Come, my dance partner, hold me,

I’ve fled from Life and arrived,

Quivering with fear

That in this dance hall, Life may follow

And find me drunk!

See me decadent, corrupted, debauched!

.

Come, my dance partner, hold me

These cycles of dance

Enigmatic revolutions of sin

With what zeal I spin the wheels of sorrow!

And in my mind, I agree,

Before entering this dance hall

Not one speck of my troubles should remain!

.

Come, my dance partner, hold me,

For me life 

Is no less than a stealthy murderer;

O beautiful stranger, from this very door

I come closer to you slowly,

Knowing you are not my life

And meeting you is unlikely;

But still you are that one desire eluding me till today!

.

Come, my dance partner, hold me;

I am not a follower of any divine promise,

And bondage to this place

Has weakened all desire for abstinence;

To your body I can cling

But I cannot battle Life!

So, hold me now,

O beautiful lady, stranger, hold me now!

.

From: Māvarā (Beyond). Lāhaur: Maktabah-yi Urdū, [1940].  pp. 108 – 110