बा'द यक 'उम्र जो हुआ मा'लूम
दिल उस आईना-रू का पत्थर था
— Mir Taqi Mir
Meaning
After a lifetime, it became clear to me that the heart of that mirror-like person was stone.
Explanation
This poignant couplet by Mir Taqi Mir speaks to the bitter realization that sometimes, the heart of the beloved is not what it seems. After spending a lifetime in love, the poet discovers that the heart is not a mirror—which reflects emotions and light—but rather a stone. This implies a profound emotional numbness, a coldness that cannot be penetrated or understood, making the depth of the pain even greater.
