क्या तीर-ए-सितम उस के सीने में भी टूटे थे
जिस ज़ख़्म को चीरूँ हूँ पैकान निकलते हैं
— Mir Taqi Mir
Meaning
Were there any arrows of cruelty that pierced his chest, for the wound I tear out, rivers of pain spill forth.
Explanation
This profound couplet explores the nature of chronic pain and emotional trauma. The poet asks if the arrows of cruelty were broken even in the beloved's chest. The answer, however, is a heartbreaking realization: the wounds are so deep that simply trying to expose them or even remember them causes new pain to surface. It suggests that some hurts are not superficial; they are ingrained parts of the self.
