kitanee dooriyon se kitanee baar
kitanee dagamag naavon mein baith kar
main tumhaaree or aaya hoon
o meree chhotee-see jyoti!
kabhee kuhaase mein tumhen na dekhata bhee
par kuhaase kee hee chhotee-see rupahalee jhalamal mein
pahachaanata hua tumhaara hee prabha-mandal.
kitanee baar main,
dheer, aashvast, aklaant —
o mere anabujhe saty! kitanee baar…
aur kitanee baar kitane jagamag jahaaz
mujhe kheench kar le gaye hain kitanee door
kin parae deshon kee bedard havaon mein
jahaan nange andheron ko
aur bhee ughaadata rahata hai
ek nanga, teekha, nirmam prakaash —
jisamen koee prabha-mandal nahin banate
keval chaundhiyaate hain tathy, tathy — tathy —
saty nahin, antaheen sachchaiyaan…
kitanee baar mujhe
khinn, vikal, santrast —kitanee baar!
Closeclose