woke and searched everywhere,
I found him in the mirror —
since then I have loved myself.❞
Parveen Shakir was a Pakistani Urdu poet, teacher, and civil servant. She was one of the most celebrated and beloved Urdu poets of the 20th century, known for writing about female emotions, love, and femininity with rare sensitivity and depth.
Born: Karachi, Pakistan · Era: 1952–1994 · Specialty: Love Poetry, Ghazal
Ghazal is the most refined and enduring form in Urdu-Hindi poetry — a series of independent couplets bound by rhyme and refrain. This collection of works by Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Mir Taqi Mir, and Bashir Badr suits readers who want to understand the classical tradition, recite verses aloud, or savor a single sher at a time.