huzur main is siyah chadar ka kya karungi
ye aap kyun mujh ko bakhshte hain ba-sad inayat

four walls and a black veil
na sog mein hun ki us ko odhun

gham-o-alam khalq ko dikhaun
na rog hun main ki is ki tarikiyon mein khiffat se dub jaun

na main gunahgar hun na mujrim
ki is syahi ki mehr apni jabin pe har haal mein lagaun

agar na gustakh mujh ko samjhen
agar main jaan ki aman paun

to dast-basta karun guzarish
ki banda-parwar

huzur ke hujra-e-mattar mein ek lasha pada hua hai
na jaane kab ka gala sada hai

ye aap se rahm chahta hai
huzur itna karam to kije

siyah chadar mujhe na dijiye
siyah chadar se apne hujre ki be-kafan lash dhanp dijiye

ki us se phuti hai jo ufunat
wo kuche kuche mein hanpti hai

wo sar patakti hai chaukhaton par
barahnagi tan ki dhanpti hai

sunen zara dil-kharash chikhen
bana rahi hain ajab hayule

jo chadaron mein bhi hain barahna
what shall i do, sire, with this black veil?

why do you bestow on me this great favour?
i am not in mourning that i should wear it

to show the world my grief. nor am i sick
that i should hide my shame

in its dark folds. stamp my forehead with this
dismal seal? if i am not too impudent, sire

if you assure my life, may i tell you,
most humbly: there lies, in your perfumed chamber,

a corpse that stinks. it begs for pity.
cover that shroudless corpse. not me.

its stench is everywhere.
it cries for seclusion.

ye kaun hain jaante to honge
huzur pahchante to honge

ye laundiyan hain
ki yarghamali halal shab-bhar rahe hain

dam-e-subh dar-ba-dar hain
huzur ke nutfe ko mubarak ke nisf wirsa se be-mo'atabar hain

ye bibayan hain
ki zaujagi ka khiraj dene

qatar-andar-qatar bari ki muntazir hain
ye bachchiyan hain

ki jin ke sar par phira jo hazrat ka dast-e-shafqat
to kam-sini ke lahu se rish-e-saped rangin ho gai hai

huzur ke hajla-e-moattar mein zindagi khun ro gai hai
pada hua hai jahan ye lasha

tawil sadiyon se qatl-e-insaniyat ka ye khun-chakan tamasha
ab is tamasha ko khatm kije

huzur ab is ko dhanp dijiye
siyah chadar to ban chuki hai meri nahin aap ki zarurat

ki is zamin par wajud mera nahin faqat ek nishan-e-shahwat
hayat ki shah-rah par jagmaga rahi hai meri zehanat

zamin ke rukh par jo hai pasina to jhilmilati hai meri mehnat
ye chaar-diwariyan ye chadar gali sadi lash ko mubarak

khuli fazaon mein baadban khol kar badhega mera safina
main aadam-e-nau ki ham-safar hun

ki jis ne jiti meri bharosa-bhari rifaqat