Miscellany #9 Longings, Poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ameer Minai
My library is an archive of longings. - Susan Sontag
From the Editor
The poem speaks of a letter, written without a specific recipient, stored among a collection of letters. The words within the letter intricately depict the profound longings and desires of the writer. Each word is like a raindrop, forming a cluster that carries the power to stir emotions and break hearts.
The Last Letter
Within the archives of letters kept,
Lies one with no destination, no address.
Last summer, I penned this letter to her
In all the letters of lovers,
This one will be remembered forever
The words draw the most beautiful
map of longings.Like raindrops gathering in a murmuring storm,
Each syllable weaves a cluster, tearing hearts apart.
This letter stands as our cherished heritage,
The sole possession of our shared history.
For in days to come, a distant soul shall find,
This heartfelt letter, from a far-off time.
They'll glimpse the beauty of our golden past
A few Days More by Faiz Ahmed Faiz (Translated by Muntansir Dalvi)
The poem "A Few Days More" is a poignant English translation of the original Urdu poem "Chand roz aur meri jaan" by renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Written during Faiz's time in prison, the poem was dedicated to his beloved wife, Alys Faiz. The translation of the poem has been skillfully rendered by Muntansir Dalvi, capturing the essence and emotion of Faiz's powerful words
A few more days, my love, only a few days more
It is our lot to live under the shadow of tyranny
To suffer this outrage, to bear this pain, to weep awhile
This legacy of our past is our cross to bear
Our bodies are confined, our emotions in shackles
Worry is a prisoner, Speech is proscribed
But there’s courage within us that keeps us going
It’s as if our very life is an indigent's rent garment
That needs to be patched with pain, time after time
But now these cruel times have almost run their course
This impatient longing is almost over
In this burnt desolation that is the world and its time
We have to go on, but not this way
The unbearable torment of unseen hands
Has to be endured for now, but not forever
This dust of sorrow that veils your beauty
This bounty of defeats on our fleeting youth
This worthless throbbing under moonlit nights
The futility of heartburn, the body's unheard lament
A few more days, my love, only a few days more
Dhoondhne us ko chala hoon jise pa bhi na sakoon by Ameer Minai
This poem expresses the longing and yearning of the speaker for someone they cannot forget or attain. The poet searches for that person whom they cannot find and confess their feelings to. They feel that even if they were to express their emotions, they wouldn't be heard
Us ki hasrat hai jise dil se mita bhi na sakoon
Dhoondhne us ko chala hoon jise pa bhi na sakoon
Daal ke khaak mere khoon pe qaatil ne kaha
Kuchh ye mehndi nahin meri ki chhupa bhi na sakoon
Zabt kam-bakht ne yaan aa ke gala ghontaa hai
Ki use haal sunaun to suna bhi na sakoon
Naqsh-e-paa dekh to loon laakh karunga sajde
Sar mera arsh nahin hai jo jhuka bhi na sakoon
Bewafa likhte hain wo apne qalam se mujhko
Ye wo qismat ka likha hai jo mita bhi na sakoon
Is tarah soye hain sar rakh ke mere zanoo par
Apni soi hui qismat ko jaga bhi na sakoon