sirf apne khaylon ki parchayi hai
ya koi jalwa e naaj parde me hai
ya koi jalwa e naaj parde me hai
baar baar ush taraf uth rahi hai nazar
kya khabar kaun sa raaz parde me hai
kya khabar kaun sa raaz parde me hai
sirf apne khaylon ki parchayi hai

in adaoo ko hum kaun sa naam de
inka ehsaan mane ke iljaam de
in adaoo ko hum kaun sa naam de
inka ehsaan mane ke iljaam de
har karam me sitam har wafa me jafa
unka har ek andaaz parde me hai
sirf apne khaylon ki parchayi hai

A phantom dance of thought alone,
Or veiled, a vision of divine renown?
A vision veiled, a beauty yet unknown,
My gaze, drawn ever, seeks that hidden crown.
What secret sleeps behind that curtain drawn?
What secret sleeps, where shadows are sown?
A phantom dance of thought alone,
A whispered echo, softly flown.

What name for such affections shall we find?
Shall we call it grace, or cruel design?
What name for such affections shall we bind?
Grace, or the sting of a heart’s decline?
Each deed a wound, each vow a cruel jest,
Their every guise, behind a hidden crest.
A phantom dance of thought, repressed,
A soul's reflection, unconfessed.