ek bauchhar tha wo
ek bauchhar tha wo shakhs
bina barse kisi abar ki nami se jo bhigo deta tha
ek bauchhar hi tha wo jo kabhi dhup ki afsa bhar ke
dur tak sunte huye chiraho ko chhidak deta tha
nim tarikh se hol me aankhe chamk uthati thi

sar hilata tha kabhi jhum ke tahani ki tarah
lagata tha jhoka hawa ka tha koi khil gya hai
gungunata tha to khulte huye badal ki tarah
muskurahat me kai tarbo ki jhankar chhupi thi
gali ae kasim se chali ek gajal ki jhankar tha wo
ek aagaj ki bauchhar tha wo

He was a shower, you see,
A torrent of a man,
Who, without rain from any cloud's embrace,
Would drench you with a deeper dampness.
A shower he was, indeed, who,
Gathering the sun's spilled laughter,
Would scatter it to the far reaches,
To where the chirping, unheard, finally listened.
From the night's emptiness, eyes would ignite,
Shining with a sudden, blossoming light.

He'd sway his head, like a branch in dance,
As if a gust of wind had bloomed.
When he hummed, it was like opening clouds,
And in his smile, the music of many worlds resided.
From the alley of Qasim, a ghazal's echo,
He was a shower, a beginning.