My Heart My Traveler with English Translation

Dil e man Musafir e

Meray dil meray musafirhua phir sey hukm sadirk watan badar hon hum tumdein gali gali sadainkarein rukh nagar nagar kake suraagh koi paein kisi yar e nama bar kahar ik ajnabi sey poocheinjo pata tha apney ghar kasar e kooey nashenayan hamein din sey raat karna kabhi iss sey baat karnakabhi us sey baat karnatumhein kya kahoon key kya heyshab e gham buri balaa heyhamein yeh bhi tha ghaneematjo koi shumaar hotahamein kya bura tha marnaagar eik baar

English translation:

My heart, my fellow

It has been decreed

That you and I be exiled,go calling out in every street,turn to every town.

To search for a clueof a messenger from our Beloved.

To ask every strangerthe way back to our home.

In this town of unfamiliar folkwe drudge the day into the

Talk to this stranger at times,to that one at others.

How can I convey to you, my friendhow horrible is a night of lonliness *It would suffice to meif there were just some countI would gladly welcome deathif it were to come but once.

Translation by Hamid Rahim Sheikh (London 1978.

Taken from the collection My Heart,

My Traveler )* adapted from a couplet by Ghalib