The Role of Dreams in Urdu Verse (Khwabon ka Tazkira)

Exploring Dreams as Metaphor in Classical and Contemporary Urdu Poetry

Urdu poetry has a rich tradition of layered metaphors and symbolic language. It often turns to the realm of dreams—khwab—as a profound space for artistic exploration. In this mystical and emotionally charged genre, dreams are not merely images conjured during sleep. They are metaphors that represent freedom from worldly limitations, many times, as much as virtual games on  https://betlabel.com/en. They show the illusions of hope and longing. Sometimes, they reveal divine or spiritual truths. The concept of Khwabon ka Tazkira—the discussion or remembrance of dreams—is deeply embedded in both classical and modern Urdu verse. It reflects complex psychological, emotional, and philosophical dimensions.

Dreams as Spaces of Freedom

One of the most recurring motifs in Urdu poetry is the dream as a sanctuary—an internal world untouched by the harsh realities of life. In societies bound by convention, class, or colonization (as many Urdu poets historically experienced), dreams offered a poetic space where the impossible could unfold.

Take, for instance, the lines of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, who writes:

“Gulon mein rang bhare baad-e-naubahar chale,
Chale bhi aao ke gulshan ka karobar chale…”

Here, the garden (gulshan) represents an idealized world—possibly a dream world—where the poet waits for a reunion. This dream-like setting becomes a metaphor for hope and resistance, a world where political and personal desires might be fulfilled, even if only in imagination.

Similarly, Mir Taqi Mir, a pioneer of classical Urdu ghazal, often embedded his longing and pain in dream imagery. His verses blur the line between memory, desire, and the ephemeral nature of dreams:

“Kya kya khwab dikhaaye the un aankhon ne,
Ab soch ke dard hota hai…”

Dreams here are acts of betrayal—the promise of a joy that reality never delivered. But in the moment of dreaming, the poet was free to believe, to feel, to love.

Illusion and Disillusionment

In many ghazals, dreams become metaphors for maya—the illusion that conceals the truth of suffering. This use mirrors Sufi ideas, in which the material world is considered a dream compared to the eternal reality of the divine.

Mirza Ghalib, perhaps the most philosophical of Urdu poets, often plays with this theme. In his verse:

“Hua jab gham se yun behis to gham kya sar ke katne ka,
Na tha kuch to khuda tha, kuch na hota to khuda hota.”

While not directly referencing a dream, the loss of sensory feeling (be-his) evokes a dream-like detachment from reality. In another couplet, Ghalib offers a more literal connection:

“Hote hain jin ke khwab mein jalwe tere ‘Ghalib’,
Woh jaagte bhi hain to tujhe dekhte hain…”

This verse beautifully reverses the typical roles of dream and waking life, suggesting that for those consumed by love or divine longing, dreams are the truer form of experience.

In this sense, dreams represent illusion, but not in a derogatory way. Rather, they are the illusions we choose—the spaces in which beauty, though fleeting, offers meaning.

Dreams as Divine Messages

In Sufi-inspired poetry, dreams are also sacred. They are glimpses of the divine realm, symbolic communications that guide the soul. In the works of Allama Iqbal, the national poet of Pakistan and a philosopher steeped in Islamic mysticism, dreams often play this exalted role.

In “Asrar-e-Khudi” (Secrets of the Self), Iqbal refers to dreams not as passive visions but as purposeful insights. He even claimed that the idea of Pakistan came to him in a dream—reinforcing the belief that dreams can be a form of divine inspiration or revelation.

Iqbal’s poetry bridges metaphysical thought with poetic symbolism:

“Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle,
Khuda bande se khud pooche, bata teri raza kya hai.”

Though not directly about dreams, this verse reflects the mystical belief that self-realization can lead to a dreamlike unity with the divine will.

Dreams and Romantic Idealism

Beyond spirituality and philosophy, dreams in Urdu poetry are often linked to romance. Poets like Parveen Shakir used dreams as intimate spaces where the heart confesses what reality cannot bear:

“Wo khwab jaisi ladki, wo khwab kya tha mera,
Bas aankh khulte hi main usse bhool baitha hoon.”

Dreams here represent fleeting moments of emotional truth, where the heart is most honest. Yet they vanish with the light of day, leaving only traces of their beauty and pain.

Romantic dreams are often bitter-sweet. The beloved appears perfect in the world of dreams—flawless, receptive, and eternal. But with awakening comes loss. This bittersweet tone defines much of modern nazm and ghazal writing, where dreams are no longer about transcendence, but quiet tragedy.

Contemporary Relevance

In today’s increasingly material and disenchanted world, Urdu poets continue to use dreams to critique modernity. Khwabon ka tazkira becomes a form of resistance—a reclaiming of imagination in an age dominated by rationalism and consumption.

Poets like Jaun Elia bring a postmodern despair to dream imagery:

“Main bhi bahut ajeeb hoon, itna ajeeb hoon ke bas,
Khud ko tabah kar liya aur malaal bhi nahin.”

Dreams here are not idealized—they are corrosive, fragments of a broken psyche. Yet the act of dreaming, even in its sorrow, remains a poetic statement: a refusal to surrender to cold, hard reality.

Never just dreams

In Urdu poetry, dreams are never just dreams. They are mirrors of the self, symbols of resistance, vessels for divine truth, and repositories of love and loss. Whether in the classical ghazals of Mir and Ghalib, or in the raw modernity of Jaun Elia and Parveen Shakir, khwabon ka tazkira reveals how the subconscious becomes a stage for emotional, philosophical, and spiritual inquiry.

Ultimately, dreams in Urdu verse offer more than escape—they provide insight, freedom, and a language for what cannot be said in waking life. In these poetic dreams, we find both the limits of reality and the boundless power of imagination.