gham raha jab tak ki dam mein dam raha
dil ke jaane ka nihayat gham raha

as long as ardour lasted, my sorrow i sustained
listless when my heart became, deeply was i pained

husn tha tera bahut aalam-fareb
khat ke aane par bhi ek aalam raha

your beauty was deceptive and o! to such extent
even after you matured this wonder never went

dil na pahuncha gosha-e-daman talak
qatra-e-khun tha mizha par jam raha

the corner of my vestment my heart never attained
a drop of blood congealed upon my lashes remained

sunte hain laila ke kheme ko siyah
us mein majnun ka magar matam raha

i have heard it said that lailaa's camp was black and glum
maybe they were mourning there for manjuu.n's martyrdom

jama-e-ehram-e-zahid par na ja
tha haram mein lek na-mahram raha

by the sacred garments of the priest be not impressed
he was in the mosque and yet, the truth never possessed

zulfen kholin to tu tuk aaya nazar
umr bhar yan kaam-e-dil barham raha

it was when you strewed your tresses that i came to know
lifelong here my heart's hopes shall stay scattered anyhow

us ke lab se talkh hum sunte rahe
apne haq mein aab-e-haiwan sam raha

from her lips, bitterness, was all i did receive
for me even nectar thus was poisonous, i grieve

mere rone ki haqiqat jis mein thi
ek muddat tak wo kaghaz nam raha

where the true saga of my weeping was contained
sodden, moist for ages then, that paper remained

subh-e-piri sham hone aai 'mir'
tu na cheta yan bahut din kam raha

the dawn of dotage miir anon will into dusk descend
yet you remained unaware that life is short my friend