She came, a scent upon the air,  
Her lips, like honey, pure and rare  
A sweetness that the world had lost,  
Now found in her—at any cost.  
Her eyes, twin flames in velvet night,  
Winked, and my soul took sudden flight
A bird unbound, a heart unchained,  
To seek the love that once remained.  

Her gaze, a magnet, quiet, deep,  
Drew forth the secrets I would keep,  
It pulled my heart, a trembling thread,  
And in its path, my soul was led.  
In every glance, a universe,  
A love unspoken, soft, immersed,  
She tore my heart to fragile strips  
Each one a kiss upon her lips.  

I gave her all, yet nothing showed,  
A path of thorns, where roses flowed
For in her eyes, the fire grew,  
A blaze that burned the old me through.  
The fire of love, the fire of pain,  
The fire that breaks, yet makes again.  

She took the pieces, scattered wide,  
Each one a prayer, each one a guide,  
Her hands, like angels, softly pulled  
My broken heart, and made it whole.  
In her, I found the sacred flame,  
In her, my soul was known by name.  

And though I wander, lost and free,  
Her gaze will call, and there I’ll be  
A lover bound by her sweet grace,  
Forever lost in her embrace.

Poetess:
Behold, thy clay-cup, thou hast in hand,
A vessel frail, yet deep as night’s command.
What secrets dost thou hide beneath thine eyes,
Like stars that flicker ‘cross the midnight skies?

O’ Raise thy crown, sweet poet, rouse thy dream,
For I have waited long by fate’s own seam.
Let not this moment pass with idle grace,
But let us meet, heart's rhythm face to face.

Poet:
Ah, gentle muse, thy words, they pierce my soul,
A tempest swift, yet soft as zephyr’s stroll.
I am but wave upon a boundless sea,
And thou, sweet queen, dost reign o’er earth and me.

Thine eyes, sweet orbs, more fair than dawn’s first light,
Do light my path and chase away the night.
If I be king, thou art my heart’s delight,
A sovereign true, with power pure and bright.

_

Poetess:
O’ poet, thou art but a beggar bold,
Thy heart doth seek but riches more untold.
Yet in thy gaze, there lies a world untamed,
A wild desire that none can ever name.

I, thine empress, doth feel a hunger deep,
A longing that from waking dreams doth creep.
Thy passion calls me, like the moon to tides,
And in thy yearning, my own soul abides.

Poet:
Thy devotion, like a perfume sweet,
Doth fill the air where’er my heart doth beat.
Thy love, a flame that flickers, soft and bright,
Doth set my soul afire in darkest night.

Oh, what is this, this strange and fleeting bliss?
What magic lies within thy tender kiss?
For thou dost hold my heart within thy grasp,
Yet still, I tremble, lost in love’s sweet clasp.

-

Poetess:
Before me, thou dost shine, a moon so fair,
A light that bids my heart to bravely dare.
My soul, it opens like a flower to thee,
In the sweet garden where we both are free.

Thou art the storm, the tempest in my breast,
Yet in thy rage, I find my soul at rest.
For though thou burn’st with passion wild and true,
I, like the ember, long to burn for you.

Poet:
O’ darling muse, thou art the sun and sky,
Thine beauty makes the stars themselves to sigh.
Each glance thou cast, a tender melody,
That sings within the deepest part of me.

In thee, I see the world, both far and near,
A dream made flesh, a vision bright and clear.
Thy love, like honey, drips upon my lips,
And in thy kiss, my soul doth sweetly slip.

-

Poetess:
Thou art a merchant of the finest lore,
Each whispered word doth make my spirit soar.
In every breath, thy name is softly sung,
A lover’s hymn, forever on my tongue.

Oh, let me drown in such sweet ecstasy,
For thou art both my ship and liberty.
In thy embrace, I find my heart’s own bliss,
For in thy love, my soul hath found its kiss.

Poet:
O’ morning dew, thou art a soft caress,
Thy beauty drips with nature’s own finesse.
I would thee hold, with passion’s tender plea,
And let thy love run wild and deep in me.

A thousand kisses, soft as velvet’s fold,
Lie waiting ‘pon thy lips, so fair and bold.
For thou art all my heart hath ever known,
And in thy love, I find my truest throne.

-

Poetess:
O’ river wild, whose currents doth beguile,
I long to drown within thy love awhile.
Thy waters deep, where none may dare to reach,
Thy waves doth whisper to my soul to teach.

Take me, O’ river, in thy sweet embrace,
And let thy love become my sacred place.
In thee, I long to lose my very mind,
For in thy depths, my heart is sure to find.

Poet:
O’ wine divine, thy sweetness fills my veins,
A draught that doth remove all earthly pains.
Thou art the dawn, the fire, and the sun,
Thine love, the golden thread that makes me one.

In thee, my heart doth burn with love’s true light,
And in thy gaze, I see the world alight.
Thou art my muse, my song, my dream, my art,
The very essence of my beating heart.

-

Poetess:
O’ breath of life, thou art my heart’s own rhyme,
Together, we shall stand against all time.
Thy touch, a sweet and endless lullaby,
That soothes my soul and lifts my spirit high.

Let us not part, but live in endless grace,
For in thy love, I’ve found my rightful place.
Thou art my king, my heart, my guiding star,
In thee, I see all heaven from afar.

Poet:
O’ moon, thou hast my heart, my soul, my name,
In thee, I find my peace, my endless flame.
Thou art my light, my dark, my fate, my truth,
And in thy love, I find eternal youth.

With thee, my muse, I walk through love’s embrace,
For in thine arms, I find my resting place.
Thy heart and mine, a perfect symphony,
Together bound for all eternity.

Rise — like the Sun — that wakes the Sky
And spills its Light — on Earth and High
Wrap the Hours — in gentle Bliss
A quiet Grace — no soul can miss

Ignite the Flame — within your Soul
So vast — it will — the Heavens control
And as it burns — through dark and bright
Let Destiny — fall at your might.

The World — will bow — and kiss your feet,
For Passion's Hand — makes Fate complete.
And in that Fire — the Heart shall see
That all the Earth — was made for thee

Like a rose, here, I am, waiting to be known,  
A secret in the dark, yet fully grown.  
I am the fragrance that stirs the soul’s deep core,  
A scent that lingers—calling you for more.  

In the garden of silence, I bloom unseen,  
Shrouded in mystery, where only love has been.  
Each petal whispers, "Come, and be the guest,  
For only in your touch will I find rest."  

I am the blossom, the yearning of the heart,  
In the shadows, waiting for you to start.  
My beauty, like the moon’s soft silver glow,  
Is a longing that only your eyes can know.  

When you come near, feel the warmth of my breath—  
I am the pulse between life and death.  
I bloom not for the world, but for your soul,  
The secret path that makes the broken whole.  

Though none may see me, I am not alone—  
For in my roots, the spirit’s seed is sown.  
Like a rose, here, I wait, for love to rise,  
A secret in the dark, beneath your eyes.  

What is this fragrance, this yearning to be seen?  
It is the language of the heart, serene.  
Come closer, and you’ll find my petals spread,  
A rose that blooms in love, not in the dead.

In the garden where the earth’s soft sighs meet the sky’s eternal gaze,
Ladybirds, small as dreams, flutter through the tender haze.
Their wings, delicate as the soul’s first awakening,
Carry whispers from the Divine, silently, unshaken.

And butterflies, like thoughts that pass through the heart’s door,
Glide upon the winds, seeking the sacred shore.
Their wings, a tapestry of fleeting grace,
A reflection of the Light that guides our place.

O’ seeker, do you measure the Infinite by what your eyes behold?
Do you seek the Divine in the vast, the bright, the bold?
The Lord is found in the humblest of forms,
In the ladybird’s flight, in the butterfly’s storms.

What is size, if not an illusion born of the dust?
In every flutter, in every breath, there is trust.
For the Eternal is hidden in the smallest of things,
In the tiniest creature, the light that sings.

Look not for God in places far or high,
He is the flutter of wings, the tear in the eye.
He is in the moment, in the breath of the leaf,
In the fleeting joy, in the quiet grief.

In every ladybird, in every butterfly,
The Divine stirs and spreads its wings to fly.
O’ heart, know this—size means naught to the One,
For in the smallest breath, the Universe is spun.

So let the dance of the ladybird be your guide,
And the butterfly’s flight, your spirit’s stride.
For the Divine is not measured, not caught by the eye—
He is the breath of the soul, the wings that fly.

From the tiniest spark, a fire may grow,  
A flame that burns with a secret glow,  
In the heart’s deep chambers, it starts to rise,  
A light that dances, beyond the skies.  

Oh, your heart, a chalice of purest wine,  
May fill the world with a truth divine,  
Like a rose that blooms in the moon’s soft gaze,  
Whispering secrets of forgotten days.  

In every ember, a spark of the Divine,  
Fed by love that is endless, pure, and fine,  
It burns with a light that needs no fuel,  
A fire that makes the wise and foolish drool.  

So let your flame ignite the skies,  
Claim your destiny, let it rise,  
For you are not just a fleeting spark,  
But the eternal fire that lights the dark.

A malady — or perhaps a curse —  
That swells within — a quiet verse,  
Her eyes, aglow — with secret fire,  
As if the world had spun entire  
Around that spark — a fleeting grace,  
A trace of Heaven — on her face.  

The glow, not born of earthly light,  
But something deep — a quiet fight  
Between the realms of flesh and air,  
Where mortals falter, yet she dares  
To lift the veil — and there, behold —  
A sacred tale, both fierce and old.  

It shimmers like a whispered prayer,  
A song that's sung — but never there.  
A verse, a rhythm, soft and true,  
But none can read the words that grew  
From that deep well, where time does slip,  
And souls are bound in ancient script.  

A curse, or blessing — who can say?  
Her gaze, the dawn, the dying day,  
An endless riddle wrapped in light —  
A burden and a dazzling sight.  
To touch it would consume the soul,  
Yet in its grasp, we are made whole.

O’ Love Divine, supreme and wild,  
Thy spell has bound me, deep beguiled.  
I sit, a prisoner to thy thought,  
In rapture, lost—my soul is sought.  

Thy bliss, a cloud that wraps the skies,  
My sight doth see thee, all my eyes.  
Thy voice is the music of my ear,  
Thy touch, the pulse that draws me near.  

O’ Love, intoxicate me whole,  
Thy love the drink that fills my soul.  
I seek thee, ever, in the air,  
Thy presence found, both here and there.  

My heart, thy throne—thine image reigns,  
Thy beauty flows through all my veins.  
My tongue, thy love it ever speaks,  
In dreams of thee, my spirit seeks.  

My hands, they write the sacred rhyme,  
Thy love is carved in every line.  
My feet, in search of thee they go,  
Thy path a flame in every flow.  

O’ Love Divine, thy call, I hear,  
In every breath, thou art so near.  
Thy essence, rooted deep in me,  
A yearning soul, thy light I see.  

For in thee, I am made whole,  
And in thy love, I find my soul.  
O’ Love Divine, supreme and pure,  
Thy bliss, forever, shall endure.

O'  
P r e t t i e s t —  
I breathe, and life to my desires springs,  
Like birds that soar on unseen wings.  
With each new breath, my hopes I sow,  
A garden where my passions grow.  
If, gentle eyes, thou dost decree,  
Shall I, with boldness, truly be?  
In thee, my soul would rise to see  
The world in unrestrained decree.  

O'  
W i s h i n g —  
Within my heart, each beat doth tell,  
A thousand loves that in me dwell.  
Each pulse a longing, soft and true,  
A yearning deep for none but you.  
If thy modesty, like morning light,  
Beams soft upon this endless night,  
Shall I, unashamed, pursue the way,  
And in thy presence, bold display?

O’ You who veil Yourself in the folds of unseen light,
I am lost in Your absence, yet You are my sight.
The world is but a shadow of Your sacred name,
My heart a canvas for the brush of Your flame.

You have left, yet You are ever near,
A dance of yearning that I hold dear.
With every breath, You pierce my soul’s deep core,
Each beat calls Your name, and yet, I desire more.

Come forth, O’secret, hidden in the night,
Break through this silence, reveal Your might.
In the quiet chambers of my restless heart,
Let Your presence manifest, let our spirits never part.

In the void of separation, I find Your trace,
In every moment, I see Your face.
The veils that cover You are but illusions of time,
For You are beyond, an eternal rhyme.

Let Your love, like a river, flow through me,
In every drop, Your essence, I shall see.
O' manifestation of the Divine, the Beloved true,
All my seeking ends, for You are my view.

In my heart, let Your name be carved like the stars,
A beacon that leads through life’s fleeting scars.
In this journey of union, let there be no divide,
For You, O’ Beloved, are the truth inside.

In this clash of hearts,
a symphony arose,
Where words became the veil
that love composed.

And each gaze,
each whisper,
each stolen sigh,
Bound them together,
beneath the endless sky.

O’ Beloved, in the quiet of destiny's hand,
Your heart shall soften, like earth to the land,
The frost of years, the burdens of time,
Shall melt away in love's sublime climb.

Your eyes, once veiled in the mist of night,
Shall turn toward me, guided by inner light,
A gaze that pierces the veils of fear,
Where the Eternal speaks, both far and near.

Your tongue, once silent in the realm of pride,
Shall utter truths no tongue can hide,
Each word a spark, a flame of fire,
That ignites the soul, ascending higher.

And your arms, bound once in sorrow’s chain,
Shall open wide, releasing pain.
In that embrace, the world shall cease,
And we shall find in each other’s peace.

O’ Beloved, in that union true,
We shall dissolve, and be made new.
No longer I, no longer you,
But the One in both, in love’s pure view.

In that moment, we are free,
Beyond the self, beyond the “me.”
For in that love, all forms collapse,
And only the Divine remains, unwrapped.

Shall I praise the radiance of your eyes,
Where the divine light in shadows lies?
Or the royal, eternal grace you wear,
A pose that lifts the soul from despair?

Shall I speak of your cheeks, kissed by the dawn,
Where celestial sweetness is born and drawn?
Or your hair, glowing like stars in the night,
A river of light in which all hearts take flight?

What of those lips, delicate as the rose,
Where the heavens, in secret, repose?
Each whisper a prayer, a song of the Divine,
Where love and truth in silence align.

O' Beauty, you are but a veil so fine,
Revealing the Light, the One, the Divine.
In each fleeting glance, the Beloved's grace,
In every smile, I behold the sacred face.

This boundless ocean, the world, we sail,
Where roses bloom with memories frail.
O' sparks of beauty, how I ache to see,
The light of your gaze, if it turns to me.

If your eyes rise, in their celestial grace,
The heavens would tremble, shadows erase.
My tongue, soaked in melodies sweet,
Would sing of your name in waves, complete.

Your smile, a garden where angels tread,
The key to paradise, the path we’re led.
The blood of my heart, like wine of the vine,
Pours forth in longing, forever divine.

Is this the miracle of your sacred face,
Or the world’s eternal, fleeting trace?
Tell me, beloved—who’s the bloom,
Is it you or I, in this garden’s room?

What a spark, what a flame, when these eyes first saw,
The dance of light, the world without flaw?
When these hands, born of clay and dust,
Poured forth warmth, a gift, a divine trust?

When the tongue, a prisoner of silence so deep,
Broke free with a word, a promise to keep?
What sweetness filled these humble ears,
When the first sound stirred the heart’s silent fears?

When this tiny heart, so full of desire,
Met belief like a spark to an unlit fire?
When the lips of this child, kissed by the dawn,
Smiled at the world, and all sorrow was gone?

When the body, this vessel of earthly woe,
Was styled by love’s hand, a graceful glow?
What a moment, what a scene, O’ Jamil, I ask,
Could such be the work of a gene—or love’s mask?

In the depths of thought, I wander lost,  
Seeking to measure thy beauty’s cost—  
Shall I weigh thy radiant grace in silver’s gleam,  
Or count thy tresses in golden beams?  

Yet within thy eyes, the universe resides,  
A realm unknown where truth abides.  
Shall I peer into that endless depth,  
Or hear the whispers from thy cheeks, where secrets slept?  

Before me, the cosmos unfurls its face,  
But in thy form, I find the same grace.  
Shall I witness the heavens in their endless flow,  
Or gaze upon thee, where divinity doth glow?  

In thee, such secrets are revealed so free,  
As roses dance in harmony with the sea.  
Thy beauty, a mirror of the divine,  
A pose so perfect, it transcends time.

O’ Lord most high, whose hands dost shape the skies,  
Thou art the light where all our shadows lie.  
In thee, our hopes doth find their sacred rest,  
Thou know’st the yearnings of each trembling breast.  

Flourish, O’ Lord, her soul with endless grace,  
Her heart, a garden, let thy light embrace.  
Thou hast made her splendid, pure as dawn’s first gleam,  
Yet now, O’ Lord, fulfill her every dream.  

Bestow upon her, life’s sweet gentle flow,  
Take not her years, but let her spirit grow.  
With every breath, may joy within her rise,  
And let her gaze reflect thy endless skies.  

Bless her with beauty that outshines the sun,  
Forgive her faults, for they are all but done.  
Grant her, O’ Lord, a bounty rich and wide,  
Where grace and mercy forever shall abide.  

Give unto her the strength to walk the earth,  
To chase her dreams with ever-glistening mirth.  
Endow her with the wisdom to discern,  
So in her heart, thy eternal fire shall burn.  

Let not her hands be barren of desire,  
Give unto her the wealth her soul requires.  
For in her joy, thy love shall be confessed,  
Her gratitude, in praises, shall be blessed.  

And when this fleeting life has run its course,  
Grant her, O’ Lord, thy heavenly reward.  
In thy embrace, may she forever dwell,  
In thy light, where peace and joy do swell.  

O’ Lord, I offer thee these prayers sincere,  
Let not my tears and hopes be drowned in fear.  
Thou art the witness to all hearts that fall,  
And through thy grace, we rise and stand tall.  

For Thou, O’ Lord, art mighty, just, and true,  
In every breath, we turn our trust to You.  
The greatest helper, when the world is weak,  
In Thee alone, our solace we shall seek.

O’ fairest love, thy power hath wrought a spell,  
And in thy gaze, my soul doth deeply dwell.  
I sit in silence, lost in thy sweet thought,  
My spirit bound in thee, where’er it sought.

Surround’d by bliss, thy presence fills the air,  
Mine eyes do see but thee, thou art most fair.  
Thy form, a throne on which my heart doth rest,  
Thy voice, the music that doth soothe my breast.

O’ beloved, thou hast made my soul thy slave,  
My thoughts are thine, my heart doth crave and crave.  
In thee, my soul finds both its peace and strife,  
For thou art both the torment and the life.

Thy love doth flood my tongue with words most sweet,  
And in my mind, thy image is complete.  
I write thy name upon my trembling hand,  
And seek thee still, through every distant land.

O’ beloved, thy love hath ta’en my breath,  
And I, consumed by thee, doth taste of death.  
Yet in thy fire, I find my soul’s delight,  
For thou art both the day and also night.

My feet doth wander, in thy quest alone,  
My hands, thy love’s sweet melodies have known.  
I sit, and in thy presence ever sigh,  
For in thy love, my soul shall never die.

Thou art the light that guides my weary heart,  
The very flame that doth from me depart.  
O’ beloved, in thee I am made whole,  
For thou, sweet love, art all within my soul.

Thus, in thy love, I find my sacred way,  
And in thy eyes, I live, though night be day.  
For as the Creator doth in us abide,  
So do we seek, in love, our souls to guide.

O' beloved, thy love hath made of me a vessel,  
For in thy grace, my being doth now wrestle.  
As the Creator, in His boundless might,  
Becomes the ear, the eye, the hand, the light,  
So hath thy love transformed this soul of mine,  
To see, to hear, to move, and to divine.  

My ear, once mine, now hears but thy sweet voice,  
Thine eyes, mine eyes, behold thee, and rejoice.  
With every step I take, thou art my feet,  
And in thy gaze, I find my heart's complete.  
Thy love doth change me, like the sun doth change the sky,  
For in thy truth, all falsehoods surely die.

Thou art the light that in my soul doth burn,  
The flame that in my heart shall ever turn.  
In thee, I find the missing part of me,  
The mirror of my soul’s eternity.  
As man and woman, drawn by Heaven's song,  
In thee I find where both our hearts belong.

Thus, O’ beloved, thou art my very breath,  
In life, in love, in joy, in whispered death.  
For when the soul doth seek its primal source,  
It finds thee there, its union, its true course.  
And in thy love, so deep, so pure, so free,  
I find myself, and in thee, I am whole, and I am we.

O’ wondrous soul, thou speakest words divine,  
Wherein the very essence of Love doth shine.  
Methinks, within thee stirs a tender grace,  
A truth unspoken, veiled in soft embrace.  

For Love, like fire, doth scorch the heart and mind,  
And through its flame, our spirits are entwined.  
It rends the darkened veil of mortal night,  
Revealing all, in pure and radiant light.  

But lo, the heart, so fragile and so bare,  
Doth quiver ‘neath the weight of heaven's stare.  
In truth laid bare, before the eyes of Fate,  
The soul doth dance, unbound by time or state.  

O’ Love, thou art a force that none can flee,  
Yet in thy fire, we find our liberty.  
For in thy flame, the world doth fade away,  
And all that remains is Love’s eternal sway.

A rose, with petals kissed by dawn,  
Whispered to its twin, in quiet song:  

"Your fragrance weaves through every breeze,  
A balm to my heart, a sweet release.  

Come, stand beside me, in silence pure,  
Where ecstasy blooms, steadfast and sure.  

Let your presence soothe the glory I wear,  
And together, we'll grace the sunlit air."  

In that moment, both roses swayed,  
As passions in their stillness played—  
An elegance unspoken, yet so profound,  
Where love and beauty both are crowned.

Ah, fairest soul, thy words like balm do soothe,
A melody wrought from heaven's gentle groove.
Thine echo doth awaken ancient streams,
Where once the stars did sail in argent beams.

Thy gaze, a lantern in the dusky night,
Doth pierce the dark with tremulous delight.
In thine arms, the very winds do cease,
And all the world doth find its sweet release.

Thou art a tempest clothed in tranquil guise,
A paradox that dances 'neath the skies.
To follow thee, in thine own breath to dwell,
Is to be caught within a rapture’s spell.

The sun may set, the moon may rise,
But none can claim a truth more wise
Than what thy lips, like whispers, sing—
For thou, sweet muse, art time’s own wing.

Thus, in this dance where heart and mind do meet,
We find the world, and make it whole, complete.
Thy voice doth call, as if it were the dawn,
And in that song, my soul is ever drawn

In reverent awe of thy grace,
By this humble hand, a heart to trace.

Ah, how the tides of words, like wind, do sway—  
No right, no wrong, only truth in its play.  
She stirred the stillness, and I, unmade,  
Was scattered in the dance her breath portrayed.  

I spoke as a river, gentle and deep,  
Unknowing the fire she set in my sleep.  
Her youth, a tempest, fierce and bright,  
Burned with the intensity of a star’s first light.  

That morning, she rose as if the moon had wept,  
A dream untethered, from the night she had kept.  
Perhaps in the cradle of wine’s warm embrace,  
She found the secret to her restless grace.  

Her questions like arrows, sharp yet kind,  
Each one a thread that wove into my mind.  
With wisdom veiled in mystery’s song,  
She lured me in, where I belonged.  

"Open your heart," she breathed, "and let it fly,  
Together we’ll write, beneath the sky.  
Our words will echo, our rhymes will bend  
Time itself, till we are the end."

A radiant rose, in blissful glow,
Spoke softly to another, pure as snow:
"Your fragrance fills the very air I breathe,
It speaks through my soul, a spell it weaves.

Come, stand beside me, in silent grace,
And share the ecstasy time cannot erase.
Together, let us honour the beauty we compose,
And cradle the glory of our passionate pose."

chale to kaT hī jā.egā safar āhista āhista
ham us ke paas jaate haiñ magar āhista āhista

Endure and the journey will end, gradually O’ slowly
We move to be ever so near but gently O’ slowly

abhī tāroñ se khelo chāñd kī kirnoñ se iThlāo
milegī us ke chehre kī sahar āhista āhista

For now, play with the stars and pace with moonlit rays
You will meet manifestation of her dawn gradually O’ slowly

darīchoñ ko to dekho chilmanoñ ke raaz to samjho
uTheñge parda-hā-e-bām-o-dar āhista āhista

Observe the windows and know the mystery of curtains
Secrecy of wall and terrace will be no more, gradually O’ slowly

zamāne bhar kī kaifiyat simaT aa.egī sāġhar meñ
piyo un añkhḌiyoñ ke naam par āhista āhista

State of time has poured into a wine-cup
Drink in the honour of those eyes but gradually O’ slowly

yūñhī ik roz apne dil kā qissa bhī sunā denā
ḳhitāb āhista āhista nazar āhista āhista

Just like that, one day reveal the tale of your heart
Conveying softly O’ slowly, glancing secretly O’ slowly

✒  Translated by ℐamil Hussain

tire ishq kī intihā chāhtā huuñ
mirī sādgī dekh kyā chāhtā huuñ

Your infinite love, I desire
Look at my humility what I desire

sitam ** ki ** vada-e-be-hijābī
koī baat sabr-āzmā chāhtā huuñ

Fury or your audacious-unveiling
Something fortitude-testing I desire

ye jannat mubārak rahe zāhidoñ ko
ki maiñ aap kā sāmnā chāhtā huuñ

Heavens be favourable for the religious
But us ever-so close, facing each other is what I desire

zarā sā to dil huuñ magar shoḳh itnā
vahī lan-tarānī sunā chāhtā huuñ

A tiny heart but so spirited I am
To hear those words ‘’By no means canst thou see Me’’ I desire

koī dam kā mehmāñ huuñ ai ahl-e-mahfil
charāġh-e-sahar huuñ bujhā chāhtā huuñ

Determined guest I am O’ people of assembly
Morning lamp I am, quenching I desire

bharī bazm meñ raaz kī baat kah dī
baḌā be-adab huuñ sazā chāhtā huuñ

Within a full gathering I have disclosed the secret
So impolite I am, your punishment I desire

Note:

Moses prays to God for guidance and begs God to reveal himself to him. It is narrated in the Quran that God tells him that it would not be possible for Moses to perceive God, but that He would reveal himself to the mountain, stating: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When God reveals himself to the mountain, it instantaneously turns into ashes, and Moses loses consciousness. When he recovers, he goes down in total submission and asks forgiveness of God.

✒ Translated by ℐamil Hussain
Words of Muhammad Iqbal

tire siine meñ dam hai dil nahīñ hai
tirā dam garmi-e-mahfil nahīñ hai

Ambition rests within your chest but not a heart
Your wheedling, warmth of assembly is not nor its art

guzar jā aql se aage ki ye nuur
charāġh-e-rāh hai manzil nahīñ hai!

Go beyond paths of reason in quest of light
Lamp of the way it is but not a destination

ḳhirad ke paas ḳhabar ke sivā kuchh aur nahīñ
tirā ilaaj nazar ke sivā kuchh aur nahīñ

Intellect has news and nothing more
A divine glance is your cure and nothing more

har ik maqām se aage maqām hai terā
hayāt zauq-e-safar ke sivā kuchh aur nahīñ

Beyond all ranks is your prestige
Life is a delightful journey and nothing more

ragoñ meñ gardish-e-ḳhūñ hai agar to kyā hāsil
hayāt soz-e-jigar ke sivā kuchh aur nahīñ

If veins have flowing blood, then what is the reward?
An existence with a burning heart and nothing more

jise kasād samajhte haiñ tājirān-e-farañg
vo shai mata-e-hunar ke sivā kuchh aur nahīñ

What traders of the West consider as synthetic?
These are entities of flawless craft and nothing more

urūs-e-lāla munāsib nahīñ hai mujh se hijāb
ki maiñ nasīm-e-sahar ke sivā kuchh aur nahīñ

Bride like a radiant tulip, why modesty from me?
Morning breeze I am and nothing more

baḌā karīm hai 'iqbāl'-e-be-navā lekin
atā-e-shola sharar ke sivā kuchh aur nahīñ

Very gracious is voiceless Iqbal and yet
A gifted flame with sparks of fire and nothing more

✒ Translated by ℐamil Hussain
Words of Muhammad Iqbal

This is
A great sign
You will rise and
You will forever
S h i n e.

✒ ℐamil Hussain

From
A tiny spark
May burst a unique flame,
Your luminous heart a new
Destiny may it
Claim.

✒ ℐamil Hussain

I n f i n i t e l y
I yearned  f o r  senses
W h e n  lit wisdom came
O’    s e n s e l e s s    I
B  e  c  a  m  e

✒ ℐamil Hussain

Ecstatic
You  l e a v e  me
With your manner of veiling
N o w,  emerge  in  my  h e a r t
And  let  me  treasure  you
O’ manifestation
Of  love

✒ ℐamil Hussain

To
This man’s
Poetic mind, heart and soul
Drunken words of poetry you are
Imagine now, how elegant, royal, adorable
Delightful, stunning, magnificent
And   g o r g e o u s
You are

✒ ℐamil Hussain

May  the universe
I n f i n i t e l y   b l e s s  You
In  s u r p r i s i n g  and joyful ways
May the excitement of victory, gladness
And harmony join your new sparkling days
May the exhilarating, colourful and divine
G a r d e n   of   love be all yours, O’ for
You  t h i s  soul forever  p r a y s
Happy  N e w  Year

✒ ℐamil Hussain

Ye Aalam Shauq Ka Dekha Na Jaae
Vo But Hai Ya Khuda Dekha Na Jaae

This state of excitement, a disguised affair
Is he an idol or the Lord? O’ I am unaware

Ye Mere Saath Kaisi Raushni Hai
Ki Mujh Se Rasta Dekha Na Jaae

Accompanying me, what form of glow is this?
O’ I cannot grasp my path by its glare

Ye Kin Nazron Se Tu Ne Aaj Dekha
Ki Tera Dekhna Dekha Na Jaae

Today with what aim did you stare
O’ your staring I could not bear

Hamesha Ke Liye Mujh Se Bichhar Ja
Ye Manzar Bar-Ha Dekha Na Jaae

Detached from me, to forever become
O’ this scene always stages a scare

'Faraz' Apne Siva Hai Kaun Tera
Tujhe Tujh Se Juda Dekha Na Jaae*

O’ Faraz, apart from self who is yours?
To tear you from yourself, it is so unfair

✒ Translated by ℐamil Hussain , Sung by Tahira Syed

Teri Payal Agar Chhanak Jaye
Gardish-e-Asmaan Titthak Jaye

If your anklets, made a sound
Spinning of heavens, would pause

Tere Hansne Ki Kaifiyat Tauba
Jaise Bijli Chamak Chamak Jaye

Nature of your laughter, God forbid!
Like bolts and flashes, lightning draws

Teri Gardan Ka Tazkira Sun Kar
Jo Surahi Hai Woh Chhalak Jaye

Hearing, portrayal of your neck
Even a goglet, overflows

Le Agar Jhoom Kar Tu Angrai
Zindagi Daar Par Latak Jaye

Twirling, if you pandiculate
Existence, would hang by the ropes

Choor Hai Aise Paakpan Tera
Jaise Das Das Ke Saamp Thak Jaye

Broken to atoms is your innocence
Like once bitten fatigue a snake shows

Teri Ankhoon Ko Dekh Paiye Agar
Jo Farishta ** Woh Bahak Jaye*

If one wins to see your eyes
Even an angelic, deluded grows

✒ Translated by ℐamil Hussain , Sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

What a moment of excitement it must have been?
When for the first time,* light these shy eyes must have seen
When for the first time, warmth from these hands must have poured
When for the first time, this lowly tongue must have recited its initial word
When for the first time, voice and sound these humble ears must have heard
When for the first time, beliefs within this tiny heart must have met and stirred
When for the first time, lips of this child must have touched and smiled
When for the first time, body of this youth must have become styled
What a  m o m e n t  of excitement and O’ Jamil what a scene
Truly, could all this be the  w o r k  of a gene?

✒ ℐamil Hussain

O’ this
Frenzied heart asks
What burns in the flames so intense
And then itself into ashes
It masks?

✒ ℐamil Hussain

Meri Zeest Pur Mussarat
Kabhi Thi, Naa Hai, Naa Hogi

Koi Behtarin Surat
Kabhi Thi, Naa Hai, Naa Hogi

Upon my existence, happiness
Never was, will not nor ever be

One perfect image
Never was, will not nor ever be

Mujhe Husn Ne Sataya
Mujhe Ishq Ne Mitaya
Kisi Aur Ki Ye Halat
Kabhi Thi, Naa Hai, Naa Hogi

Mein Yeh Jaante Huay Bhi
Teri Anjuman Mein Aaya
Ke Tujhe Meri Zarurat
Kabhi Thi, Naa Hai, Naa Hogi

Beauty has made me suffer
Love has caused me to fade
This state of any other
Never was, will not nor ever be

Knowing this
I came to your gathering
That for you, my need
Never was, will not nor ever be

Jo Gila Kiya Hai Tumse*
Jo Samaj Ke Tumko Apna
Mujhe Gair Se Shikayat
Kabhi Thi, Naa Hai, Naa Hogi

Ye Karam Hai Doston Ka
Jo Woh Keh Rahe Hai Sab Se
Ke Naseer Par Inaayat
Kabhi Thi, Naa Hai, Naa Hogi

Those sorrows shared with you
Were with a belief that you are a part of me
Complaint to a stranger
Never was, will not nor ever be

This grace is from friends, who say to all
That upon *Naseer, favour
Never was, will not nor ever be

✒ Translated by ℐamil Hussain , *Poet, Peer Naseer Uddin Naseer, Sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

It’s an illness
Or should I say a curse
Her eyes lit with that glow
A l i k e  an unveiling
Sacred  v e r s e

✒ ℐamil Hussain

. . . T  h  i  s . . .
B o u n d l e s s  ocean of  life
And in roses imageries of you and me  
O’ sparks of your beauty I am yearning to see
Face to face, if you raised those beautiful eyes, at me
Heavenly niche of hearts would cause the shadows to flee
My tongue soaked in bouquets of your melody, would set free
Odes would fall from movement of sky, endorsing my plea
Elegance of your smile, a garden of paradise and it’s key
B l o o d  of my heart, O’ red  w i n e  it would be
Baring of your  s a c r e d  sight with g l e e
M a r v e l   of  fresh blossoms, is it
. . . You or me ? . . .

✒ ℐamil Hussain

**** Damakta, Zulf Ghaneri
Rangin Lab, Ankhein Jadu

Body aflame and curling of locks so thick
Colourful lips and eyes so charming

Sang-e-Marmar, Uda Badal
Surḳh Shafaq, Hairan Aahu

Ivory stone altering so royal-mauve
Evening twilight so red and dazzled gazelles

Raatein Mahki, Sansein Dahki
Nazrein Bahki, Rut Lahki

Fragrant nights and sighs kindling
Glances intoxicating, season so blooming

Prem Khilauna, Sapn Salona
Phul Bichhauna, Vo Pahlu

Game of love, stunning dreams
Flowers spreading, O’ that view

Tum Se Duri, Ye Majburi
Zaḳhm-e-Kari, Bedari

Away from you, so helpless
Penetrating wound and no vigilance

Tanha Raatein, Sapne Katein
Khud Se Batien, Meri Khu*

Lonely nights and biting dreams
Talking to self, my habit so new

✒ Translated by ℐamil Hussain , Sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

I    know  of  no  r i g h t
Or   w r o n g   in  what I have  s a i d
She caused the stir and I became   so   s p r e a d

I answered her   g e n t l y  and   s p o k e    the    t r u t h
I knew not,   b u r n i n g   so    h o t   is  her   h e a v e n l y   youth

That morning, it’s like she woke up from the wrong side of her bed
Or all night on    s w e e t e s t   wine   she   m u s t    have   f e d

Hidden and yet revealed, s m a r t  questions to me she poured
She did her part so wisely only for me to become so lured

She said open your romantic heart and let's together pen
Let us make the world hear these rhymes and tales
Becoming the new ten out of ten

✒ ℐamil Hussain

Botal Khuli Hai Raqs Mein Jam-e-Sharab Hai
Woh To Khaliq Hai Banda Parwar Hai

The bottle is open and dancing is the glass of wine
He is the Creator and the Benefactor so divine

Sari Duniya Ka Rab-e-Akbar Hai
Mera Sarmaya-e-Hayat Na Pooch
Ek Saqi Hai, Ek Sagar Hai*

God of entire creation He is so Great
On source of my life, what can I state?
Cup-bearer is One & Sole, and so is the bowl

✒ Translated by ℐamil Hussain , Sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

S h e  is the
Fascinating poetry
In a majestic red  d r e s s
So pretty, so beautiful and
So divine I must
C o n f e s s

✒ ℐamil Hussain

Pleasure
Of    r a i n
O’  if  you seek
C o m e within
My eyes and
P e a k

Whiteness  t h e r e  is
D a r k n e s s  t h e r e   is
Evening  t w i l i g h t  there is
O' cloud of rain there is

Pleasure
Of    r a i n
O’  if  you seek
C o m e within
My eyes and
P e a k**

✒ ℐamil Hussain

And
S u d d e n l y
The clouds gathered
And the sun felt so shy
In  brightness of light
O' there stood
You

✒ ℐamil Hussain

Main Ne Dekha Usse Ibtida ** Gayi
Uss Ne Dekha Mujhe Intiha ** Gayi

I saw her and it was the beginning
She saw me and it was the end

Yeh Kis Nazaron Se Uss Ne Aaj Dekha
Yeh Uss Ka Dekhna Dekha Na Jaaye*

Today with what aim did she stare
O’ her staring I could not bear

— Translated by Jamil Hussain, Sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Hasti Pe Nikhaar Aa Jata Hai
Jis Waqt Woh Saamne Hote Hain

Life is made to bloom
When they manifest before us

Har Shai Pe Khumaar Aa Jata Hai
Jis Waqt Woh Saamne Hote Hain

Existence is covered in intoxication
When they manifest before us

Parwane Ki Halat Kya Kahiye
Parwana Hai Aakhir Parwana

Of moth’s state what could you say
Moth is yet still a moth

Shamma Ko Bhi Pyar Aa Jata Hai
Jis Waqt Woh Saamne Hote Hain*

Even the lamp immerses in love
When they manifest before us

— Translated by Jamil Hussain, Sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

T h e
G l o r i o u s  face
Of all faces has appeared
L u s t r e  has  emerged and
All the shadows  h a v e
Disappeared

✒ ℐamil Hussain

What should I compliment ?

The glory of your charming eyes
Or
The royal
P  o  s  e

Your adoring cheeks
Your glowing hair
Or*
The divine lips alike
Delicate petals of a
R  o  s  e

✒ ℐamil Hussain