adam men rahte to shaad rahte use bhi fikr-e-sitam na hota
jo ham na hote to dil na hota jo dil na hota to gham na hota
If I had been in nothingness, my heart would not complain
were I not here, there’d be no heart and with no heart no pain
hui khajalat se nafrat afzun gile kiye khuub akhirin dam
vo kaash ik dam thahar ke aate ki mere lab par bhi dam na hota
her hatred rose when her complaints shamed me so close to death
if only she would have delayed, there would have been no breath
pada hi marna bas ab to ham ko jo us ne khat padh ke nama-bar se
kaha ki gar sach ye haal hota to daftar itna raqam na hota
I have to die now, as she bids the messenger explain
how could he pen such lengthy tomes if was truly in pain
kisi ke jalne ka dhyan aaya vagarna dud-e-fughan se mere
agar hazaron siphar bante tumhari ankhon men nam na hota
you thought of someone else’s pain, else smoke of my lament
would not bring tears to your eyes, however dense it went
jo aap dar se utha na dete kahin na karta main jabha-sai
agarche ye sarnavisht men tha tumhare sar ki qasam na hota
had you not bid me rise and leave, I wouldn’t bow elsewhere
if even were my destiny, it would not be I swear
visal ko ham taras rahe the jo ab hua to maza na paaya
adu ke marne ki jab khushi thi ki us ko ranj-o-alam na hota
when union, that I yearned for, came, no pleasure I received
I would be glad at my foe’s death, if only she’d not grieved
jahan-e-tang o hujum-e-vahshat gharaz ki dam par buri bani thi
kahan main jaata na ji thaharta kahin jo dasht-e-adam na hota
constriction of this world and throngs of frenzy caused me grief
weren’t it for wilderness of death where would I find relief
magar raqibon ne sar uthaya ki ye na hota to be-muravvat
nazar se zahir haya na hoti haya se gardan men kham na hota
perchance my rivals stared at her, for else, in no event
would coyness in her eyes appear, or would her neck be bent
vahan taraqqi jamal ko hai yahan mohabbat hai roz-afzun
sharik-e-zeba tha bul-havas bhi jo bevafai men kam na hota
there beauty does ever increase, here love does daily grow
the lecher faithless in intent, does bathe too in her glow
ghalat ki sanea ko ho gavara kharash-e-angusht-ha-e-nazuk
javab-e-khat ki ummid rakhte jo qaul-e-juffil-qalam na hota
the Maker too would not accept her dainty finger bruised
thus a response I didn’t expect, lest by a quill contused
ye be-takalluf phira rahi hai kashish dil-e-ashiqan ki us ko
vagarna aisi nazakaton pe khiram-e-naz ik qadam na hota
attracted by her lover’s heart, she roams without a care
for else her feet so frail and soft, nary a step would dare
visal to hai kahan mayassar magar khayal-e-visal hi men
maze udate havas nikalti jo saath andaz-e-ram na hota
Where else could union be obtained except in reverie
in dreams desires I would sate, did she not coyly flee
hua musalman main aur dar se na dars-e-vaiz ko sun ke ‘momin’
bani thi dozakh bala se banti azab-e-hijr-e-sanam na hota
Muslim Momin turned in fear , not on the priest’s advice
parting’s pain I could not bear, of hell didn’t care a trice
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