vahii jhukii hu_ii bele.n vahii dariichaa thaa
magar vo phuul-saa cheharaa nazar na aataa thaa

mai.n lauT aayaa huu.N Khaamoshiyo.n ke saharaa se
vahaa.N bhii terii sadaa kaa Gubaar phailaa thaa

qariib tair rahaa thaa bato.n kaa ek jo.Daa
mai.n aab_juu ke kinaare udaas baiThaa thaa

[bat (batak) = swan]

banii nahii.n jo kahii.n par kalii kii turbat thii
sunaa nahii.n jo kisii ne havaa kaa nauhaa thaa

[turbat = grave; nauha = sad song]

ye aa.Dii-tirchhii lakiire.n banaa gayaa hai kaun
mai.n kyaa kahuu.N ki mere dil kaa varaq to saadaa thaa

[aa.Dii-tirchhii = crooked; varaq = page; saadaa = blank]

udhar se baarahaa guzaraa magar Khabar na hu_ii
ki zer-e-sang Khunuk paaniyo.n kaa chashmaa thaa

[baarahaa = time and again; zer-e-sang = beneath the stone]
[Khunuk = cold; chashmaa = spring of water]

vo us kaa aks-e-badan thaa ki chaa.ndanii kaa ka.Nval
vi niilii jhiil thii yaa aasamaa.N kaa Tuka.Daa thaa

utarii.n ajiib roshaniyaa.N raat Khvaab me.n
kyaa kyaa na aks tair rahe the saraab me.n

[aks = image; tairanaa = to float; saraab = mirage]

kab se hai.n ek harf pe nazare.n jamii.n hu_ii.n
vo pa.Dh rahaa huu.N jo nahii.n likkhaa kitaab me.n

[harf = a letter of the alphabet]

phir tiragii ke Khvaab se chau.Nkaa hai raastaa
phir raushanii-sii dau.D ga_ii hai sahaab me.n

[tiiragii = darkness; sahaab = cloud]

paanii nahii.n ki apane hii chehare ko dekh luu.N
manzar zamii.n ke Dhuu.NDhataa huu.N maahataab me.n

[manzar = scene/view; maahataab = Moon]

kab tak rahegaa ruuh pe pairaahan-e-badan
kab tak havaa asiir rahegii hubaab me.n

[ruuh =soul; pairaahaan-e-badan = dresslike body]
[asiir = imprisoned; hubaab = bubble]

jiine ke saath maut kaa Dar hai lagaa huaa
Khushkii dikhaa_ii dii hai samandar ko Khvaab me.n

[Khushkii = dryness]

ek yaad hai ki chhiin rahii hai labo.n se jaam
ek aks hai ki kaa.Np rahaa hai sharaab me.n

murjhaa ke kaalii jhiil me.n girate huye bhii dekh
suuraj huu.N meraa ra.ng magar din Dhale bhii dekh 

kaaGaz kii katarane ko bhii kahate hai.n log phuul
ra.ngo.n kaa aitabaar hii kyaa suu.Ngh ke bhii dekh 

har cha.nd raakh hoke bikharanaa hai raah me.n
jalate huye paro.n se u.Daa huu.N mujhe bhii dekh 

tuune kahaa na thaa ki mai.n kashtii pe bojh huu.N
aa.Nkho.n ko ab na Dhaa.Np mujhe Duubate bhii dekh 

tuu hii barahanaa-paa nahii.n is jalatii ret par
talavo.n me.n jo havaa ke hai.n vo aabale bhii dekh 

[barahanaa-paa=naked feet; aabale=blisters] 

i.nsaan naachataa hai yahaa.N putaliyo.n ke ra.ng
duniyaa me.n aa gayaa hai to is ke maze bhii dekh 

bichhatii thii.n jis kii raah me.n phuulo.n kii chaadare.n
ab us kii Khaak ghaas ke pairo.n tale bhii dekh 

kyaa shaaKh-e-baa-samar hai jo takataa hai farsh ko
nazare.n uThaa "Shakeb" kabhii saamane bhi dekh 

[shaaKh-e-baa-samar=fruit laden branch] 

lau de uThe vo harf-e-talab soch rahe hai.n
kyaa likhiye sar-e-daaman-e-shab soch rahe hai.n

[harf-e-talab = words of pleading]
[sar-e-daaman-e-shab = in the last part of the night]

kyaa jaaniye manzil hai kahaa.N jaate hai.n kis simt
bhaTakii hu_ii is bhii.D me.n sab soch rahe hai.n

[simt = direction]

bhiigii hu_ii ek shaam kii dahaliiz pe baiThe
ham dil ke dha.Dakane kaa sabab soch rahe hai.n

[dahaliiz = threshold; sabab = reason]

TuuTe huye patto.n se daraKhto.n kaa ta’alluq
ham duur kha.De kunj-e-tarab soch rahe hai.n

[daraKht = tree; ta’alluq = relationship]
[kunj-e-tarab = happiness of solitude]

is lahar ke piichhe bhii ravaa.N hai.n na_ii lahare.n
pahale nahii.n sochaa thaa jo ab soch rahe hai.n

ham ubhare bhii Duube bhii siyaahii ke bha.Nvar me.n
ham soye nahii.n shab-hamaa-shab soch rahe hai.n

[siyaahii = darkness; bha.Nvar = whirlpool]
[shab-hamaa-shab = night after night]

jahaa.N talak bhii ye seharaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai
merii tarah se akelaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

na itanaa tez chale sar-phirii havaa se kaho
shajar pe ek hii pattaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

buraa naa maaniye logo.n kii aib-juu_ii kaa
i.nhe.n to din kaa bhii saayaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

ye ek abr kaa Tukaraa kahaa.N kahaa.N barase
tamaam dasht hii pyaasaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

vo alvidaa kaa ma.nzar vo bhigatii palake.n
paas-e-Gubaar bhii kyaa kyaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

merii nigaah se chhup kar kahaa.N rahegaa ko_ii
ke ab to sa.ng bhii shiishaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

simaT ke rah daye aaKhir pahaar se qad bhii
zamii.n se har ko_ii uu.Nchaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

ye kis maqaam pe laa_ii hai justajuu terii
jahaa.N se arsh bhii niichaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

khilii hai dil me.n kisii ke badan kii dhuup "Shakeb"
har ek phuul suneharaa dikhaa_ii detaa hai 

jaatii hai dhuup ujale paro.n ko sameT ke
zaKhmo.n ko ab ginuu.Ngaa mai.n bistar pe leT ke

[par = wing]

mai.n haath kii lakiire.n miTaane pe huu.N ba-zid
go jaanataa huu.N naqsh nahii.n ye sleT ke

[ba-zid = determined/firm on (my) decision; sleT = slate]

duniyaa ko kuchh Khabar nahii.n kyaa haadasaa huaa
phe.Nkaa thaa us ne sang gulo.n me.n lapeT ke

[haadasaa = accident; sang = stone]

phavvaare kii tarah na ugal de har ek baat
kam kam vo bolate hai.n jo gahare hai.n peT ke

[phavvaaraa = fountain]

ik naqara_ii khanak ke sivaa kyaa milaa ’Shakeb’
Tuka.De ye mujh se kahate hai.n TuuTii pleT ke

[naqaraa_ii = silver like; khanak = tinkle/sound]

aa ke patthar to mere sahan me.n do-chaar gire
jitane us pe.D ke phal the pas-e-diivaar gire

[sahan = courtyard; pas-e-diivaar = other side of the wall]

aisii dahashat thii fazaao.n me.n khule paanii kii
aa.Nkh jhapakii bhii nahii.n haath se patavaar gire

mujhe giranaa hai to mai.n apane hii qadamo.n me.n giruu.N
jis tarah saayaa-e-diivaar pe diivaar gire

[saayaa-e-diivaar = wall’s shadow]

tiiragii chho.D gaye din me.n ujaale ke Khutuut
ye sitaare mere ghar TuuT ke bekaar gire

[tiiragii = darkness; Khutuut = letters]

dekh kar apane dar-o-baam laraz uThataa huu.N
mere ham_saaye me.n jab bhii ko_ii diivaar gire

[dar-o-baam = walls and roofs; laraz = tremble]
[ham_saaye = neighbourhood]

vaqt kii Dor Khudaa jaane kahaa.N se TuuTe
kis gha.Dii sar pe ye laTakii hu_ii talvaar gire

[Dor = string]

ham se Takaraa ga_ii Khud ba.Dh ke andhere kii chaTTaan
ham sambhal_kar jo bahut chalate the naachaar gire

haath aayaa nahii.n kuchh raat kii dal_dal ke sivaa
haaye kis mo.D pe Khvaabo.n ke parastaar gire

kyaa kahuu.N diidaa-e-tar ye to meraa cheharaa hai
sang kaT jaate hai.n baarish kii jahaa.N dhaar gire

[diidaa-e-tar = tear filled eyes; sang = stone]

dekhate kyo.n ho ’Shakeb’ itanii bulandii kii taraf
na uThaayaa karo sar ko ki ye dastaar gire

[bulandii = height; dastaar = turban]

aa ke patthar to mere sahan me.n do-chaar gire
jitane us pe.D ke phal the pas-e-diivaar gire

[sahan = courtyard; pas-e-diivaar = other side of the wall]

aisii dahashat thii fazaao.n me.n khule paanii kii
aa.Nkh jhapakii bhii nahii.n haath se patavaar gire

mujhe giranaa hai to mai.n apane hii qadamo.n me.n giruu.N
jis tarah saayaa-e-diivaar pe diivaar gire

[saayaa-e-diivaar = wall’s shadow]

tiiragii chho.D gaye din me.n ujaale ke Khutuut
ye sitaare mere ghar TuuT ke bekaar gire

[tiiragii = darkness; Khutuut = letters]

dekh kar apane dar-o-baam laraz uThataa huu.N
mere ham_saaye me.n jab bhii ko_ii diivaar gire

[dar-o-baam = walls and roofs; laraz = tremble]
[ham_saaye = neighbourhood]

vaqt kii Dor Khudaa jaane kahaa.N se TuuTe
kis gha.Dii sar pe ye laTakii hu_ii talvaar gire

[Dor = string]

ham se Takaraa ga_ii Khud ba.Dh ke andhere kii chaTTaan
ham sambhal_kar jo bahut chalate the naachaar gire

haath aayaa nahii.n kuchh raat kii dal_dal ke sivaa
haaye kis mo.D pe Khvaabo.n ke parastaar gire

kyaa kahuu.N diidaa-e-tar ye to meraa cheharaa hai
sang kaT jaate hai.n baarish kii jahaa.N dhaar gire

[diidaa-e-tar = tear filled eyes; sang = stone]

dekhate kyo.n ho ’Shakeb’ itanii bulandii kii taraf
na uThaayaa karo sar ko ki ye dastaar gire

[bulandii = height; dastaar = turban]