thani thi dil men ab na milenge kisi se ham
par kya karen ki ho gae na-char ji se ham
I had resolved to meet no one ever again
my heart made me helpless and I could not refrain
hanste jo dekhte hain kisi ko kisi se ham
munh dekh dekh rote hain kis bekasi se ham
when I see people laugh amongst themselves I stare
at their faces and shed tears in utter despair
ham se na bolo tum ise kya kahte hain bhala
insaf kiije puchhte hain aap hi se ham
whatever it be called, you do not have to say
I ask you for justice that’s merely all I pray
be-zar jaan se jo na hote to mangte
shahid shikayaton pe tiri muddai se ham
if I were not disgusted with life I would have sought
My rival to bear witness against the plaints you brought
us ku men ja marenge madad ai hujum-e-shauq
aaj aur zor karte hain be-taqati se ham
O throng of my desires help me, in her street, to die
however weak my efforts be now harder I will try
sahab ne is ghulam ko azad kar diya
lo bandagi ki chhut gae bandagi se ham
the master has now freed me from the yoke of slavery
see my worship that from bondage I have been set free
be-roe misl-e-abr na nikla ghubar-e-dil
kahte the un ko barq-e-tabassum hansi se ham
till I cried like clouds, my heart’s delusions were all there
Flippantly, her smile to lightning, I used to compare
in na-tavaniyon pe bhi the khar-e-rah-e-ghair
kyuun kar nikale jaate na us ki gali se ham
tho frail and weak, a thorn was I in my rival’s way
why would I, then from her path, not be cast away
kya gul khilega dekhiye hai fasl-e-gul to duur
aur su-e-dasht bhagte hain kuchh abhi se ham
wait and see what happens, spring is not yet near
towards wilderness I flee, this early in the year
munh dekhne se pahle bhi kis din vo saaf tha
be-vajh kyuun ghubar rakhen aarsi se ham
even ere my face I saw, when was it spotless, clean?
why should then a grudge we bear, against the mirror’s sheen?
hai chhed ikhtilat bhi ghairon ke samne
hansne ke badle roen na kyuun gudgudi se ham
her dalliance with my rival vexes me so deep
when tickled, ‘stead of laughing, why should I not weep
vahshat hai ishq-e-parda-nashin men dam-e-buka
munh dhankte hain parda-e-chashm-e-pari se ham
———
———
kya dil ko le gaya koi begana-ashna
kyuun apne ji ko lagte hain kuchh ajnabi se ham
has my heart been taken by a stranger tell me pray
Why then am I a stranger to myself today?
le naam aarzu ka to dil ko nikal len
‘momin’ na hon jo rabt rakhen bidati se ham
if it even mentions hope the heart I will deface
I’m not a true adherent if new tenets I embrace