gawahi de raha hun,
ab se kuchh pahle junubi shahr ke us par main dekha gaya tha

ab jahan par khushk pedon ke ghane jangal hain, sune tang raste
jhadiyan hain

aur lambe zard, jali-dar patton mein hawaen sarsaraati hain
gawahi de raha hun, ab se kuchh pahle,

jo apne hi lahu mein dubta dekha gaya tha, wo koi mafrur qaidi tha
jise main jaanta hun, ab se kuchh pahle, jo mere zehn ke tapte hue

sahra mein bhaga phir raha tha
jis ki khwahish thi:

kahin thandi ghaneri ghas par, apna libas-e-khak-o-khun rakh kar
gul-e-manzar mein kho jae

gawahi de raha hun: ab se kuchh pahle,
wo nannhi, shokh ladki thi

gilahri si phudakti phir rahi thi aam ke sarsabz sayon mein
use malum tha shayad

ki us ki chhatiyon mein main dhadakta hun
main dhadkan ban gaya tha

us ke sine mein machalta tha
wo mera jism thi

shayad use malum tha:
main har gul-e-manzar mein hun aur raat din us ka taaqub kar raha hun

ab se kuchh pahle
junubi shahr ke us par jo dekha gaya tha main nahin tha

khoj mein meri wo nannhi shokh ladki thi
gawahi de raha hun

ab se kuchh pahle