Zindagi ki kashmakash mein
Paraai khwaishon ki saazish mein
Ae dil, bhool gaya tu jeena
*
Ranjishon ki parchaai mein
Wajah ke dastooron mein
Ae dil bhool gaya main jeena
*
Waqt ke ubharte paimaane mein
Us saaki ke maikhaane mein
Raftaar-bhari duniya se lad-jhagad kar
Baadastur jaam peena tu tashreef toh la deta hai
*
Par teri pyaas se kai zyaada betaab toh yeh zamaana hai
Jo tere peeche-peeche wajah ki hathkadiyon ko lekar
Tujhe pehnaane pohoch aata hai
*
Ae dil, is kotwaal ka kya kiya jaaye?
Jiska naa toh koi chehra hai, naa hi koi awaaz
Jiska naa toh koi paighaam hai, naa hi koi alfaaz
*
Jab saaki ne teri bekhauf nazron ko gaur se dekha
Toh unke kinaaron mein ek naadaniyat si jhalki
Mat ro tu ae dil
Apne bisre hue meet se tu mil ae dil
*
Wajaah-naame-pinjre ka kaidi ek dafaa main bhi raha tha
Par us mukaam se main tab guzra
Jab hazaaron lamhe wajahi mein bitaa kar
Mujhme se aakhir bewajaahi ki chaabi ubhar nilki
*
Is azaadi ki panah iklauti meri hi nahi
Yeh woh kausar dariya hai
Jiski anjuman mein sirf hum jaise deewane milte hain
Is sar-i-aam mefil mein
Barson ki wajaahon ko chhor ae dil
Is sar-i-aam mefil mein
Purkon ke dasturon ko tod ae dil
Agar in lehron mein tairna ho tujhe manzoor
Toh bewajah jeene se dil jor ae dil
*
Agar wajah mein khuda milta
Toh kya Sikandar is kadar safeene par safar karta?
Agar wajah mein ishq milta
Toh kya Ranjhaa is kadar Heer ki khaatir marta?
*
Woh usi mitti ke aashiq hai jaise main aur tu
Tu apne karwaan par ek musaafir
Aur main tera rasta
Teri pehredaari se jo mujhe fursat mile
Toh us kotwaal ko bewajaahi ka jaam pilaau
Tujhse kai zyaada betaab toh yeh zamaana hai
Jo tujhe bewajaahi ki raah par chalte dekh kar
Tere peeche peeche
Khud bewajaah ban jaaye
*
Aakhir is wajah mein rakha kya hai?
Rakha hota, toh kya tu hota?
Rakha hota, toh kya hota yeh maikhaana,
kya main hota?
***
Translation
In the dilemmas of life
In the conspiracies of alien desires
Oh heart, you forgot how to live
*
In the shadows of anguish
In the customs of condition
Oh heart, I forgot how to live
*
In the overflowing cup of time
In the wine provider’s (lover’s) tavern
Having fought with this fast-paced world
You make an untimely arrival to get intoxicated
*
But far more impatient than your thirst are these times
That follow you with the handcuffs of condition
And arrive to put them on you
*
What should be done of this guard
Who is bereft of a tangible face or voice
Who neither carries any message nor bears any words
*
When the wine-provider (lover) carefully saw your fearless eyes
S/he saw an innocence spill out of their shores
Don’t cry, oh heart
Meet your long-forgotten friend, oh heart
*
In the prison of condition, I too was once a prisoner
But I had passed that place/phase
After spending thousands of moments bound in condition
When I finally found the key of unconditionality having surfaced from within me
*
This solace of freedom is not mine alone
It is an ocean of abundance
The society of which comprises of crazy people like you and me
In this open gathering
Leave the reasons that you have held for so long, oh heart
In this open gathering
Break away from all those ancestral customs, oh heart
If you’ve come to terms with having to swim in these waves
Then join your heart with living unconditionally, oh heart
*
If there was God in condition
Then would Sikandar voyage the way he did on his ship?
If there was love in condition
Then would Ranjhaa die for Heer’s sake?
*
They (Sikandar and Ranjhaa) are lovers of the same soil such as you and me
You are a traveller in your journey
And I, your path
If I get time to spare from being your protector
I’d make that guard drink the exhilir of unconditionality
But far more impatient than you are these times
Who, in watching you walk on the path of unconditionality
Follow you
To become unconditional themselves
*
For, what lies in condition?
If it did, would you exist?
If it did, what would be of this tavern,
would I exist?
***