State of Affairs

This is a famous ghazal, and i also found its english translation (for the under-privilged ;))


mili hawaon mein udne ki woh saza yaaro
ke main zameen ke rishton se kat gaya yaaro

[The price that I paid for flying in the air is that
I got cut off from all the earthly relationships]

2. woh bekhayal musafir main rasta yaaro
kahan tha bas mein mere usko rokna yaaro

[He was the carefree/careless/thoughtless traveller, and I the road
Where was it in my capacity to stop him]

3. mere kalam pe zamane ki gard aisi thi
ke apne baare mein kuch bhi na likh saka yaaro

[My pen was filled with all the world's dirt, such that
I could not write anything about myself at all]

4. tamaam sheher hi jiski talaash mein ghum tha
main uske ghar ka pata kisse poochta yaaro

[The person for whom the whole city was busy searching
To whom could I ask his home address]