makaan

aaj kii raat bahut garm havaa chaltii hai
aaj kii raat naa fuT-paath pe niiNd aaegii
sab uTho, maiN bhii uThuu.N, tum bhii uTho, tum bhii uTho
koii khiRkii isii diivaar meN khul jaaegii

ye zamiin tab bhii nigal lene pe aamaadaa thii
paaNv jab TuuTii shaaKhoN se utaare ham ne
in makaanoN ko Khabar hai na makiinoN ko Khabar
un dinoN kii jo gufaaoN meiN guzaare ham ne

haath Dhalate gaye saaNche meiN to thakate kaise
naqsh ke baad naye naqsh nikhaare ham ne
kii ye diivaar buland, aur buland, aur buland
baam-o-dar aur zaraa, aur saNvaare ham ne

aaNdhiyaaN toR liyaa kartii thii shamoN kii laveiN
jaR diye is liye bijalii ke sitaare ham ne
ban gayaa qasr to pahare pe koii baiTh gayaa
so rahe Khaak pe ham shorish-e-taamiir liye

apanii nas-nas meiN liye mehanat-e-paiham kii thakan
band aaNkhoN meiN isii qasr kii tasviir liye
din phighalataa hai isii tarah saroN par ab tak
raat aaNkhoN meiN KhaTakatii hai syaah tiir liye

aaj kii raat bahut garm havaa chaltii hai
aaj kii raat naa fuT-paath pe niiNd aaegii
sab uTho, maiN bhii uThuu.N, tum bhii uTho, tum bhii uTho
koii khiRkii isii diivaar meN khul jaaegii

House

A very hot breeze blows tonight
Sleep will not come on the footpath, tonight
All arise, I, you, and so do you 
This wall itself will give way to a window

This earth was bent upon swallowing us up even then
When we lowered our feet from the breaking branches
Neither these houses nor the dwellers know
Of the days we spent in the caves

When the hands got cast in the mould, how could they tire
We cleaned image after new image
Made this wall strong, stronger, even more stronger
Embellished the roof and door some more

Dust-storms would snatch away the flames of candles
So we studded the stars of electricity instead
When the palace was ready, someone sat down to guard
While we slept on the dust in the din of construction

Carrying the tiredness of our relentless labour in every vein
While the image of this palace in our shut eyes remains
The day melts like this on our heads still
The night rankles the eyes with black arrows

A very hot breeze blows tonight
Sleep will not come on the footpath, tonight
All arise, I, you, and so do you
This wall itself will give way to a window

(Pathetic, hurried, literal, klutzy translation and transliteration by Sundeep Dougal. Please feel freeto mail criticism and corrections.)