Another translation ..

The gifts of Globalization are many, so are its curses like colonization, wars and monopolies but since I’m sick of the wars and violence around, I deemed it appropriate to resort to poetry. Incidentally, the name of the below translated poem is also ‘Globalization’ which thankfully is having a different context.
In this modern age of [...]

Read Full Post »

I ask you, love, to judge by yourself!

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 [...]

Read Full Post »

Two Hykus In Translation

In Pushto: Rahim Khan Majrooh
1) Ya kha buzdil ya kha ashna de zama
che pa maray zama charha teravee
awo zaroorat mehsoosavi da naqab
He is either a friend or a coward to extreme
While slitting my throat
He feels the need to cover his face

2) za che tarsou na wom panah la kali
ma che har [...]

Read Full Post »

Faraz Kaisay Bhulaoo’N Teray Firaaq Ka Ghum!

Yesterday, August 25th was the first death anniversary of the revolutionary poet Ahmad Faraz. His absence still confounds the logic, for his words, his magic is all around us. We felt an overwhelming presence of the spirit of Faraz in the recent Lawyers Movement and his pugnacity is always cited where there is a struggle [...]

Read Full Post »

A Translation From Pushto ..

In Pushto by Rahim Khan Majrooh
Translation by Aadil Omer
The events of the last connection
of our relation were so sudden,
so ephemeral that I couldn’t sense it.

I can’t remember what we talked about last
except the words that you uttered,
‘I leave you to the protection of God,
‘You leave me to the protection of God.’

In a state of shock, [...]

Read Full Post »

Amjad Islam Amjad said ..

وہ ہی نہیں تو ورق کس لئے سیاہ کریں
سخن تو عرض تمنا کا اک بہانہ تھا
Nope thats not the reason of my not updating this blog frequently; its the eternal writers block

Read Full Post »

Slow And Steady Doesn’t Win The Race

This poem called Marriage A’la Mode by Sajjad Shaikh taken from the anthology ‘Pakistani Literature’ proves the notion of ’slow and steady …’ wrong. I like this stark, sarcastic and somehow melancholic poem. Hope you too will like it.
“Did you meet Sulemanji?
Tha man in the double breast-nay-blue suit?
Yes, the only one who gave me a [...]

Read Full Post »

تہی دامن

Khurram Khiram Siddiqui, a good friend of mine, a talented young poet who writes poetry both in Urdu and English, launched his first collection of poetry called ‘Hayat e Nau’ in an impressive ceremony held at the Pakistan Academy Of Letters a few days back. A gem of a collection, ‘Hayat e Naw’ represents various [...]

Read Full Post »

Pushto Hykos In Translation

Original In Pushto By Rahim Khan Majrooh
Translated By Syed Aadil Omer
1)
True; the threats of floods are there
But I’ll keep planting flowers by the river
For, who’s relinquished life in fright of death?
2)

Just to keep my feel alive
I wash my wounds with salty water,
Lest, who’d choose to inflict [...]

Read Full Post »

Ghalib …

سب کہاں کچھ لالہ و گل میں نمایاں ہو گئیں
خاک میں کیا صورتیں ہوں گی جو پنہاں ہوگئیں
یاد تھیں ہم کو بھی رنگا رنگ بزم آرائیاں
لیکن اب نقش و نگار طاق نسیاں ہو گئیں

Not all but some have reappeared in Tulips and (other) flowers
What (grand) faces those would have been, which are buried in mud!
Remembered, [...]

Read Full Post »