I discarded her far away from the city

And I announced: Arise!

Ice has formed on your chests

Melt it with hot kisses

Commit any sin you wish

Celebrate Adam tonight

She emerged from my sleeve

Snuffed out the lamp with her hand

Then rubbed the darkness on her face

Words rising from the heart turned back from the lips

The marriage party returned from the doorway

She took me aside and said:

Today, Fear is another name for Life

Fear is the soil in which

Sects grow and nourish

And streams are cut off from oceans

As long as the heart remains fearful

Only the face needs to change

Only the tone needs to change

No one can destroy me

No one can celebrate Adam

Andeshe

Ruuh bechain hai ik dil kii aziyyat kya hai

Dil hii shola hai to ye soz-e-mohabbat kya hai

Woh mujhe bhuul gaii iss kii shikayat kya hai

Ranj to ye hai ki ro ro ke bhulaayaa hogaa

Woh kahaan aur kahaan kahish-e-ġham, sozish-e-jaan

Uss kii rangiin nazar aur nuqush-e-hirmaan

Uss ka ehsaas-e-latiif aur shikast-e-armaan

Taana-zan ek zamaana nazar aayaa hogaa

Jhuk gaii hogii javaan-saal umangon kii jabiin

Mit gaii hogii lalak, duub gayaa hogaa yaqiin

Chhaa gayaa hogaa dhuaan, ghuum gaii hogii zamiin

Apne pahle hii gharaunde ko jo dhaayaa hogaa

Dil ne aise bhii kuchh afsaane sunaae honge

Ashk aankhon ne piye aur na bahaae honge

Band kamre mein jo ḳhat mere jalaae honge

Ek ek harf jabiin par ubhar aayaa hogaa

Uss ne ghabraa ke nazar laakh bachaaii hogii

Mit ke ik naqsh ne sau shakl dikhaaii hogii

Meiz se jab meri tasviir hataaii hogii

Har taraf mujh ko tadaptaa huaa paayaa hogaa

Be-mahal chhed pe jazbaat ubal aae honge

Gham pashemaan-e-tabassum mein dhal aae honge

Naam par mere jab aansu nikal aae honge

Sar na kaandhe se sahelii ke utthaayaa hogaa

Zulf zid kar ke kisii ne jo hataii hogii

Ruuthe jalvon pe ḳhizaan aur bhii chhaaii hogii

Barq ashvon ne kaii din na giraaii hogii

Rang chehre pe kaii roz na aayaa hogaa

Anxious Thoughts

The spirit is restless what is the heart’s torment

When the heart is aflame, to what avail this passion of love

Why complain if she has forgotten me

But the regret is that she must have cried while doing so

She and her pining and sorrow, and ardour for life

Her bright gaze and her disappointments engraved

Her delicate sensibilities and her vanquished hopes

How the world must have appeared like a taunt to her

How the forehead of youthful longings must have bowed

How her yearnings must have dried up, her faith doused

Mists must have enveloped her, and the earth spun on its axis

When she had to destroy her very first nest

Her heart must have told her just these sort of stories

Her eyes would have swallowed her tears, not letting a single drop fall

When she burned my letters behind closed doors