ai sham mehrban ho
ai sham-e-shahryaran

hum pe bhi mehrban ho
dozakhi dopahar sitam ki

be-sabab sitam ki
dopahar dard-o-ghaiz-o-gham ki

be-zaban dard-o-ghaiz-o-gham ki
is dozakhi dopahar ke taziyane

aaj tan par dhanak ki surat
qaus-dar-qaus bat gae hain

zakhm sab khul gae hain
dagh jaana tha chhat gae hain

tere toshe mein kuchh to hoga
marham-e-dard ka do-shaala

tan ke us ang par udha de
dard sab se siwa jahan ho

ai sham mehrban ho
ai sham-e-shaharyaran

hum pe mehrban ho
evening, be gracious

dozakhi dasht nafraton ke
bedard nafraton ke

kirchiyan dida-e-hasad ki
khas-o-khashak ranjishon ke

itni sunsan shahrahen
itni gunjaan qatl-gahen

jin se aae hain hum guzar kar
aabla ban ke har qadam par

yun panw kat gae hain
raste simat gae hain

makhmalen apne baadalon ki
aaj panw-tale bichha de

shafi-e-karb-e-rah-rawan ho
ai sham mehrban ho

ai mah-e-shab-e-nigaran
ai rafiq-e-dil-figaran

is sham ham-zaban ho
ai sham mehrban ho

ai sham mehrban ho
ai sham-e-shaharyaran

hum pe mehrban ho
o evening, be gracious—

o evening of the city of friends
be gracious to me.

the hellish noon of oppression,
senseless cruelties,

the noon of pain, rage and sorrow,
inarticulate pain, rage and sorrow,

the whiplashes of this demonic noon—
are all, like the rainbow, branded no my body

arc within arc.