The rain had departed with the arrival of the dusk. And as darkness enveloped the surroundings, a few droplets, remaining on the chests of arched leaves, were waiting for their turn to kiss the Earth’s fissured forehead. And now, as clouds retire to distant skies, the moon showed up, making each falling droplet appear like it’s raining moonlight!

Notice how the scenery unfolds itself; as if you are in the frame, witnessing all of it in first-person, interesting, isn’t it? Well, that’s because words are best defined as textual images. They instantly evoke a cerebral sketch that makes us one with the author’s thought, or better, the underlying meaning.

Some of the finest exemplars of such intriguing imageries are contained in our beloved Urdu poetry. Poets, classical and contemporary alike, have colored their couplets with words, masterfully. From Mirza Ghalib, painting the most abstract impressions, to Ahmad Mushtaq, brushing the simplest of everyday stills, this little collection offers some of the most inviting images drawn, with alphabets!

So, all you have to do is sit back and let your imagination run over icy flames, just like our dear poets do!

Mirza Ghalib

The verse rightly corroborates Ghalib’s boastful claim; the loftiness of thought that draws the second line can cause an entire desert to burn!

Noon Meem Rashid

Known for his complex metaphors and unalike use of language, Rashid affords ‘Sleep’ a definition of his own, the more one envisions the image the more relatable it becomes to the sleep that gets unnerved, next to one’s beloved! This excerpt belongs to his Nazm ‘Be-Karaan Raat Ke SannaTe mein’, one must consider going through his writings for he is one of the few poets whose images are so riveting that they further add to the meaning of his poems.

Irfan Siddiqi

This couplet is way more than just a vignette of dusk departing and night arriving. After a mature reflection, a cosmic contrast between hope and hopelessness becomes manifest. As the ray of light survives the infinite darkness, for the time being!

Ahmad Mushtaq

An alienated man reminiscing about his homeland in a foreign country, can this thought be expressed in a better way? The striking thing is that the entire meaning is enveloped in the image- the man who appears to be a part of the painting does not belong to it.

Sarvat Hussain

Belonging to Sarvat Hussain’s Nazm ‘Visal’, this little depiction is more of a motion picture than a still. Words like ‘khilte hi’ and ‘hilte hi’ cause a stirring effect on the impression conceived in our minds. Another interesting phrase is ‘ḳhushbū kī āvāz’, how does one hear fragrance? Well, because of ‘ġhuncha-e-lab’, lips that are buds- once a bud blooms (open up, like lips) fragrance emanates, and thus, one listens to odor. That’s love for you ladies and gentlemen, love!

Azra Naqvi

How can the above portrait be praised enough? ‘Khwab-Jangal’, Azra Naqvi’s thought-provoking Nazm is full of such etchings that keep the readers glued to it. The thought that a row of deer appears to be dancing in an absorbed state and look like vine-skirts set to motion is singularly creative.

Touched by these inspired designs? Well, you can always dive into more of these at Rekhta.

And, if you wish to add to our poetic portfolio, scratch your thumb-brush in the comment section, and share your painted poems!