Poet
tang thi ja khatir-e-nashad men
aap ko bhule ham un ki yaad men
my heart, because of sorrow was constricted and upset
in thoughts of her, even myself, I managed to forget
kyunkar uthta hai khuda ranj-e-qafas
mar gae ham to kaf-e-saiyad men
How can I Lord, the suffering of imprisonment endure?
as in the captor’s grasp itself I had died for sure
vo jo hain tarikh se vaqif bataen
farq bad-e-ah o bad-e-ad men
let those who are conversant with tradition clarify
how does the wind from hell differ from a fiery sigh
yaan ummid-e-qatl hi ne khuun kiya
rah gai hasrat dil-e-jallad men
it was the very hope of being slain that got me killed
the hangman’s deepest wish, alas, couldn’t be fulfilled
be-taalluq-pan bhi akhir qaid hai
qaid paai khatir-e-azad men
neglect and lack of caring too are prisons of a kind
when she set me free I felt as though I was confined
ghamza-e-shirin hi ki daulat se tha
jo asar tha tesha-e-farhad men
twas the wealth of Shiiriin’s glances that happened to provide
the force that in the pick axe of Farhad did then reside
kyuun khabar puchhi tira bimar haae
mar gaya shor-e-mubarakbad men
to ask after your lovesick beau, why did you have to pause
he was done to death by waves of thunderous applause
be-takalluf ji men jo aae karo
kya dhara hai nala-o-fariyad men
whatever is your heart’s desire do it sans a care
what’s the point of crying out and wailing in despair
dhyan tujh ko ho na ho par ‘shefta’
raat din rahta hai teri yaad men
you may, may not recall but then know this to be true
sheftaa night and day remains immersed in thoughts of you
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