The Story of Gul Badshah – Z. Nigah
4 May 2007
Zehra Nigah’s beautiful poem for an Afghan boy, a victim of the war that was waged in the name of world peace but that has brought more anguish and suffering for the ordinary people. This poem makes no overt political statement and yet is one of the best anti-war poems I have read in recent years. The erudite translation posted below is from The Little Magazine.
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rula dete ho yaar !!!
(Do you want me to send an english translation of Hasan Abid’s poem…”Halaku ab jo tum Baghdad aao ge”)
raza, thanks for posting this; i discovered zehra nigah about 5 years ago and i have regretted not knowing her work earlier; reading her in urdu brings home the poignant intricacy of a diction that is lost and not found in modern prose or verse; thank you so much for this best hidden secret of our national heritage
Mystic: Many thanks for your comment.
Rona tau be-ikhtiar hi aa jaata hai..
Please send me Hasan Abid’s poem and its translation. I want to post it.
Naveed: I agree with you. Zehra Nigah’s diction is most intricate and unique. And, of course our hidden treasure..!
Thanks for introducing me to Zehra Nigah. I will have to read more from her.