The Color of Loneliness
Tanhai
phir koi aaya, dil-e-zaar! nahiiN, koi nahiiN.
raahrau hoga, kahiiN aur chalaa jaaega.
Dhal chuki raat, bikharne laga taaroN ka gHubaar,
laRakRaane lage aivaanoN men kHaabida chiraagH.
so gayi raastaa tak-tak ke har ek raahguzaar,
ajnabi kHaak ne dhuundla diye qadmoN ke suraagH.
gul karo shameN, baRha do mai-o-meena-o-ayaagH.
apne bekHaab kivaaRoN ko mufaqqal kar lo.
ab yahaN koi nahiiN, koi nahiiN aaega.
Solitude
Is someone there, oh weeping heart? No, no one there.
Perhaps a traveler, but he will be on his way.
The night is spent, the dust of stars begins to scatter.
In the assembly halls dream-filled lamps begin to waver.
Small streets sleep waiting by the thoroughfare.
Strange earth beclouds footprints of yesterday.
Snuff out the candles, put away wine-cup and flask.
Then lock your eyelids in this morning dusk.
For now there's no one, no one who will come here.
Translation by: Philip Nikolayev
What is the color of loneliness? Steel grey? A deep blue? After 3 weeks of immense fun and partying, almost everyone has departed. Like the circus clown, I have taken off the mask, got off the tarpaulin, wiped the makeup, and have silently crept back into the attic, and I have closed the door behind. I know no one would follow me; no one would come and stay. One by one, I take out off the bejeweled dreams and desires. In my outstretched palm, they flicker and die. I have blown out all the candles, and the darkness seems familiar and reassuring. I don’t need to pretend any more. I can be myself finally. Resign, abandon, claim and be claimed!
posted by Tanzila at 9/06/2006 03:33:00 AM
6 Comments:
dreams.& desires.but then were we ever meant to realise those dreams & desires?or are we supposed to have something else, which may or may not surpass those dreams?yes, everyone has dreams.but how many of us realise those dreams?how many such people can you think of?
as for the "something other than dreams" that we may have, there's always the time factor.we may get it sooner, or later.here, or in afterlife.but surely one thing has to be true-that everyone gets their due.lets just wish for the best-for all of us.
time's running out- close to the hour at this horrid cyber.will be back to read that prose again properly,later.
i know- even i cannot wait for it all to happen. even i keep wondering about the "when?!".lets hope for it to be soon.real soon.
Be friends with the silence around you, and it stops haunting you , It worked for me.
There is a reason and time for everything, and dreams do come true but at their own time, we just have to have the faith in our creator. Yes, It's very easy for me to say, but when we live it, it's like moving a whole mountain, but it can be done.
saeed: it seems that dreams and desires r to remain wot they r. Probably bcz they r no good for us in the first place and we dont v the wisdom to c that. Or our desires r granted in a different form. ut we being who we r expect the when part. that makes us human, not angelic and not even gods. Human....
No net as yet? Hope u ll move back into the apartment soon enf.
jamish: silence is the gr8est and the purest reality. Learning to live with our own sleves, recognizing, relaizing and accepting who we r is the greatest challenge. I think man is quietessentially a loner and not a social animal.
:) and goodluck.
Saeed: get in touch, u using the same email addy?
Faiz writes beautifully and you are not half as bad:)
-There sre some books that I haven't read in your bedside reading,I think they'll be gospel of booklist.
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