The day will come
When the eye-lamps will fade
The hand-lotuses wilt
And the butterfly of speech
forever fly
The flower of tongue.
All faces blossoming like buds ,
Laughing like flowers,
Will one day, disappear
To the shadowy depths of the sea
All pulsing blood, all beating hearts,
All melodies will be hushed.
On the velvet of blue sky
This shining gem
This heaven, this earth of mine
Without knowing, understanding,
Will weep tears of dew
On the handful of dust that is man.
From the temples of memories
Every single thing will have gone
Then no one will ask
Where is me ?
But I will come here again
Speak through children’s voices
Sing in the calls of birds .
When seeds smile under the earth
And seedlings, with nimble fingers
Caress the layers of soil
I’ll open my eyes.
Through every bud , each blade of grass
On my green palm
I’ll balance the droplets of dew
I’ll become the glow of cheeks ,
The beat of melodies.
Like the blush of the modest bride,
I’ll sparkle through every veil
When the wintry winds blow.
And autumn leaves fall
Under the lively feet of travelers
My laughter will sound
In the crunching of dry leaves
All golden streams of the earth,
All blue lakes of the sky
Will be filled with my being
And the world will see
That every tale is my tale ,
Every lover me here
And every love Sultana*,
I am.a fleeting moment,
From the magic house of time
I am a restless droplet
Busy travelling
From the flask of the past
To the cup of the future.
I sleep and awaken
And fall asleep again,
I am a play , centuries old,
Death makes me live forever.
@Translated by Surendra Biswal.
Written by celebrated Urdu Poet
ALI SARDAR JAFARI.
