Click below to listen this nazm in Kaifi Azmi’s own voice.
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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
Translation by Anisur Rahman from Fire and the Rose.
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.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Your poetry is beautiful.
this is so beautiful…
i hate to admit the fact this is exactly what happened when i went to met someone after a long gap of separation
breathtaking composition
I was getting ready
to leave her thinking
she’d make up with me
and not let me go
I took steps in such a way
as if she would call me
back and not let me go
my shawl flitted in the winds
she’d hold it I thought
and not let me go
but she didn’t stop me
did not make up with me
nor did she call me
I kept on going step
by step so much that
we’re now fully on our own.
i really loved it, beautiful poetry awesome.