The internal monologue I indulged
In all the sleepless nights,
Were meant to be screams
Before the silence went too loud
To escape into the night
And paint the dark picture
Of what you made me.

Here I am,
Looking at the naked sky
With hidden truths
Revealing itself through the stars
I had ignored to notice
In the daylight of dreams.

Many more sleepless nights
Until I dream of happiness
In his arms comforting me
From every side.

-

मुझ से पहली सी मोहब्बत मेरे महबूब न माँग
मैं ने समझा था कि तू है तो दरख़्शाँ है हयात

तेरा ग़म है तो ग़म-ए-दहर का झगड़ा क्या है
तेरी सूरत से है आलम में बहारों को सबात

तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रक्खा क्या है
तू जो मिल जाए तो तक़दीर निगूँ हो जाए

यूँ न था मैं ने फ़क़त चाहा था यूँ हो जाए
और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा

राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल की राहत के सिवा ।

- फैज़ अहमद फैज़।

-

कल ख़्वाब में तुमको देखा
एक छोटी सी झलक ही सही,
तुम आए तो ।

हर वक्त ये खयाल की
तुम कहां हो, क्या कर रहे होगे
कम से कम जवाब मिला
की तुम ठीक हो,
और आज भी वो
भीनी सी, गुलाबी सी मुस्कान दे कर
सब ठीक कर ही देते हो।

-

The winter moon dimmed tonight
For her flames flaked into ashes
Of snow.
It was brittle and cold
And then came the
The last whiff
That took away her soul.

Burning
She was engulfed
In that darkest night.

-

Pondering was good
In solitude and
In silence
Swinging slow in the mind
Between thoughts -
Deep and shallow.

Now it's up to you to decide
In solace or the storm?

Ponder over and sleep, darling.
Meet where shall we?
A roaring wave or
A calm sea?

For I have both within me.

I'll see you in dreams
Or nightmarish reality.

-

यूं तो काफी कुछ लिखा है आज तक
अंग्रेज़ी में,
मगर
तुम्हारे ऊपर कुछ लिखना हो तो
ज़ुबान से कह कर
उसे कर्कश नहीं बना सकती।

तुम वो खूबसूरत किस्सा हो
जिसे खास पल में
एक पन्ने पर दर्ज कर करना जरूरी है।

उसे उस पल के लिए सहेज के रखना जरूरी है
जब मन बिलकुल शान्त हो,
मौन हो,
तब तुम्हारे होने के मायने और बढ़ जाते हैं।

तब अकेले में आंसू से धुंधली हुई वो स्याही
में बंधे हुए अल्फ़ाज़ बाहर निकल कर आते हैं
और फिर पास होता है सिर्फ
एक एहसास।
तुम वो खूबसूरत किस्सा हो।
जो हर कोई नहीं समझ सकता,
तुम वो दिल से लिखी हुई कविता हो
जो हिंदी में हैं।

तुम सुकून हो।

-

You've crushed my soul
That thrived like an oak tree
You planted on Valentine's day.

Remember?

But then you sucked
All love away
And left it shallow and dry.

Maybe, you replenished
Yours from others.

Gradually pushing me
Away night after night
On the pretext of sleep and health.

The new glimmers bright for you now.
Go, hold them tight baby.

I hope the symphony you
Played on the old withers soon
And returns to dust
To which it's meant to return.

-

Impossible

The pride of understanding
That which no one can
Or could ever
Is
You and me together.

Can it ever happen
Where we can take long walks
In the open orchard
Or sit silently watching the waves
Which roars our feelings?
Can I keep dreaming
Those little dreams
Unlikely to be ever true?
Can you keep believing
In your reasons
Till my emotions pervade you
Completely?
While I start reasoning, and
You start living in the illusion of my old dreams.

When you fall for me
As I had always fallen for you
When
I become you
And you, me.

-

As the rising moon shimmered magnanimously
In the east,
The tiny north Star twinkled
In the West.
Maybe, she was eager for the luminous hands
To hold her
While it ascended, the pavement
Brittled with little twinkling stars
Eager to witness the union


Never meant to be.

-

Sleep and Rest

Have you ever felt that longing
To hold it tight
And never let it go?

It feels like it's you going away from you
With the last piece still hanging,
Attached with a thin string
In hopes that
Someday it might return
Bringing back
All the rest.

Till your heart starts beating again
And your peace returns with your smile.

Until then,
You go to sleep.

-