kabhi neki bhi uske ji mein gar aa jae hai mujhse

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