Since I have not been able to write my mind of late, I’ve found it apt to try and translate someone else’, so here ’s another R.K. Majrooh poem that might make to a collection of my translations to be included in his upcoming book of Pushto poetry.
la sta da ishq awo sta da meeney peeryan
ma na kooz shawe na dee
la sta da husn talismi asar na
za rawataley na yem
la me da wasl loogharhana tanda
yawa zara hum mata shawey na da
la me da shauq da lewantob abaseen
kha pa ghorzang rawan de
la me da zrha pa khudadad mumlikat
sta da yadoono raaj de
la da ghwagoono pa gumbad ke zama
sta da painzo awo da bangrho shranga da
la me da stargo da banho pa asman
da speno okhko kehkashan zaleegi
sara da de che pa safar ke da jwand
dasey muqam ta rasedaley yema
charta che da da mayentob khabarey
charta che da da lewantob khabarey
hess ehmiat na laree
hess haisiat na laree
dere sat-hee awo beymanee khkareegi
da qadar warho da qeemati asasey
koota seekey khkareegi
da hosh awo aqal Guantanamo Bay ke
bandey aksar mastey jazbey khkareegi
nu oos insaf pa ta de, waya kana!
che ta zama da lewantob de kaifiat ta aakhir
kom tanazur ke gorey
da taalluq da paidara awo zangarey jazba
ta da maayar pa koma tala taley ..
I’m still haunted
by the ghosts of your love
I’m not yet out of the trance
of your beauty
My lips are still parched
with the thirst of your union
The tides of my passion
still rise with the same ferosity
Your thoughts are still there
to rule over the land of my heart
The music of your anklets and bangles
still chime in my ears
A galaxy of crystalline tears still shines
on the tips of my lashes,
Though I’ve reached a certain place
in the journey of life, where
things like love and passion seem all
but shallow and meaningless;
where all those treasured assets
of the esteemed lovers
feel like useless coins,
like the fervor of love
imprisioned in the Guantanamo Bay
of reason,
yet I ask you, love, to judge by yourself!
How do you look at the state of my ardour?
Whats your criteria to discern
the strength and distinction of
my feelings for you?