Conspiracy

the wanton moonlight spreads herself on the rooftop
and says - smiling - "come here, lie here"

far away, in the dark sky
the stars shut their eyes,
then open them, then shut them once again
shy girlfriends, as it were
shy, but curious, too

under the roof-ring, in the thick trees
to the leaves whispers something the breeze
they laugh
and they shake, laughing

and all the blades of grass, too
are bedewed with embarrassment

what could i - weak-hearted - do?
how could i alone batlle
with all creation do?

so i just let myself flow
on the river of love

when dawn arrived,
the face of the sky
was blushing a deep crimson

I Say

here i am, grown tired repeating the tale of the sorrows of love
and yet, people say that nothing do i say

at the drop of a hat, couplets of Ghalib do they spout
in the face of that genius, what possibly could i say?

the tongue had not even stirred, and she got up and walked away
you tell me, the state of my heart to whom could i say?

she asked for patience, and what that means, i know not
if my life had been demanded, 'yes' would i say

i had gone to her door with a litany of complaints and grouses
but when my lips were sealed with a kiss, what could i say?

often, i tell tales of the pain and sorrow of life
if that pain were not there, what would i say?

Kahte Hum

Thak gaye daastaan-e-gham-e-ulfat kahte-kahte hum
Aur log kahte hain ke kuchh nahin kahte hum

Baat-baat par aashaar-e-Ghalib padhte the woh
Us baadshah-e-sukhan ke aage kya kahte hum?

Zabaan hili bhi na thi ke uth ke chal diye janaab
Ab tum hi kaho ke haal-e-dil kis se kahte hum?

Sabr maanga tha unhone, so uska ilm na tha
Jaan kahin maangi hoti toh haan kahte hum

Gaye the waan kya-kya gile shikwe lekar
Magar jab sil gaye bose se lab toh kaise kahte hum?

Aksar gham-e-duniya ke fasaane kaha karte hain
Agar ye gham na hota Sifar, toh kya kahte hum?

Ek Saazish

be-haya chaandni chhat par bichhi hui hai
muskuraate hue kahti hai "aao, yahaan let jaao"

door, siyah falak mein
taaron ne aankhen bandh keen,
phir kholeen, phir bandh keen:

sharmaati hui saheliyaan hon jaise -
haya bhi, dilchaspi bhi

baam tale, ghane darakhton mein,
hawa ne patton se chupke se kucch kaha
aur woh hasne lage,
haste-haste hilne lage

ghaas ki taraf nazar ki,
so woh bhi sharm se paani thi

main naatawaan kya karta?
saari khudaai se tanha kya ladta?
darya-e-ishq mein bah gaya

subah hui, toh rukh-e-falak par
har-su haya ki laali thi