tum ne kitne sapne dekhe, maiN ne kitne giit bune

tum ne kitne sapne dekhe, maiN ne kitne giit bune
is duniyaa ke shor meN lekin dil kii dhaRkan kaun sune

sargam kii aavaaz pe sar dhunne vaale laakhoN paaye
naGhmoN kii khiltii kaliyaaN chun-ne vaale laakhoN paaye
raakh hu’aa dil jin meN jal kar vo angaare kaun chune
tum ne kitne sapne dekhe, maiN ne kitne giit sune

armaanoN ke suune ghar meN har aahaT be-gaanii niklii
dil ne jab nazdiik se dekhaa, har suurat anjaanii niklii
bojhal ghaRiyaaN ginte ginte sadme ho gaye laakh gune
tum ne kitne sapne dekhe, maiN ne kitne giit sune

Sahir Ludhianvi

English Translation

How many dreams you dreamt my love, how many songs I sang
who shall hear the heart’s throb in this world’s bang?

There were millions craving for the sake of music sweet
wishing to pick the blooming buds of melodious beats.
Who shall pick these embers up which the heart to ashes burnt
how many dreams you dreamt my love, how many songs I learnt.

In the lonely abode of desires so very alien was every note,
every face looked unknown when the heart did closely dote.
In counting all the woeful moments, the woes grew million-fold,
how many dreams you dreamt my love, how many songs I rolled.

Translation by Anisur Rahman from “Fire and the Rose: An Anthology of Modern Urdu Poetry”