Kaifi Azmi's Poems

Pashemaanii

maiN ye soch kar us ke dar se uThaa thaa

ke vo rok legii manaa legii mujhko

qadam aise andaaz se uTh rahe the

ke vo aavaaz de kar bulaa legii mujh ko

havaaoN meN lahraataa aataa thaa daaman

ke daaman pakaR kar biThaa legii mujhko

magar us ne rokaa, na mujhko manayaa

na aavaaz hii dii, na vaapis bulaayaa

na daaman hii pakRaa, na mujh ko biThaayaa

maiN aahistaa aahistaa baRhtaa hii aayaa

yahaaN tak ke us se judaa ho gayaa maiN

--- Kaifi Azmi

I left her door and thought as though

she would call me back, not let me go;

my heavy steps so paced as though

she would call me back, not let me go;

the wind so billowed through as though

she would hold my garb, not let me go.

She neither stopped, nor wished I stay;

nor gave me a call, nor held my way;

nor clenched my garb, nor had any say–

I kept on faring slowly forward

till I separated from her.

(Translation by Anisur Rahman from Fire and the Rose)