dast-e-adu se shab jo vo saghar liya kiye
kin hasraton se khuun ham apna piya kiye
while from my rival’s hand, last night, she was accepting wine
with such yearnings unfulfilled I drank this blood of mine
shukr-e-sitam ne aur bhi mayus kar diya
is baat ka vo ghair se shikva kiya kiye
my gratitude for her torment then irked her even more
she went up to my rival complaining on this score
kab dil ke chaak karne ki fursat hamen mili
naseh hamesha chak-e-gareban siya kiye
when did I ever have the time this heart of mine to tear
O preacher all the time I did my torn collar repair
tashbih dete hain lab-e-jan-bakhsh-e-yar se
ham marte marte nam-e-masiha liya kiye
Him, with my dearest’s life-redeeming lips I do compare
so near death I call for the Messiah in my prayer
zikr-e-visal-e-ghair-o-shab-e-mah-o-bada se
aise liye gae hamen taane diya kiye
those wine-soaked trysts on moon-drenched nights with my foe you flaunt
in such a tone that will not fail to tease torment and taunt
thi lahza lahza hijr men ik marg-e-nau nasib
har dam khayal-e-lab se tire ham jiya kiye
in separation every breath a new death did ordain
but then the vision of your lips bid me live again
tarz-e-sukhan kahe vo musallam hai ‘shefta’
daave zaban se na kiye main ne ya kiye
What my style of speech conveys, sheftaa, is complete
whatever other claims in words I may, may not repeat
Leave a Reply