zakhm par chhidken kahan tiflan-e-be-parwa namak
kya maza hota agar patthar mein bhi hota namak

where, salt upon my wounds do these careless children strew
what relish would result if salt did their stones imbue

gard-e-rah-e-yar hai saman-e-naz-e-zakhm-e-dil
warna hota hai jahan mein kis qadar paida namak

dust of her path, in wounds of my heart, does pride induce
for else, salt, to this extent, where could the world produce

mujh ko arzani rahe tujh ko mubarak hojiyo
nala-e-bulbul ka dard aur khanda-e-gul ka namak

may i be blessed with pain of the nightingale's lament
may you be graced by the flower's laughter's salt content

shor-e-jaulan tha kanar-e-bahr par kis ka ki aaj
gard-e-sahil hai ba-zakhm-e-mauja-e-dariya namak

on ocean's edge, whose, galloping, steed raised this clamour
like salt rubbed on ocean's wound, seems the sand on shore

dad deta hai mere zakhm-e-jigar ki wah wah
yaad karta hai mujhe dekhe hai wo jis ja namak

my liver's wounds she praises i'm glad to this degree
wherever she then salt espies, she does think of me

chhod kar jaana tan-e-majruh-e-ashiq haif hai
dil talab karta hai zakhm aur mange hain aaza namak

to leave a lover's battered frame? pity is indeed!
his heart desires wounds and salt, body parts do need

ghair ki minnat na khinchunga pai-e-taufir-e-dard
zakhm misl-e-khanda-e-qatil hai sar-ta-pa namak

to exacerbate my pain, to rivals i won't go
my wounds, like my killers laugh, are salt from head to toe

yaad hain 'ghaalib' tujhe wo din ki wajd-e-zauq mein
zakhm se girta to main palkon se chunta tha namak

can those days be then recalled when in desire's spell
with my lashes i would sift if from my wounds salt fell

is amal mein aish ki lazzat nahin milti 'asad'
zor nisbat mai se rakhta hai azara ka namak