Jo chhod aaye the baad-e-naseem mashriq me jane ko,
Surkh khursheed ke phoolo se sehera khilane ko,
Laut aaye hain gulistan me sukoon pane ko,
Kehte hain hawao ne unka sath nhi diya.
*****
Tapish-e-shams se jab parwaz khak ho gye,
Au’ hauslo k angaar tufaano me bujh gye,
Bujhi hui mohabbat ki shama jalane ko,
Laut aaye hain gulistan me sukoon pane ko,
Kehte hain hawao ne unka sath nhi diya.
English Translation:
He who turned his boat to east
Leaving breeze of west grieving
To fill the desert with the
flowers of the blushing sun,
has returned to the garden
to seek the lost devotion.
He blames the breeze
had pushed his boat away.
*****
When the fiery sun
burnt his wings to ash
and the storms blew out
the embers within,
He returned to light
the candles of love again,
has returned to the garden
to seek the lost devotion.
He blames the beeeze
had pushed him away.
Author’s note: A Nazm is an Urdu poetry style where the same thought is followed in each quartet. Mine is a short and rather imprecise version since this is my first attempt.
Like most Urdu poetry, this one has dual reference where breeze of west or baad-e-naseem is considered as female. It also means the wind that comes from Mecca.
Very nice
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That’s lovely, Shaily. Even in translation, though I am sure the Urdu might be even more meaningful.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you, Pete! Yes, there are some things that you just cannot translate without reducing the impact or losing the meaning. I chose to reduce the impact. It was much stronger in Urdu. ☺️
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It is a beautiful poem, Shaily.
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Thank you, Don! It is much stronger in Urdu but there are some things we just can’t translate. ☺️
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