A poem of love and longing by Parveen Shakir
I rediscovered this exquisite poem by Parveen Shakir after years. This is an intense love poem of rare beauty. It is composite, taut and melodic. I have tried to translate it - however, the impossibility of a translation haunts me..
More so, the reality of days gone by, the visions lost haunts me even more..
Dedicated to those who stand by the sea of evening colours and moods and want to merge with their expanse. And, to someone who lives with time present and time past with equal ease..
yay haseen shaam apni
yay haseen shaam apni
abhi jiss meiN ghul rahi hai
teray parahan kee khushboo
abhi jiss meiN khil rahay heiN
meray khawab kay shagoofay
zera dair ka hai manzar
zera dair meiN ufq par
khilay ga koi sitaara
teri simt daik kar woh
karay ga koi ishara
teray dil ko aayay ga phir
kissi yaad ka bullawa
koi qissa-ay judaaee, koi kaar-ay naamukamal
koi khawab-ay naa shagufta, koi baat kehnay wali
humeiN chaahiyay tha milna
kissi ahad-ay mehrbaaN meiN
kissi khawab kay yaqeeN meiN
kissi aur aasmaaN par
kissi aur sarzameeN meiN
humeiN chahiyay tha milna…
Here is the odd translation rendered by this blogger.
This melting evening of ours
Where everything dissolves
the scent of your clothes
the blossoming
sprouts of my dreams
All dissolves
A deferred vision, this is
In a little while,
a star will emerge on the horizon
To gaze at you
Meaningfully…!
Your heart shall then reminisce
the echo of a memory
The tale of a separation,
Of an unfinished moment
Of unblossomed dreams, things unsaid
We ought to have met
In times, considerate
In pursuit of attainable dreams
On a different sky
On a different earth
We ought to have met
Picture by Raza Rumi
Subscribe
Waah!
Comment by Sidhusaaheb — April 14, 2008 @ 7:42 pm
What moving sentiments! The translation of the last three lines is so evocative; wonder what the original does!
Comment by IMeMy — April 14, 2008 @ 9:31 pm
Ya, but where is that different earth, that different sky. Tell me please…
Comment by Shirazi — April 15, 2008 @ 7:41 am
How lovely… thank you for this. I wanted to stay with it, felt an urge to tweak… taking liberties and with no idea of accuracy. Therefore, a version in full realisation of its impossibility:
a melting twilight
the world in its entirety dissolves
the scent of you…
the blossoming
pullulation of dreams
all dissolves
… a vision deferred
in a while
a star will emerge on the horizon
to gaze at you
replete with meaning
… your heart shall then reminisce,
there shall be an echo of a memory…
the tale of a separation,
of an unfinished moment…
of dreams unborn, thoughts unsaid
we ought to have met
in another time
in pursuit of attainable dreams
below a different sky
upon a different earth
we ought to have met then, there…
Anais
Comment by Anais — April 15, 2008 @ 9:08 am
Siddhu ji: thanks
Id: thanks for dropping by - we have to start with your Urdu lessons ASAP…:)
Shirazi Bhai: Wish we knew the answers to your metaphysical question..well, we can always search for such a sky and such a zameen…
Dear Anais: Many thanks -your translation is brilliant - I will post it separately again..maybe on the Pak Tea House blog as well - http://www.pakteahouse.wordpress.com
please render more translations if you can for the blog -we need to introduce the world to the pleasures of Urdu poetry. thanks again
Comment by RR — April 15, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
its hard to get over…kisi aur asman, kisi aur sarzameen … what would be this world without poetry…its intoxicating really
Comment by Junaid — April 15, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
thanks for sharing this beautiful piece with us Raza.
Comment by Asmapk — May 10, 2008 @ 2:46 am
Whats the procedure to register on this site, and contribute our posts/articles??
Comment by alex — May 10, 2008 @ 10:25 pm