In Love that Long
I am here, this moment, inside the beauty, the gift God has given, our love: this gold and circular sign means we are free…
Intisaab- Faiz’s poem with translation
Intisaab by Faiz Ahmed Faiz Aaj ke naam Aur Aaj ke gham ke naam Aaj ka gham ke hai zindagi ke bhare gulistan se…
The sign of intimate friendship
Rumi on the beauty of spiritually intimate associations.. It is a sign of intimate friendship when speech flows freely from the heart; without intimacy,…
Rumi – You and I, in the Palace
Happy is the moment, when we sit together, With two forms, two faces, yet one soul, you and I. The flowers will bloom forever,…
Destination of love by Ahmad-i-Jam
Sohaib Qureshi has translated 12th century mystic Ahmad-i Jam’s verse – thanks to his endeavours Manzil-i ishq az makàn-i dìgar ast Mard-i ìn ràh…
When compassion fills my heart
I am happy when I am sad I am together when fallen apart like earth when I am silent I have thunder hidden inside…
I am only the house of your beloved
Rumi again… “I am only the house of your beloved, not the beloved herself: true love is for the treasure, not for the coffer…
What the heart is like – a poem by Miroslav Holub
Today, my friend Khalid Mir told me rather casually that he had been reading poems by Miroslav Holub. I had heard his name; and…
In this game of chess
I was first seduced by love then put in a fire of agonies as i won the mastery of the beloved the beloved dropped…
Saadat Hasan Manto- Writer of Stark Realities
Saadat Hassan Manto (May 11, 1912 – January 18, 1955) was a Pakistani Urdu short story writer, most known for his Urdu short stories…
What do you think will happen? Eid Mubarak
Eid Mubarak to all the readers. Here is a poem by Rumi if you can’t go to sleep my dear soul for tonight what…
the two insomnias
“When I am with you, we stay up all night. When you’re not here, I can’t go to sleep. Praise God for those two…
My Journey (Mera Safar): Ali Sardar Jafri
I came across this decent translation of his poem Mera Safar I enjoyed reading it again after ages and thought this must be shared…
The Verge of Tears
You make our souls tasty like rose marmalade. You cause us to fall flat on the ground like the shadow of a cypress still…
Amir Khusrau – O soul of mine come to me
by Amir Khusrau Bashguft gulha dar chaman, aye gulsitan e man bia Sarv istada muntazar sarv e ravan e man bia Flowers are blooming…
Poetic resistance to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s murder
As a young student I obtained a tattered copy of ‘Khushboo ki Shahadat’ from an old bookstall in Lahore’s Urdu bazaar. This was the…
Would you permit me?
Nizar Qabbani In a country where thinkers are assassinated, and writers are considered infidels and books are burnt, in societies that refuse the other,…
Taj Mahal – a poem by Sahir Ludhianvi (reposted)
Today is Sahir Ludhianvi’s death anniversary. Am reposting this poem for the readers. Sahir Ludhianvi’s immortal poem Taj Mahal has always fascinated me. It…
‘1978’
Grief’s circles extend and extend. The country teeters like a slowing top. The way is down, down. I cannot see the miracle that will…
As soon as you clear your hearing
The voice of a saviour will shortly be heard as soon as you clear your hearing don’t drink now this polluted water the elixir…