hai bas-ki har ek un ke ishaare mein nishan aur
karte hain mohabbat to guzarta hai guman aur

in every gesture of her's, there, ulterior motive lies
when she professes love, therefore, suspicion does arise

ya-rab wo na samjhe hain na samjhenge meri baat
de aur dil un ko jo na de mujh ko zaban aur

o lord! she never understood nor ever will my plea
give her another heart or else the gift of speech to me

abru se hai kya us nigah-e-naz ko paiwand
hai tir muqarrar magar is ki hai kaman aur

her glance is not connected to the arch upon her brow
an arrow it is certainly, but somewhere else the bow

tum shahr mein ho to hamein kya gham jab uthenge
le aaenge bazar se ja kar dil o jaan aur

when your'e in town why should i fret at losing life and heart
from lovesick suitors i can buy these freely in the mart

har chand subuk-dast hue but-shikani mein
hum hain to abhi rah mein hai sang-e-giran aur

although in breaking idols i, can claim celerity
so long as "i" exists till then, stones in the path will be

hai khun-e-jigar josh mein dil khol ke rota
hote jo kai dida-e-khun-naba-fishan aur

blood of my liver's patience boils, my heart would freely weep
if many more eyes could obtain, from which this blood wcould seep

marta hun is aawaz pe har chand sar ud jae
jallad ko lekin wo kahe jaen ki han aur

i die to hear that voice, although, my head it may sever
"yes! strike again" she keeps telling, the executioner

logon ko hai khurshid-e-jahan-tab ka dhoka
har roz dikhata hun main ek dagh-e-nihan aur

in error, world-illuming sun men think it when they view
each day, a burning scar concealed, that i display anew

leta na agar dil tumhein deta koi dam chain
karta jo na marta koi din aah-o-fughan aur

had i not given you my heart, life would, in peace, have spent
had i not died, would bide my time, in weeping and lament

pate nahin jab rah to chadh jate hain nale
rukti hai meri taba to hoti hai rawan aur

when they don't find path to escape, rivers tend to rise
thus when my temperament's contrained, further intensifies

hain aur bhi duniya mein sukhan-war bahut achchhe
kahte hain ki 'ghaalib' ka hai andaz-e-bayan aur

while there are many poets great, for in the world to speak
but it is said that gaalib does, possess a style unique