Ik udaas aadhi raat thi... mein thaka hua aur choor tha,

Puraani kitaabon ke sehar mein... bastiyon se door tha,

Oongh mein tha ke achaanak ek shor sa hua,

Darwaaze par kisi ne dastak di, koi aahat ka zahoor tha,

Laga ke jaise koi mehmaan hai... jo ab ke aan tapka hai,

Mehez ik dastak hai... jo mere dar pe dastak deta hai,

Aah! Mujhe yaad hai, woh sard December ki raat thi,

Girti hui raakh mein, bas ek ajeeb si baat thi,

Tadap raha tha mein, ke kitaabon se koi marham mile,

Uss "Lenore" ki yaad se... jo ab farishton ke saath thi,

Woh naam jo ab yahan ki duniya mein, bas ik qissa hai,

Jis ka ab iss zameen par, koi na baaqi hissa hai,

Jab mein ne khidki kholi, toh ik kawwa andar aa gaya,

Qadeem daur ka ba-waqar, ik parinda chaa gaya,

Bagair kisi salaam ke, woh seedha ja ke baith gaya,

Aqal ki devi ke mujassame par, woh dera jama gaya,

Mein ne poocha "Tera naam kya hai? Aye andheron ke raahi",

Kehne laga woh kawwa... bas ik lafz ki gawaahi,

"Phir kabhi nahi... phir kabhi nahi..."

Mein ne poocha "Kya kabhi iss dukh se rehaai paaunga?"

"Kya behisht mein ja kar, mein Lenore ko dekh paaunga?"

Dil mera tadapta tha, ik tasalli ke jawaab ko,

Kya kabhi iss jeete jee, mein phir se muskuraunga?

Uss kaale parinde ne, mere zakhmon par namak chirka,

Aur phir wohi ik jumla... meri rooh pe aa kar patkha,

Phir kabhi nahi... phir kabhi nahi...

Nevermore... Nevermore..."

Song : The Raven