jinke sar ho ishq kii chha.nh
He whose head is in the shadow of love
pao.n ke niiche jannat hogi
will have heaven beneath his feet.
jinke sar ho ishq ki chha.nh
Whose head is in the shadow of love...
chal chhaiyya
Walk in the shadow.
pao.n jannat chale chal chhaiyyan
Walk in heaven, walk in the shadow.

vo yaar hai jo khushbuu kii tarah
There's a friend who is like a sweet fragrance,
jiskii zabaan Urdu kii tarah
whose words are like poetry (lit. Urdu, the language of poetry),
merii shaam raat merii qainaat
who is my evening, my night, my existence.
vo yaar mera saiyya saiyya
That friend is my beloved!

gulposh kabhii itarae kahii.n
Sometimes (my beloved) flirts like a flower,
mahake to nazar aa jaa'e kahii.n
so fragrantly that you may see her scent.
taawiiz banake pahanuu.n use
Having made it into an charm, I will wear it.
aayat kii tarah mil jaaye kahin
She shall be obtained as a miracle is obtained.
mera nagama vahii.n mera qalama vahii.n
She is my song, my declaration of faith

(kalama: the Muslim confession of faith, as in, "la ilaaha il allaah" - "there is no God but Allah").
(vo yaar hai jo imaam ki tarah)
(My friend is like a priest to me.)
mera nagama nagama mera qalama qalama
My song... my declaration of faith...
yaar misale.n os chale
She moves like the dew.
paon ke tale phirdaus chale
She walks with the garden of heaven beneath her feet,
kabhii Daal Daal kabhii paat paat
sometimes through the branches, sometimes amidst the leaves.
mai.n hawa pe DHuu.nDHuu.n us ke nishaan
I shall search the wind for her trail!

mai.n uske ruup ka sedaaii
I trade in her beauty.
vo dhuup chhaa.nho.n sa harjaaii Fickle,
she flits shamelessly from sun to shade.
vo shokh ra.ng badalta hai
She changes her bright colors;
mai.n ra.ng ruup ka saudaaii
I negotiate that as well