'फ़िराक़' अक्सर बदल कर भेस मिलता है कोई काफ़िर, कभी हम जान लेते हैं कभी पहचान लेते हैं..

'फ़िराक़' अक्सर बदल कर भेस मिलता है
कोई काफ़िर,
कभी हम जान लेते हैं कभी पहचान लेते हैं..
....फ़िराक़ गोरखपुरी
‎
'Forest Tryst in Disguise' , 1903
Painting by Edmund Leighton, 
British, 1852 - 1922
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'फ़िराक़' अक्सर बदल कर भेस मिलता है
कोई काफ़िर,
कभी हम जान लेते हैं कभी पहचान लेते हैं..

भेस : disguise, dress

काफ़िर : sweetheart , माशूक़ा , infidel, impious person, प्रेमपात्र, , असमर्थ, अपात्र

जान : a friend, a lover, of the heart or soul, of or relating to life

पहचान : acquaintance, recognize, identify, descry , sign, distinction

This Couplet is the classic example of signature style with enormous complexity of the legendary Poet Firaq Gorakhpuri Sahib.

Literally meaning :
Firaq ( Firaq Gorakhpuri : The Poet blaming himself for identifying the indifferent attitude ) that the beloved ( referred as काफ़िर : who don't want to show her acquaintance openly , but loves him in her heart ) sometimes treats him as a friend ( जान ) and At times only as acquainted ( पहचान : a person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend. )

Real meaning :
Firaq ( poet himself ) is confound with the bewildered behavior of the beloved ( काफ़िर ) where sometimes she pretend to be a close friend ( जान ) , but At times only as a distant known ( पहचान ), this perplexed behavior ( referred as : अक्सर बदल कर भेस : disguise ) is causing anxiety.