gai vo baat ki ho guftugu to kyunkar ho
kahe se kuchh na hua phir kaho to kyunkar ho
gone is the time I used to think, how will I speak with you
but talking did not help at all, now say what can I do
hamare zehn men is fikr ka hai naam visal
ki gar na ho to kahan jaaen ho to kyunkar ho
just union with my loved one is, now all that bothers me
where will I go were not to be, if were, how can it be
adab hai aur yahi kashmakash to kya kiije
haya hai aur yahi gomago to kyunkar ho
what can I do, this dilemma, am bound by courtesy,
when she is coy, reluctant too, how will love come to be
tumhin kaho ki guzara sanam-paraston ka
buton ki ho agar aisi hi khu to kyunkar ho
how will these idol-worshippers survive, you must comment
how can it ever be if idols have this temperament
ulajhte ho tum agar dekhte ho aina
jo tum se shahr men hon ek do to kyunkar ho
you, at your own reflection in the mirror, take offense
were more here, one or two like you, say what would happen thence
jise nasib ho roz-e-siyah mera sa
vo shakhs din na kahe raat ko to kyunkar ho
a person in whose destiny the days are dark and bleak
if night he does not deem as day, then what else would he speak
hamen phir un se ummid aur unhen hamari qadr
hamari baat hi puchhen na vo to kyunkar ho
for me to harbour hope from her, for her to care for me
if she won’t even ask my will, how can these ever be
ghalat na tha hamen khat par guman tasalli ka
na maane dida-e-didar jo to kyunkar ho
illusion of contentment by her letter may be true
without her sight my eyes rebelled, what was it I could do
batao us mizha ko dekh kar ki mujh ko qarar
vo niish ho rag-e-jan men faro to kyunkar ho
at seeing those eyelashes say, how peace and harmony
if in life’s vein, those knives embed, can ever come to me
mujhe junun nahin ‘ghalib’ vale ba-qaul-e-huzur
firaq-e-yar men taskin ho to kyunkar ho
I am not frenzied Gaalib for, as says his majesty
“in parting from one’s paramour, how peace can ever be?”