Dr Aamir Butt has translated Sahir’s great poem into English | Mufamat
Mufamat: Compromise Nasheb-e-arz pe zarroñ ko mushta.il pā kar bulandiyoñ pe safed-o-siyāh mil hī ga.e jo yādgār the bāham satīza-kārī kī ba-faiz-e-vaqt vo dāman ke chaak…
The day I’m killed
Dr Az a fearless and sensitive soul – sent me this poem via email. Travel TicketsThe day I’m killed,my killer, rifling through my pockets,will…
Countless walls that divide the hearts – by Majeed Amjad
I had written about Majeed Amjad, a forgotten but outstanding Urdu poet of twentieth century. Today, a friend tagged me (on facebook) with another…
Love and the Law: An exerpt from Bulleh Shah (Required reading if you have studied the law)
By Sovmind Bulleh Shah (1680 – 1757) was a Punjabi Sufi poet, a humanist and philosopher from what is now considered Pakistan. As one…
At this one point, all talk ends – Bulleh Shah
Bulleh Shah Pakar saaf dile diyaan khavaabaan nu. Gal aise ghar vich dhukkdi eh, ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh. Hold tight…
Priests and scholars parade their learning to please the kings
Abayat from Sultan Bahu on Priests and Scholars (thanks to Shahidain) “Parh parh ilam mulook rijhaavan, kiaa hoiaa is parhiaan hoo Hargiz makkhan mool…
My Master has planted jasmine in my heart
Shahidain has sent another Bait from Sultan Bahu for Jahane Rumi “Alif-Allaah chambe dee bootee murshid man wich laee hoo Naffee asbat daa panee…
Beo Zafar – Pakistan’s ace-comediane
A short piece that I wrote on Beo, Pakistan’s ace-comediane whose talents are diverse and ever-blooming. Beo [Khala] as I have known her for…
More on Fahmida Riaz
Thanks to Isa Daudpota who sent me the text and the translated poems after he had heard Kamila Shamsie talk about her.. Fahmida Raiz,…
Rickshaw and truck poetry from Pakistan
My old friend Raza Bokhari sent me these golden lines used by our rickshaw & truck drivers to express their angst, emotion and sense…
Whatever shrine I go to
Another readable piece by Dr Sher Zaman Taizi This poem in ghazal form is very simple and direct. It starts with a direct address…
Cascading Chandni
By temporal guess or foreguess she a work in progress they aiming to regress antediluvian lashes travel from Chand’s back to the cobwebs in…
Rumi on evolution
I am grateful to Isa Daudpota for providing this translation by Jalaluddin Rumi’s verses that elaborate on the theory of evolution: I have experienced…
My soul has come on my lips
Amir Khusrau’s Khabaram Raeeda translated by Annemarie Schimmel Tonight there came a news that you, oh beloved, would come – Be my head sacrificed…
powerless is the prayer…
A friend sent me these verses; luckily he translated the first verse of the ghazal Is na’ay daur ki na’i charagari tou deykhi-ye Bay…
What is this?
One day Rumi was sitting in his personal library with a group of his students gathered around him for his lecture. Suddenly, Shems entered…
Na mai Sussi
Na mai sussi Na mai sohni Na mai heer sayal phair we sajna dil kyouN mera Ja lagayaa teray naal sussi rayt thhalaaN wich…
Recollections of Annemarie Schimmel
Rehana Hyder writing for the Friday Times My first recollection of Annemarie Schimmel was as a teenager in Delhi in 1969, in the year…
Two poems by Ali Sardar Jafri
Two poems of Ali Sardar Jafri MY JOURNEY Such a day will arrive again [when] the lamps of the eyes will get extinguished; the…
Tabish Khair on Cartoon Wars
I am growing fond of Tabish Khair’s poetry. Just read this remarkable poem: Cartoon Wars Let’s spell out this world. Generally speaking, we are…