Another Mortal Life

Baat mere sawaal ki hai, ya,
Baat tere agar magar ki hai..

Kuchh mere dhadkte dil ki hai,
Kuchh teri jhuki nazar ki hai..

Mehsoos ki hai jo maine, keh de,
Toone bhi agar ki hai..

Baat teri meri na hokar
Kyun bas jamaane bhar ki hai..

Guzar to jaayegi yoon bhi
Baat to rehguzar ki hai..


...

Baat to asar ki thi
-Kuchh to asar ki hai..

Ik waqt tha, jab baatein bahut thii karne ko,
Par baaton ke liye hamaare paas waqt na tha..
Mohabbat, arsa intezaar me rahi, bayaan hone ko,
arsa-dar-arsa, magar, uska wuzood hi na raha.

Mit chuki hai zehan se ab, yah,
ik arsa ho chala,
Is qadar bin-aawaaz toota ye rishta
pata bhi na chala.

Zindagi ke jhamelo mein
yoon zindagi chali gayi,
Sab kuchh to hai paas hamaare
khud ka par pata nahii.

Aaj waqt bahut hai paas magar
kahne ko kuchh paas nahii,
Chalte to hain saath aaj
hain magar hum saath nahii.

Bahut unchi ho chali hain diwaarein hamaare beech,
Par zindagi to, zaroor, aage badhti jaani hai.
to aaj se, priye, aur aage se,
tere mere sukh dukh ki ab alag alag kahani hai.

Chalo chhod dein khud ko zindagi ke bahaav par
le jaati hai kahaan ye humein dekhein zara
Aur haan,
apna khyal rakhna zara.


--- An unauthorized translation attempt. Hope the poet, who happens to be still alive, doesn't sue me...