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Fresh translations of Faiz
Rehan Qayoom, from Flickr, has rather generously contributed his translations of Faiz for Jahane Rumi.
Here is Rehan’s rendition of Tum Meray Pas Raho:
Stay Close
Stay close to me
My killer, my cherished, stay close
The moment the night crawls
the black night crawls having drunk the blood of the heavens
Carrying a musk balm, carrying a diamond lancet
arrives mourning laughing, singing
Arrives clinking the crimson anklets of pain
the moment when hearts drowned in bosoms
Begin searching the path of hands hidden in sleeves
in anticipation
And the regression of wine too like children-sobbing
When the peevish ocean agitated doesn’t divert when diverted
When no precept is made when made
when nothing goes
The moment night crawls
the moment the dwindling, dreary, night crawls
Stay close
my killer, my cherished stay close to me!
And now the original Urdu version:Â
tum mere paas raho
mere qaatil, mere dildaar, mere paas raho
jis gha.Dii raat chale
aasamaano.n kaa lahuu pii kar siyah raat chale
marham-e-mushk liye nashtar-e-almaas chale
bain karatii hu_ii, ha.Nsatii hu_ii, gaatii nikale
dard kii kaasanii paazeb bajaatii nikale
jis gha.Dii siino.n me.n Duubate huye dil
aastiino.nme.n nihaa.N haatho.n kii rah takane nikale
aas liye
aur bachcho.n ke bilakhane kii tarah qul-qul-e-may
bahr-e-naasudagii machale to manaaye na mane
jab ko_ii baat banaaye na bane
jab na ko_ii baat chale
jis gha.Dii raat chale
jis gha.Dii maatamii, sun-saan, siyah raat chale
paas raho
mere qaatil, mere dildaar, mere paas raho
For an earlier translation by Agha Shahid Ali, click here
Another good translation by Rehan:
AFRICA COME BACK
A Dirge after the slogan of the African socialist democrats.
Come Back, I’ve heard the surge of your drums
Come Back, my heart beats lasciviously
‘Africa come back’
Come Back, I’ve raised my face out from the dust
Come Back, I’ve peeled off the pellicle of sorrow from my eyes
Come Back, I’ve snatched away my arms from the grip of pain
Come Back, I’ve wrenched apart the hasp of gloom
‘Africa come back’
The shackle’s clasps have made the mace too much to bear
So I’ve fashioned a mould by ripping the strap round my neck
‘Africa come back’
The bear’s death-eyes blaze in every lair
Enemy blood has reddened the negritude of night
‘Africa come back’
The ground is pirouetting with me Africa
Rivers throbbing to the rhythm pouring out of the woods
I am Africa, your stature mirrors mine
I am you, my gait is the gait of your lions
‘Africa come back’
Come stride like your lions
‘Africa come back’
Read more translations by Rehan Qayoom here
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