“Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat” is an Urdu nazm by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, often celebrated as one of his finest works—blending love with politics, and turning personal longing into a powerful cry against social injustice.
The poem gained widespread popularity through the iconic rendition by Noor Jehan, and has since been performed by many others. According to Faiz, this nazm also marked his transition from the romantic poetry of his early years to the more mature, socially conscious work of his later career.
The poem was first published in his debut collection Naqsh-e-Faryadi in 1943. Faiz was a key figure in the Progressive Writers’ Movement, and “Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat Mere Mehboob Na Maang” signifies his shift from traditional Urdu poetry to poetry with purpose.
Note:
We have tried to translate Mujhse pehli si muhabbat into English. However, it must be noted that while a translated poem may carry the message, it can never fully capture its essence — the depth of thought, the layered emotions, and the beauty of the language that make the original poem so powerful.
مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مرے محبوب نہ مانگ
میں نے سمجھا تھا کہ تو ہے تو درخشاں ہے حیات
تیرا غم ہے تو غم دہر کا جھگڑا کیا ہے
تیری صورت سے ہے عالم میں بہاروں کو ثبات
تیری آنکھوں کے سوا دنیا میں رکھا کیا ہے
تو جو مل جائے تو تقدیر نگوں ہو جائے
یوں نہ تھا میں نے فقط چاہا تھا یوں ہو جائے
اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا
راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت کے سوا
[Mujh se pehli si mohabbat mere mehboob na maang]
[Main ne samjha tha ke tu hai to durakhshaan hai hayaat]
[Tera gham hai to gham-e-dehr ka jhagra kya hai]
[Teri soorat se hai aalam mein bahaaron ko sabaat]
[Teri aankhon ke siwa duniya mein rakha kya hai]
[Tu jo mil jaaye tou taqdeer niguun ho jaaye]
[Youn na tha, main ne faqat chaaha tha youn ho jaaye]
[Aur bhi dukh hain zamaane mein mohabbat ke siwa]
[Raahatein aur bhi hain wasl ki raahat ke siwa]
Don’t ask for the love of the old days, my beloved
I once believed that your presence alone would keep my life bright
If I could share in your sorrow, I wouldn’t have to worry about the troubles of the world
Your gaze seemed to bring eternal spring everywhere around the world
What is there in the world except for your eyes?
I thought that having you would change the course of my fate.
It was not to be—I had only wished it so
For there are other sorrows in this world beyond the torment of love
There are other comforts, more urgent than the warmth of our union
ان گنت صدیوں کے تاریک بہیمانہ طلسم
ریشم و اطلس و کمخاب میں بنوائے ہوئے
جا بہ جا بکتے ہوئے کوچہ و بازار میں جسم
خاک میں لتھڑے ہوئے خون میں نہلائے ہوئے
[An-ginat sadiyon ke tareek baheemaana tilism]
[Resham-o-atlas-o-kamkhaab mein banwaaye hue]
[Jaa ba-jaa bikte hue koocha-o-bazaar mein jism]
[Khaak mein lithray hue khoon mein nehlaaye hue]
Centuries have passed under the spell of a dark and brutal enchantment
Bodies, adorned in woven silk and rich embroidery
Are sold in alleys and marketplaces—
Smeared with dust, bathed in blood
جسم نکلے ہوئے امراض کے تنوروں سے
پیپ بہتی ہوئی گلتے ہوئے ناسوروں سے
لوٹ جاتی ہے ادھر کو بھی نظر کیا کیجے
اب بھی دل کش ہے ترا حسن مگر کیا کیجے
[Jism nikle hue amraaz ke tanooron se]
[Peep behti hui galte hue naasooron se]
[Laut jaati hai idhar ko bhi nazar kya kijiyay]
[Ab bhi dilkash hai tera husn magar kya kijiyay]
Bodies emerge from the furnaces of disease
Pus flowing from festering wounds
And yet, my love, I cannot look away!
Your beauty still enchants—but how can I turn away from the grief and ruin that surrounds me?
اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا
راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت کے سوا
مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ
[Aur bhi dukh hain zamaane mein mohabbat ke siwa]
[Raahatein aur bhi hain wasl ki raahat ke siwa]
[Mujh se pehli si mohabbat mere mehboob na maang]
There are other sorrows in this world besides the pain of love
There are other comforts, more important than the joy of our reunion
Don’t ask for the love of days gone by, my beloved