Tag: Poetry

Posted in Life and After

Wherever, Whenever, Forever

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

You walk across the street

holding my hand tightly,

running slightly,

avoiding the crazed traffic

thinking about the next treat.

…

I follow as fast as I can go,

giggling all over the road,

chasing the wild plans

we cooked together, all along

knowing half of them

wouldn’t come to be.

…

Not sure

where you are steering me,

nor does it matter to me,

for my hand is in yours,

in this knowledge, I am secure,

that you are with me…

…

Wherever I go,

however far I go,

in my half-cooked plans

and crazy schemes

and far-fetched dreams,

you were…

you are…

you will be with me…

Wherever, whenever, forever!

Author’s Note: For Manpreet

(For no particular reason, missing my bestie yet again)

Advertisement
Posted in Random Thoughts

I hate rain!

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Raindrop splashes

On my face

Running off makeup

That I hide myself behind–

Eyelashes thin,

Patchy skin,

Wrinkled eyes,

Lips dried,

Cheeks hollowed,

Darkening shadows,

Age creeping with all its might.

With brushes I fight

The unforgiving world

That expects perfection

In nails and shoes

And hair dos.

I wish I didn’t have to.

I wish I could just stand in rain;

So droplets would fall on face;

And let the facade slide.

Sigh!

Posted in Love

Umeed | Urdu | Nazm

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Baad-e-naseem ki aashnai me

Naseeb ki hawa narm nhi chalti.

Kul jama zindagi ka ye nikla–

Umeed lagane se duniya nhi milti.

…

Wo tajir h jo chahta h mohabbat ka sila,

Ulfat k bazar me arzoo nhi chalti.

Mangane pe karde jo ishq me dakhil,

Mehboob k dil me wo qitab nhi milti.

Umeed lagane se duniya nhi milti.

…

Chand ki khwahish rakhne walo me

Sitaro ki auqat b nhi milti.

Jinke muntazir ho guzari thi umr humne,

Unke ishq me wo raahat ab nhi milti.

Umeed lagane se duniya nhi milti.

Love for zypher of the west,

Didn’t keep away the tempest.

The sum of my life came to be,

Hope didn’t win the world for me.

…

Love-for-love only traders aspire.

Alas! In the market of desire

Longing isn’t a currency.

You wouldn’t find the register

in one’s heart to enter

Your soul’s muted pleas.

…

Hope didn’t win the world for me.

…

Who ask for the moon in the night

Oft don’t deserve the starlight,

Quit at onset of the journey.

A life wasted pining a-quiet

For love that doesn’t give respite

As once happened to be.

…

Hope didn’t win the world for me.

Author’s note: Urdu Nazm has several Quartets (4 liners) stitched together to convey the same idea. While translating, I have converted it into a combination of a Quartet and a couple of Sestets (6 liners) with rhyme, which is a first for me since, in English, I usually write in free verse. I couldn’t match the scale without changing meaning though. 🙂

Posted in Love

Khabar | Urdu | Poetry | Nazm

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Teri khidkiyo se hawa takra k laut jati h,

Tu zulf dhoop me ab sukhaata nhi.

Andhero me doobi hui h duniya,

Tu khul k ab khilkhilaata nhi.

—

Mitti me ab wo khushboo nhi h,

Tu barisho me ab chhat pe aata nhi.

Meri kabr bohot maayus h, humdum,

Mausam ab teri khabar lata nhi.

______________________

Translation:

Breeze knocks on your windows and returns,

You stopped drying your hair in the sun.

The world is slowly drowning in dark,

Awaiting your laughter to bring the spark.

The ground does not hold its familiar fragrance.

Don’t you step on roof now when it the rains?

My grave is gloomy and desolate, love.

The seasons don’t bring your tidings now.

Authors Note: A Nazm is a piece of Urdu poetry that is made of several quartets, each carrying the same thought.

Posted in Love

Qabiz | Urdu | Poetry

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Ek kamzarf Lubna thi qabiz wajood-e-Kais pe,

Humko BaKhuda kar de, hume bhi ishq karna hai.

A powerless Lubna permeated Kais until he ceased to be.

Permeat me, my Lord—I, too, want to love.

Author’s note:

“BaKhuda” actually means, “I swear by Allah (Khuda)”.

But “Ba” in Urdu means “permeated with” and “Khud” means “self”. Hence, I have used the word differently to mean “fill with Yourself”.

The story of Lubna and Kais is one of the most famous love stories in Urdu poetry, as Kissa-e-Laila-Majnun.

A very handsome man called Kais fell in love with Lubna who was very plain and dark as night (Laila). People were surprised at the match. At that time, the Arab law was against love marriages. They were separated. But Kais lost himself completely and was called Majnun (mad). When he found that his Laila has died of long suffering, he searched for her grave and died next to her—not because of the heartbreak but because of the ecstasy of finally finding her. Thus, they became one.

It is said that on the day of judgement, Allah will present Majnun to the mankind as the epitome of love and ask everyone why no one loved Him as much as Kais loved Lubna.

A question every woman asks her man…Sigh!

Posted in Love

Hawain (Breeze) | Urdu | Poetry

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

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.

Posted in Random Thoughts

Sahil | Poetry | Urdu to English

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Na raah h, na rehbar h, na koi sitara h.

Is raahi ko toh bas Samandar ka hi sahara h.

Jo kashti h, jo toofan h, wo hi kinara h.

No path, no rose, no north star,

I drift around, at Sea, that is too

the Boat, the Storm, the Shore afar.

Author’s note: He is the journey and the destination.

Urdu poetry is rich in duel meaning, one of which almost always divine.

Posted in Love

Not Me | Haiku

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Sun rains down not kindly.

I plough through life as not me

‘Cause you love not me.

Authors note: A Haiku is a three-line Japanese poetry with 5,7,5 syllables. It contains a reference to nature.

Posted in Nature

Naive

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Blessings falling from the sky.

I perch on a wire

Soaking the love,

While humans hide inside

Their brick prisons,

Bound to chairs

With weird square manacles,

Staying out of sight.

Sigh! Humans are so naive…

Posted in Random Thoughts

Ghosts | Lantern

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Ghostly

claws shred

me from within

until I cry. Damn

diet!

Author’s note: Lantern is a Japanese forn of potery with 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 syllables creating the shape of a lantern. Usually it is about much deeper topics but dieting makes me shallow. 😁

Posted in Love

Mirage

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Your arms curl around me

I snuggle content, hoping to die before

waking to find you gone.

A Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry with 5, 7, 5 syllable combination. Usually, all lines are independent with a least one reference to nature/seasons.

Posted in Love

Unrequited | Poetry | Sher

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

You said “I do” but you didn’t,

Inception of love eternal lost in the forbidden,

Love unrequited wishes still

For chances endless until you return.

Qubool kar be hua nhi. Irshad kho gya zina me kahi.

Teri ashanai me hume fir bhi musalsal mukarrar ka hi irada h.

Author’s note: An English Quatrain (verse with four lines) translated into Urdu Sher (couplet)

Posted in Love

Mourning | Lantern | Sher

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Trees

ceased flowering

mourning the one

who deserted ruined garden,

in disgust.

Jinki yaad me shazar pe gulo ne ugna chood diya,

Unhi ne hikarat se sunsaan gulistaa chhod diya.

Author’s note: A Lantern (Japanese style of poetry with 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 words) translated in an Urdu sher (couplet). Mine is “nearly a Lantern” because the last line has two words.

Posted in Random Thoughts

Samandar (The Sea): Sher

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Jis samandar ki lehero me tair ke laut aaye hum,

Suna he ki log usme doob ke paar ho gaye.

_________________________________________

Translation:

The ocean that I swam in and returned from unscathed,

I’ve heard, has drowned many and let them pass.

______________________________________

Author’s note: In Urdu poetry, a Sher is a couplet, where two lines present one thought or story.

Posted in Random Thoughts

Guroor (Pride): Sher

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Sir jhukaye, asman ko neelam lutaate dekhta hu,

Sharm he ki hatheliya dua me khulne nahi deti.

Translation:

Head bent, I look at the sapphires falling from skies above.

Pride forces my palms in pockets, ashamed to spread heavenwards and collect.

______________________________________

Author’s note:

In Urdu poetry, a Sher is a couplet, where two lines present one thought or story.

I run another site with urdu poetry and I’m moving my work here gradually. I will translate the pieces, but not verbatim since it seems impossible without breaking the spirit of the piece.

Posted in Nature

Haiku: Morning

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Sun dips toes in horizon.

Sleepy stars call for embrace

Crying dewey tears.

Authur’s note: Haiku is a form of short poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases in a 5, 7, 5 pattern (5,7,5 syllables or words in English), and a seasonal reference.

Posted in Love

At Fault

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

You told me it was in my best interest–

the yelling, the barely restrained anger.

Then,

You told me it was all my fault–

the yelling, the unrestrained anger.

Now,

You tell me I deserve it–

before all hell breaks loose

everyday…

Posted in Random Thoughts

Lantern: Hope

Posted on by Shaily Agrawal

Storm

rocks my

paper ship–

drenched, not drowned–

ever.

Author’s note: Lantern is a type of descriptive poetry from Japan that follows the syllable structure of one, two, three, four and one syllables per line to shape a lantern when the words are centered to middle.