Tum bilkul hum jaisey nikley – Fahmida Riaz
Guest Post by Raza Rumi After reading some of the recent posts and comments on the communal politics and the [ab]use of religion, I…
Window 2×2 without a View
A powerful poem by HUR on the recent events in Islamabad.. Window 2×2 without a View A low 2×2 window, painted dark green. on…
The water of life
Though your life has almost passed, this present moment is its root: if it lacks moisture, water it with repentance. Give the Living Water…
Two Punjabi poems
I am grateful to AK for sending me these lovely poems: Kujh asraar nay meray dil vich, Jehray kadi na dassay, Jeewain pani bharya…
Enough of learning, my friend! – Bulleh Shah
Enough of learning, my friend! Enough of learning, my friend! To it there is never an end An alphabet should do for you, It’s…
That one is my desire
show me your face, i crave, flowers and gardens, open your lips, i crave, the taste of honey, come out from, behind the clouds,…
Hope – A poem by Ayesha Salman
I had earlier posted a few poems by Ayesha Salman. She has sent me her new poem which, true to her style, is original…
sanon apna yaar rajhawan dey
mar na mulla bulariyan sanon apna yaar rajhawan dey kanjri banyaan meri ezat na ghatdi meinon naach ke yaar manawan deey loog ishaq noon…
But if you are happy…
When you whirl, your eye sees the room whirling, too. If you sail in a ship over the sea, it seems the seashore is…
When sorrows come…
Thought of Shakespeare while being depressed with events in Pakistan. When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions!…
Abida Parveen sings Bulleh Shah’s teray ishq nachaya..
Bullhe Shah, I sit at Inayat's door,
He clothed me in robes of green and red.
When I stamped my heel, I found him.
Compelled by love…
Tiburon – a poem by Fatima Hasan
The budding poet Fatima Hasan visited San Francisco and was inspired by a place called Tiburon. The impact of its natural beauty was so…
Jal gaya tha ik roshniyon ka shaher
Aggrieved by the recent sinister, senseless violence and brutal murders in Pakistan, this is my feeble attempt at poetic expression. I have also trans-created…
Bulleh Shah and Abida Parveen
Bulleh Shah’s timeless verse has been celeberated by several artists but it is Abida Parveen the immensely gifted singer, a bit of dervish herself,…
Karachi – some lines from Ibne Insha
I am grateful to my long lost friend Zaman for sharing these remorseful lines from Ibn-e-Insha, the great Urdu poet and writer. I am…
Law, like love and Stop all the clocks – W H Auden
Taking a cue from the recent events in Pakistan, Ammar Qureshi has contributed a beautiful poem by Auden in a newspaper. I love the…
On a Clear Day – A poem by HUR
HUR – a reluctant poet in Islamabad – has sent a lovely poem. It was left as a comment on a post but deserves…
Don’t set your heart on bones (Rumi)
Little by little God takes away human beauty: little by little the sapling withers. Read full poem here >>…
Sharif Kunjahi’s ‘The Village’
Found this lovely poem in a piece that mourns the death of a prominent Punjabi poet, Sharif Kunjahi. Read poem here >>…
“Iraq’s four-year looting frenzy, the allies have become the vandals”
I had posted a poem on Iraq – Halaku, when you will come to Baghdad this time; and today reading the piece by Simon…