from afar / do'or say daikhi jhalak apni

from afar
in that basement
adorning a steel table
a cold corpse

waves upon waves
billowing bitter winds
etched on the body
topographic scars
faintly burnished by Time
discernible in them
reflections of myself

seems, presently he will rise
and like dust entrenched men
will clash
anew with winds and waves, winning
....losing some...

from afar looked at myself
cold, strange, inert on that steel table
must admit -- uncanny resemblance
but me there?
or here?


do'or say daikhi jhalak apni
ik tay khanay maiN
aahni maiz ki zeenat
ik sard laasha
mauj--e-hawadis nay jis pay
sabít kar diyay kuch ghehray naqoosh
kay jhalak maiN jis kee
aata hay nazar apna hi akís

lagta hay
ooth baithay gaa abhi woh aur
khaak aílooda insaanouN ki maanind
takraíaye gaa phir mauj-e-dauraaN say
jeetay gaa kabhi guraizaaN hoga

doíor say daikha maiN nay khood ko
sard, anjaan, aahni maiz pur ik laasha
shabahat taslim hay buhat
pur maiN wahaN?
ya yahaN?