There are said to be 7 Stages of Love. Urdu poetry illustrates this beautifully by verse. And no one does it better than lyrical Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz. Read on...
Dilkashi Or Attraction
Guftugu acchi lagi, zauq e nazar accha laga
Muddaton ke baad koi humsafar accha laga
(The conversation was pleasant, the taste of the sight was good,
After ages, a companion seemed truly good.)
Uns Or Infatuation
Paagal hue jaate ho Faraz ussey miley kya
Itni si khushi se koi mar bhi nahi jaata
(You are going mad, Faraz -- what did you get by meeting her?
No one dies from such a small dose of happiness.)
Mohabbat Or Love
Jis simt bhi dekho nazar aata hai ke tum ho
Aey Jaaney Jahan ye koi tumsa hai, ke tum ho
(Whichever way I look, it seems to be you,
O love of my world -- Is it someone like you, or truly you?)
Aqeedat Or Worship
Ye kannat hai, attat hai, ke chahaat hai Faraz
Hum toh raazi hai, vo jis haal mien jaisa rakhey
(Whether it’s submission, obedience, or love, Faraz,
I am content, however she chooses to keep me.)
Ibaadat Or Worship
Zindagi teri ata thi so tere naam ki hai
Hum ne jaisey bhi basar ki tera ehsaan jaana
(Life was a gift from you, so it belongs to your name.
However I lived it, I counted it as your grace.)
Junoon Or Madness
Junoon ho to baqol-e-Faraz aisa ho
Ke Dard bhi apna lage aur zakhm bhi pyara
(If madness exists, let it be like Faraz describes
Where even pain feels familiar and wounds seem dear.)
Maut Or Death
Kitna aasan tha tere hijr mein marna jaana
Phir bhi ek umr lag jaan se jaate jaate
(How easy it seemed to die in your separation, beloved,
Yet it took me a lifetime to truly die while departing.)