ख़ूँ बस्ता न क्यूँ पलकें हर लहज़ा रहीं मेरी
जाते नहीं आँखों से लब-ए-यार के उन्नाबी
— Mir Taqi Mir
Meaning
Why does my blood not settle, my eyelids are restless, every phrase remains mine; they do not leave my eyes, the beloved's captivating lips.
Explanation
This couplet beautifully captures the torment of unfulfilled love. The speaker's eyelids are restless because the memory of the beloved's lips—their fragrance, their touch—is so potent that it refuses to leave his eyes. It's a physical manifestation of emotional obsession. Mir Taqi Mir describes how the beauty of the beloved is not just seen, but it is permanently etched into the very act of looking, keeping the heart perpetually awake with longing.