kabhi neki bhi us ke ji mein gar aa jae hai mujh se
jafaen kar ke apni yaad sharma jae hai mujh se

when at times her heart, for me, is filled with piety
she then feels mortified as she recalls her cruelty

khudaya jazba-e-dil ki magar tasir ulti hai
ki jitna khinchta hun aur khinchta jae hai mujh se

the outcome of my yearning lord! is opposite although
the closer that i seek to draw, the further does she go

wo bad-khu aur meri dastan-e-ishq tulani
ibarat mukhtasar qasid bhi ghabra jae hai mujh se

she is short-tempered, impatient, and lengthy is my tale
beseeching me to be brief, the messenger does quail

udhar wo bad-gumani hai idhar ye na-tawani hai
na puchha jae hai us se na bola jae hai mujh se

there she is, mistrustful here i am, frail and weak
she will never care to ask i will not dare to speak

sambhalne de mujhe ai na-ummidi kya qayamat hai
ki daman-e-khayal-e-yar chhuta jae hai mujh se

let me now compose myself, despair-i beg of thee
as fragments of my loved one's thoughts do escape from me

takalluf bartaraf nazzargi mein bhi sahi lekin
wo dekha jae kab ye zulm dekha jae hai mujh se

though even as i gaze at her, formality aside,
the torment that she's looked upon, i just cannot abide

hue hain panw hi pahle nabard-e-ishq mein zakhmi
na bhaga jae hai mujh se na thahra jae hai mujh se

at the outset, in love's strife, my feet are wounded, see
no longer can i stand and wait, and nor can i now flee

qayamat hai ki howe muddai ka ham-safar 'ghaalib'
wo kafir jo khuda ko bhi na saunpa jae hai mujh se

'tis doomsday, gaalib, with my rival she chooses to fare
that heretic, who i would not place even in god's care