"Please return to me" [ghazal translation]

[Urdu poem by a contemporary, Ahmed Faraz]


It's okay if you hanker to grieve me     please return to me!
even though you're determined to leave me     please return to me!

hey! the pride of adoring you merits its due respect!
to renew me   why not deceive me?     please return to me!

the life we share may look different   yet every now & then
so that others might blindly believe me     please return to me

O who could unravel the reasons behind our estrangement?
to wax mannerly when you would peeve me     please return to me

too long have I missed the delight of your furious moods!
so that heart-broken tears may relieve me     please return to me

in hearts prone to illusions of joy   doesn't hope flicker on?
for the candle unsnuffed in naive me     please return to me

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A transliteration of the original Urdu poem, a literal translation, plus his own "transcreation" of the poem, are all given by Max Babi here. Max also offers a brief bio-note on the Pakistani poet.