. He was born in 1936 as Sampooran Singh in the Jhelum district (now in Pakistan), and his family was forced to move to Delhi after the Partition.
As is the case with most families torn apart and displaced by the Partition, Sampooran Singh was deeply distressed and had countless nightmares of that horrific event. Later, he found an outlet with words under the pseudonym – Gulzar Deenvi.
Gulzar‘s greatest inspiration was Rabindranath Tagore, and he started his writing career with Bollywood songs. Some of his finest lyric writings include Tujhse Naraz Nahi Zindagi, Aanewala Pal Janewala Hai, Tum Aagye Ho Noor Aagya, and countless others.
Jeene ke liye socha hi nahin dard sambhalne honge,
Muskurayrein toh muskurane ke karz utarne honge.
A poet at heart, Gulzar is a living legend who has blessed us with his words for decades. Now, in his mid-80s, he fits well in his own verse – Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji – as he continues exploring his way with words. In this article, we aim to go through some of the finest Gulzar quotes of all time that you can’t read with a straight face! This list includes ghazalein, nazamein and of course sher-o-shayari.
Evergreen Heart Touching Gulzar Quotes And Shayari
Tujh Ko Dekha Hai Jo Dariya Nei Idhar Aate Huye
Tujh ko dekha hai jo dariya nei idhar aate huye
Kuch bhanvar duub gaye paani mein chakrate huye
Hum nei toh raat ko daanton se pakad rakkha tha
Chhina jhapti mein ufuq khulta gaya jate huye
Main na hounga toh khizan kaise kategi teri
Shokh patte nei kaha shaakh se murjhate huye
Hasratein apni bilakhti na yateemon ki tarah
Hum ko awaz hi de leta zara jaate huye
Si liye hont pakiza nigahein sun kar
Maili ho jaati hai awaz bhi dohrate huye
In this ghazal, Gulzar Sahab (as he is lovingly known) talks about the pain of being estranged from a former lover, who is obviously so beautiful to him that even nature is incapable of keeping its balance upon seeing them.
In his words, he brings out the torment a person faces when they are left behind and are no longer cared for. If only they had bothered to let down easily before leaving, the pain might be slightly bearable. This heart-touching Gulzar Shayari is capable of moving a person to tears with mere words. We just love the references to nature that Gulzar’s work has.
Kahin Toh Gard Ude Ya Kahin Ghubaar Dikhe
Kahin toh gard ude ya kahin ghubaar dikhe
Kahin se aata hua koi shahsavar dikhe
Khafa thi shaakh se shayad ki jab hawa guzri
Zameen pe girte huye phool be-shumaar dikhe
Ravaan hain phir bhi ruke hain wahin pe sadiyon se
Bade udaas lage jab bhi abshar dikhe
Kabhi toh chaunk ke dekhe koi hamari taraf
Kisi ki aankhon mei hum ko bhi intezaar dikhe
Koi tilismi sifat thi jo is hujuum mein wo
Huye jo aankh se ojhal toh baar baar dikhe
Another beautiful ghazal on the line, Kahin Toh Gard Dikhe Ya Kahin Ghubaar Dikhe, will give you goosebumps. Here Gulzar talks about the suffering and agony of waiting for a person who has left to return – if they ever do, that is. He wishes to see the clouds of dust that are seen when someone is coming on horseback.
He sees himself in the anger and anguish of winds that uproot and leave a flurry of delicate flowers behind. This heart-touching Gulzar Shayari makes us relate to the pain of this form of wait and the effect it has on us as we often see them in complete strangers.
Zikr Hota Hai Jahan Bhi Mere Afsany Ka
Zikr hota hai jahan bhi mere afsany ka
Ek darwaza sa khulta hai kutub khane ka
Ek sannata dabe paanv gaya ho jaise
Dil se ek khauf sa guzra hai bichhad jane ka
Bulbula fir se chala paani mein ghote khane
Na samajhne ka use vaqt na samjhane ka
Main nei alfaaz toh beejon ki tarah chhant diye
Aisa meetha tera andaaz tha farmane ka
Kis ko roke koi raaste mein kahan baat kare
Na toh aane ki khabar hai na pata jaane ka
Gulzar’s quotes are so deep and meaningful that they can make us feel emotions that we never knew we had. In Zikr Hota Hai Jahan Bhi Mere Afsany Ka, Gulzar saheb goes on in-depth about the beauty and fear of being in love. When hearts are in love, there is so much to say that even all the books in a library can be filled with these stories.
The happiness is so great that it seems almost unreal and the feeling of everything ending and the pain that would follow is fearsome. Yet, in the words of the shayar, a heart in love doesn’t stop to reason. Because who knows about the future, right?
Baarish Hoti Hai Toh Paani Ko Bhi Lag Jaate Hain Paanv
Baarish hoti hai toh paani ko bhi lag jaate hain paanv
Dar-o-deewar se takra ke guzarta hai gali se
Or uchhalta hai chapakon mein
Kisi match mein jeete huye ladkon ki tarah
Jeet kr aate hain jb match gali ke ladke
Joote pehne huye canvas ke uchhalte huye gendon ki tarah
Dar-o-deewar se takra ke guzarte hain
Wo paani ke chapakon ki tarah
This magnificent piece of work is quite different from the others that Gulzar has written. It feels like a random musing that he had while watching the day-to-day life around him. In this case, it is the rain, and the boys are playing cricket in his neighborhood. He makes a beautiful comparison between them by noting the ecstasy they feel at different moments.
When it rains, the otherwise calm water runs across the neighborhood, splashing across the doors and walls in joy. And similarly, when boys in his neighborhood win a match, they pass by laughing and bumping against the walls – without a care in the world.
Shaam Se Aaj Saans Bhaari Hai
Shaam se aaj saans bhaari hai
Be-qarari si be-qarari hai
Aap ke baad har ghadi hum nei
Aap ke saath hi guzari hai
Raat ko de do chaandni ki rida
Din ki chadar abhi utari hai
Shakh par koi qahqaha toh khile
Kaisi chup si chaman mein taari hai
Kal ka har vaaqia tumhara tha
Aaj ki daastan hamari hai
In this heart touching Gulzar shayari, we see him conversing with the lover who is no longer with him. He tries to convey to them how after they are gone, even simply breathing is too much of a task for him. He goes through phases of restlessness, and even when the person is not present with him, he spends time with them – in his thoughts and dreams. Again Gulzar draws on nature in order to convey his emotions, which is really beautiful.
Kandhe Jhuk Jate Hain
Kandhe jhuk jate hain jb bojh se is lambe safar ke
Haanp jata hun main jab chadte huye tez chadhane
Saansein reh jati hain jan seene mein ek guchha sa ho kar
Or lagta hai ki dam tuut hi jayega yahin par
Ek nanhi si meri nazm mere saamne aa kar mujhse kehti hai mera haath pakad kar
Mere shayer laa mere kandhon par rakh de, mai tera bojh utha lun
We find this nazm quite charming because it describes Gulzar’s love for writing and how it makes his journey of life more bearable. It is an undebatable fact that life can be quite rough most of the time and it often makes us break down – unable to carry on.
He compares the journey of life to climbing steep steps which causes breathlessness after a point, and going on feels like a task. During such times, writing is a form of art that relieves the writer and removes some of the pain. Gulzar quotes never cease to amaze us.
Urdu Zabaan
Yeh kaisa ishq hai urdu zabaan ka
Maza ghulta hai lafzon ka zabaan par
Ki jaise paan mein mehenga qimam ghulta hai
Ye kaisa ishq hai urdu zabaan ka
Nasha aata hai urdu bolne mein
Gilauri ki tarah hain munh lagi sab istelahein
Lutf deti hai, halaq chhuti hai urdu toh
Halaq se jaise maye ka ghoont utarta hai
Badi aristocracy hai zabaan mein
Faqeeri mein navabi ka maza deti hai urdu
Agarche maani kam hote hain urdu mei, alfaz ki ifrat hoti hai
Magar phir bhi, buland awaz padhiye toh bhot hi motabar lgti hain baatein
Kahin kuch duur se kaanon mein padti hai agar urdu
Toh lagta hai ki din jaadon ke hain khidki khuli hui hai
Dhoop andar aa rahi hai
Ajab hai yeh zabaan urdu
Kabhi kahin safar karte agar koi musafir sher padh de ‘mir’, ‘ghalib’ ka
Wo chahe ajnabi ho, yahi lgta hai wo mere vatan ka hai
Badi shaista lehje mei kisi se urdu sun kar
Kya nahin lgta ki ek tehzeeb ki awaz hai Urdu
This heart touching Gulzar shayari is dedicated to the language of love and tehzeeb – Urdu. He goes in depth about the exquisite beauty of this language, and there can definitely be no better ode to it. Urdu zabaan is comforting, magical, intoxicating, and above all, royal – and Gulzar expresses his love for it in the most beautiful words and metaphors.
When he says – badi aristocracy hai zabaan mein, faqeeri mein nawabi ka maza deti hai urdu – we just cannot agree more! Of course, no amount of words that we write here can do justice to the actual beauty of this nazm.
Shaam Se Aankh Mein Nami Si Hai
Shaam se aankh mein nami si hai
Aaj phir aap ki kami si hai
Dafn kar do humein ki saans aaye
Nabz kuch deir se thami si hai
Kon pathra gya hai aankhon mein
Barf palkon pe kyun jami si hai
Waqt rehta nahin kahin tik kar
Aadat iski bhi aadmi si hai
Aaiye raasta alag kar lein
Ye zaroort bhi bahami si hai
Another epic heart touching Gulzar shayari dedicated to the pain and suffering of separating from a loved one – Shaam Se Aankh Mein Nami Si Hai. The tormenting feelings are so unbearable for him that he actually wants to forget the person and move on. It has become a necessity for his own well-being and yet he is unable to do so.
The shayari starts with an agonizing description of how much he misses the person, goes on to question why he is unable to forget them too, and ends with a decision to separate his heart from theirs because the pain is just too unbearable. Gulzar is a living legend for a reason.
This was our compilation of the most amazing Gulzar quotes and shers of all time! Of course, there are countless others – too bad we can’t fit all of them in here! Which one is your favorite?
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