[See the original in Devanagari script]
[This poem was included in Bahadur Shah Zafar's collected works, first published in Urdu in 1862.]

Suddenly the winds have shifted;
My heart can no longer find peace.
How can I describe such tyranny?
My breast is torn apart by grief.

The people of Hindustan [reyaaa-e-hind] have been ruined—
What can I say of the oppression they have suffered?
Whoever the rulers of the time looked upon,
They declared worthy only of the gallows [Qabil-e-dar].

Has anyone ever heard of such cruelty—
That innocent people were hanged?
Even now, toward those who profess the Islamic creed [Kalma-go],
Their hearts still burn with hatred.

Delhi [Shehr-e-Dilli] was no mere city—it was a blooming garden.
How peaceful and glorious it once was!
Its very title and honor have been erased;
Now it is nothing but a desolate land.

The misery that has befallen everyone
Is but a wonder of God's decree.
What was once spring has turned to autumn [Khizan],
And what was autumn now seems like spring.

Those who spent their days among flowers—
How could they endure the thorns of sorrow?
When chains and iron collars were placed upon them in prison,
They were told, "Here is your garland instead of flowers."

Every road is filled with bitter mourning;
What a cruel turn of fortune this is!
No crown remains, no throne remains,
No king remains, no kingdom remains.

Those who once dealt harshly with others
Have themselves become utterly humiliated.
So crushed are they beneath the tyranny of fate,
Not even a thread remains upon their bodies.

My body bears no affliction, nor do I fear death.
If only my life ends with this grief.
My very existence has become a burden to me.

Why should you fear the Day of Judgment, O Zafar?
If God wills, all shall be made clear.
We have the intercession of the Messenger;
He is our protector and advocate.

Notes on key expressions

• हाकिम-ए-वक़्त (Hakim-e-waqt): the rulers or authorities of the time.

• क़ाबिल-ए-दार (Qabil-e-dar): fit for the gallows; deserving execution.

• कलमा-गो (Kalma-go): one who professes the Islamic faith.

• शहर-ए-देहली (Shahr-e-Dehli): the city of Delhi.

• ख़िज़ाँ (Khizān): autumn, symbolizing decline and desolation.

• तौक़ (Tauq): an iron collar or shackle worn by prisoners.

• चर्ख़ (Charkh): the revolving heavens; metaphorically, fate.

• हश्र (Hashr): the Day of Resurrection or Final Judgment.

• वसीला रसूल (Waseela-e-Rasul): the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad.

• हामी-ए-कार (Hami-e-kar): protector, patron, or helper.