POETRY (MOON)
By: Ghani Khan
Translation: Nasser Yousaf
اے لیونیه ساقي
دلیونو د شراب
O mad barmaid
Of mad wine-lovers
ستاجادوگرا رڼا
د خمارونو دریاب
Your magical light is
Like a euphoric river
نن م په سترګو کښ ستا
سوربے رغم وليده
In your eyes today, I saw
Shadows of deep grief
دارمانونو لړیے
خاموش ماتم وليده
Gathering clouds of longing
A quietly simmering lament
ياده که هيره د ده
ځما خوانی لیونے
Recall, have you forgotten?
My maddening youth
چه تابه سره لمبه کړه
ذما نشه دخوانے
When into a red flame thou'd
Turn my intoxication of youth
ستا پلوشو به رانه
آرام او خوب پټ که
Your blinding rays would
Steal my rest and sleep
يوبے قراره ارمان
کښ به م حوش روک که
A restless yearning would
Take away my senses
چه راښکاره به شوے ته
لکه مسکئ محبوبه
As thou entered the scene
Like a darling wearing a smile
ځما حر رګ به د که
يو د جنون لمبه
Turning each vein of mine
Into a flash of madness
بس يو آرمان يو درړ
سوز او خمار به شومه
Ah! a lingering pain, I
Would turn piquantly intoxicated
يابه د داسے مست کړم
يو سور انګار به شومه
Or you'd make me ecstatic
Like a scarlet fire
حر سُر کښ اور او ژړا
داسے ستا ربه شومه
In every rhythm, fire n crying
Such a sitar would I turn into
يا به د راوړو اميد
يو سپين ګلذار به شومه
Or you'd herald hope, and
I'd transform into a white rose
خو نن خفه غوندے ے
زيړه حيرانه شانے
But today you look melancholy
Pale-complexioned and aghast
سترګے د مړاوے مړاوے
او پریشانه شانے
Eyes dim and weary-looking
Expressing untold sadness
په ټول جهان د که خود
مړاوے غمګين ارمان
Enveloping the Universe in
A pall of withered sad longing
لکه بے وسه ماليار
په تور ماښام ر خزان
Like a helpless gardner
On a dark autumn evening
نن د رڼا کښ حغه
رنګ او سر ور نشته
In your light today, that
Colour and rhythm is amiss
سترګے د مړاوے مړاوے
خفه روانه وے
Your eyes were dim
As you walked sadly
لکه زما د زړه
ستړے ستومانه وے
Like my heart, you
Looked so worn out
هغه جادو د څه شو
هغه شراب څه شو
Whither your charm
Whither your wine
هغه د اور لمبے
او سره ګلاب څه شو
Whither those fiery flames
And those red roses?
زما رنګينه ذوانۍ
خو وخت پہ غلا ېوړه
My colourful youth, Time
Has stolen away from me
خمار حوانے سرہ لاړ
مستي سودا يوړه
With my youth is gone
All that rapture of yore
ما ځان باچا ګڼلو
د بل غلام او ختم
I pretended to be a king
But turned out to be a slave
.
مايو درياب ګڼه ځان
دخاورو جام اوختم
I feigned to be a river
But proved to be a mud flask
خو ستا جادو ګره رڼا
د خمارونو درياب
But your magical light
A river of intoxication
څه شو ستا ډک جمونه
د ليونتوب دشراب
Whither your full pegs
Wine of sheer madness
بس حيڅ جواب نه کے
کم خواه ته ځے زمانه
You don't reply at all
Where're you going from me
سترګے مسکے مسکے
مړاوے خفه حيرانه
coyly smiling eyes
Dim, sad and aghast
posted by Nasser Yousaf @ 05:12
1 Comments
1 Comments:
Dear Nasser Yousaf Sahib, this is perhaps the finest translation of your creative plume. The poem you have translated so movingly falls in a class of its own. It depends on a number of inter-related images to advance its passionate waves of meaning. The river and the wine-cup convey a myriad of nuances.
In the best tradition of the lyrical-contemplative poems of today, it is an organic fusion of emotion as well as thought. The two strands are inseparable. Together they are able to move mountains.
Here is a poem of ecstasy as well as pain , of transience and immortality, of dream and reality, and of the simultaneity of joy and sorrow in our midst.
You translation , dear sir, is both inspired and inspiring.
The parting described in the final lines of the poem combines three elements - of the marvellous, the mysterious and the wondrous! I offer my sincere congratulation to you. May the Lord’s peace be upon you and yours. Regards.
Ejaz Rahim
Islamabad
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