Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq
naala is shor se kyuun mera duhai deta
ai falak gar tujhe uncha na sunai deta
why then in a voice so loud would have I despaired
your hearing if, O lofty sky, was not thus impaired
dekh chhoton ko hai allah badai deta
asman aankh ke til men hai dikhai deta
even to tiny creatures God greatness does provide
in the pupil of the eye skies can be espied
laakh deta falak azar gavara the magar
ek tera na mujhe dard-e-judai deta
a million aches the skies bestow, I would but gladly bear
if the pain of separation from you were not there
de dua vadi-e-pur-khar-e-junun ko har gaam
daad ye teri hai ai abla-pai deta
you should bless the thorn filled path of my passion’s craze
each step the blisters on my feet sing of you in praise
ravish-e-ashk gira denge nazar se ik din
hai in ankhon se yahi mujh ko dikhai deta
she will drop me like a tear, one day from her eye
with these eyes of mine this is what I can espy
munh se bas karte kabhi ye na khuda ke bande
gar harison ko khuda saari khudai deta
these beings of God’s creation will never say “enow”
if even, to these greedy ones, the world he may bestow
panja-e-mehr ko bhi khun-e-shafaq men har roz
ghote kya kya hai tira dast-e-hinai deta
henna on your palms compels the sun, its every ray
to submerse itself in evening’s scarlet glow each day
kaun ghar aine ke aata agar vo ghar men
khaksari se na jarub-e-safai deta
who, in the mirror of the heart would you ever see?
Until it is burnished by abject humility
main huun vo said ki phir daam men phansta ja kar
gar qafas se mujhe sayyad rihai deta
I am that prey who would get snared in the net again
if freedom from the cage the captor ever let me gain
khugar-e-naz huun kis kis ka ki mujhe saghar-e-mai
bosa-e-lab nahin be-chashm-numai deta
I am so accustomed to her wiles, that till a sign
I get from her, my lips will not kiss the cup of wine
dekh gar dekhna hai ‘zauq’ ki vo parda-nashin
dida-e-rauzan-e-dil se hai dikhai deta
see if you have the vision zauq, the veil though in between
He, with the eyesight of your heart’s window can be seen
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