Words Of Silence

the poet am i
and his words, too
the song am i
the tune, too, i am

the thorn am i
and the flower, too
the river am i
its flow, too, i am

victory am i
and defeat, too
life am i
its sacrificer, too, i am

the wine am i
and the measure and the cup, too
the messenger am i
his message, too, i am

the dawn am i
and the sunset, too
the beginning am i
the end, too, i am

they am i
and you, too
ever-present am i
invisible, too, i am

the dark night am i
and the light of the world, too
the supplicant am i
the lord, too, i am

the truth am i
and the dream, too
the beauteous face am i
the veil, too i am

how shall anyone
separate me from me?
every thing am i
and nothing, too, i am

I, Too, Was

once, in that gathering colourful and fragrant, i, too, was
once, face-to-face with that angelic beauty, i, too, was

now remains no desire, no hope, nor search, even
but, it is true that full of dreams, once, i, too, was

why complain that a rival spent the evening with my beloved?
i hear that in their tete-a-tete, i, too, was

for a while now, i have been living in the wildernesses
but, once, in the hue and cry of the city-forest, i, too, was

now all that remains is a mound of ashes, O Sifar
but, once, full of life and hope and breath and blood, i, too, was

A Tribute

Even if i never reach your lofty abode, O Kabir
But, watch that my dust along that road shall surely be

Even if i am unable to ever embrace you, O Bulleh
Around your tomb my ashes will scattered surely be

Rumi's tongue is incomparable, readily i agree
My speech too shall give some joy - that will surely be

Ghalib and Mir and Faiz and Dard are all tall trees of verse
In the name of Sifar too, a branch shall surely be

Have I Come

how could you possibly make me feel like dirt? for, from the dust have i come
to the dust i shall return tomorrow, just for the day have i come

do not turn me back thus, with disrespect from your door, my friends
what if my hands bear no gifts? with a heart full of blessings have i come

even if i did bow my head at another's feet, what would i gain?
what could i take from this world, carrying what have i come?

the difference between love and slavery i declare, do listen:
i went to her with my heart bowed low, with my head held high have i come

the body is not mine, nor the heart, nor even its beating, Sifar
every drop of blood belongs to Him: as the shadow of the formless have i come

Who Knows?

what aspect the beloved will show next, who knows?
what shall be the fate of this weak heart, who knows?

many tales abound of the joys and pleasures of heaven
but, what reality will unveil, who knows?

each head is bowed down with its weight of selfishness
the care for the pain of others, who knows?

the art of razing a heart many have mastered
which direction the rising smoke will take, who knows?

the shadows that deserted us in the light of the midday sun
where in the darkness of night shall be found, who knows?

this world is the abode of pain and sorrow, O Sifar
what awaits us in the next world, who knows?

I Found

Look how i have been rewarded for my patience
The kiss on the lips received, was laced with poison, i found

The wine last night did not have potency, friends
My senses - lost in the evening - at dawn i found

Was it a game, or was it cruelty that He made the world?
Of God i shall certainly ask, if Him ever i found

Much had one heard of the travails of the path of love
But, it seems that an especially heartless love have i found

High and low did i look for him, but in the end
It was in the mirror that Sifar i found

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