Punjabi II

'N' is nasal n, noon-ghunna.

teray naN te Mirza qasmaN khawe,
par tenoN reham rawa koi na;
meri taang da badlaN tu puchh mahiya,
meray hanjuaN da hur gawa koi na.

My Dear

I can see you there, my dear, without any encumbrance;

Without any prediction, without any remembrance.

You don’t need to pinch, or utter a sigh,

Because I am filled with you,

As in my knowledge, as in my ignorance.

Couplet - now a ghazal, if it is a ghazal

Duniya se bichhar ke hum
Ab alfaaz se jhagarte hain.

Shehar gardi karein raat bhar
Par teri gali se darte hain.

Afsaanon se dil ghabrata hai
So khabron se behalte hain

Hazaar giley hain zindagi se
Par tera ghum pe jeetay hain

Tujhey haarney ke baad
Sirf jeetne se darte hain

Nostalgia - II

Haey O meria sohnia rabba!

Bara zulm cha kamaya hi

Menon ji-onda chhad ditta

Te jindari nuN maar mukaya hi!

Inspiration

Shauq tu shayad ho paida, par majboori-e-mohabbat ka maza

Kahan un kahanion mein jo qasid rozana bhejta hai!

Mohabbat mein hum kuch yun mubtala hain Mirza

Ke woh na bulain humein, tu zamana bhejta hai.

Ik Baat

Ik baat

Jo misle mahi-e-be-aab.

Tarapti rahi saagir-e-sukhan ke kinare

Chillati rahi geeli rait mein

Aur haraawal lehron ku apna mud’a sunati rahi

Saath chalne ki faryad duhrati rahi

Lehrein thi shayad naraaz us se

So chhin gai aaj us ki aawaz us se

Aur who dhundli, na-mukammal tasweerein

Aur un se jure

Be-ma’ni lafzon ke musawwade

Madfoon thehre khuli aankhon.

Ya Rab...

Gham-e-ishq hai, ya gham-e-rozgar
Ya Rab, teray khel se hum hain be’zaar
Kuch tu is jahan mein rangeeni daal
Ban’ne de kisi aur ku bhi parwar-digaar

Couplet

Kitni mehnat us mein lagai thi
Paani pe tasweer jo banai thi.

Couplet

Ya Rab, muntahai shauq bhi ho kabhi ke ab tak
Mehz imkaan-e-mehar se hai amawas roshan.

Three Lines...

Samajh ke bhi qabu paatey hain kahan
Shaam ghar se nahi nikalte,
Ya aur jaatey hain k’haan?