دیکھ مگر پیار سے
Dekh magar pyaar se
Look, but with love.
Love and flirting
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Truck poetry
Read the back of the truck in front.
Pakistani trucks carry more than cargo. Their tailgates and bumpers are painted with lines of love, prayer, warnings, jokes and pride, in Urdu, Punjabi and sometimes English. Here are the ones you will see again and again, with how to say them and what they mean.
فاصلہ رکھیں ورنہ پیار ہو جائے گا
Faasla rakhein, warna pyaar ho jaaye ga
Keep your distance, or you’ll fall in love.
Love and flirting
ہنس مت پگلی پیار ہو جائے گا
Hans mat pagli, pyaar ho jaaye ga
Don’t laugh, silly, or you’ll fall in love.
Love and flirting
پپو یار تنگ نہ کر
Pappu yaar tang na kar
Pappu, my friend, don’t pester me.
Love and flirting
ماں کی دعا جنت کی ہوا
Maa ki dua, jannat ki hawa
A mother’s prayer is a breeze from paradise.
Prayers and mothers
ماشاءاللہ
Mashallah
As God has willed. Said to protect good fortune from envy.
Prayers and mothers
ہمت مرداں مدد خدا
Himmat-e-mardaan, madad-e-Khuda
Bring the courage, and God brings the help.
Prayers and mothers
یا اللہ خیر
Ya Allah khair
O God, keep us safe.
Prayers and mothers
بری نظر والے تیرا منہ کالا
Buri nazar waale, tera munh kaala
You with the evil eye, may your face turn black.
Against the evil eye
چشم بد دور
Chashm-e-bad door
May the evil eye stay far away.
Against the evil eye
جلنے والے کا منہ کالا
Jalne waale ka munh kaala
Shame on the one who is jealous.
Against the evil eye
ہارن دو راستہ لو
Horn do, raasta lo
Honk, and the road is yours.
Road rules
تو چل میں آیا
Tu chal, main aaya
Go on ahead, I’m right behind you.
Road rules
چلتی ہے گاڑی اڑتی ہے دھول، جلتے ہیں دشمن کھلتے ہیں پھول
Chalti hai gaari, urti hai dhool; jalte hain dushman, khilte hain phool
The truck rolls, the dust flies; rivals burn, and flowers bloom.
Road rules
Use dipper at night
Painted in English on countless trucks: dip your headlights at night.
Road rules
قسمت اپنی اپنی
Qismat apni apni
Everyone has their own luck.
Wisdom
صبر کا پھل میٹھا ہوتا ہے
Sabr ka phal meetha hota hai
The fruit of patience is sweet.
Wisdom
محنت میں عظمت ہے
Mehnat mein azmat hai
There is greatness in hard work.
Wisdom
پھر ملیں گے اگر خدا لایا
Phir milenge agar Khuda laaya
We’ll meet again, if God brings us together.
Goodbyes
رب راکھا
Rab raakha
May God protect you. A Punjabi goodbye.
Goodbyes
خدا حافظ
Khuda haafiz
God be your guardian. The everyday goodbye.
Goodbyes
پاکستان زندہ باد
Pakistan zindabad
Long live Pakistan.
Pride
دل دل پاکستان
Dil dil Pakistan
Pakistan, heart and soul. From the 1987 pop song.
Pride
ایمان، اتحاد، نظم
Imaan, ittehad, nazm
Faith, unity, discipline. Pakistan’s national motto.
Pride
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Painting your card…
Stickers have a transparent background. Save one, then add it to an Instagram story, or turn it into a WhatsApp sticker with any sticker-maker app. If Save does nothing, press and hold (or right-click) the image to save it.
Roman Urdu spellings vary from truck to truck, and so do the exact words. The “hear it” button uses your device’s voices, so the accent depends on your device.
Seen one we are missing?
Send us a photo of a tailgate.
If you have travelled in Pakistan, you have read lines we have not collected yet. Send us a photo and where you saw it, and we will add it with your name.
poetry@pakistanee.com