Selected Poems: Kaifi Azmi

Pashaymani

mein yeh soch kar uskay dar say utha tha
ki woh rok laygi, mana laygi mujh ko
hawao mein lehraata aata tha daman
ki daman pakad-kar bitha laygi mujh-ko
khadam aisay andaaz say uth rahay thay
ki awaaz day kar bula laygi mujh-ko
magar usnay roka na mujh-ko manaya
na daman hi pakda na mujhko bithaya
na awaaz hi di, na waapas bulaya
mein ahista-ahista badhta hi aaya
yaha tak ki us-say juda ho gaya mein

English translation is OBVIOUSLY pathetic -- anyway, read on:

A Sense of Regret

When from her doorway I stood up to go,
I thought she would cajole me and make me stay,
The wind billowed my garment towards her
I thought she would seize it and request me to stay,
My footsteps moved away so reluctantly from her
I thought she would call out and ask me to stay,
Truth is, she did not stop me, nor sought to cajole me
She caught not my garment, nor tried to delay me,
She broke not her silence, nor moved to address me
I kept walking slowly on,
Ever so slowly I kept walking away, so far that we are separated today.

Selected Poems: Kaifi Azmi