The kiss on the lamp’s flame is the wind’s
As is the bouquet of scratch marks
Gouged from my neck to my chest
Waiting for the magical lock to open
I have spent countless seasons of separation
After years
The wind has lowered its feet in the water
Be born from my ribs
Carrying the same scent of wheat
The vastness of earth and sky have gathered unto me
Bathe me in divine, ineffable pleasure
I am a thirsty ocean
Come in the boat of your body
And row across me)
And this soaring expectancy:
Mera To Iraada Tha
Mera to iraada tha
Honth seerhiyon se main
Aasman tak jaoon
Tu ne is jagah mujh ko
Itni der tak roka
Yeh bhi bhool baitha main
Mera kya iraada tha
Is wujood-e khaki mein
Jism kuchh ziyaada tha
I Had Planned
(I had planned
To climb the skies
On the ladder of your lips
But you made me tarry here
So long that
I forgot
What I had planned
In this mortal reality
The body became a bit too much)
As also this yearning:
Yeh Raat
Yeh bistar-e tanhai
Ji mein hai lapetoon main
Aie raat! wajood apna
Keh de to sametoon main
Us aadhey badanwali
Parchhai ko dikhla de
Main aag mein jalta hoon
Tu os mein nehla de
This Night
(How I wish I could
Wrap myself in the solitude of the bed
Night! If you let me
I will gather myself into you
Show me that half-bodied shadow
I burn in a fire
Bathe me in dew)
And a most unusual take on the fatigue that comes in the wake of bodily pleasure:
Wamandagi-e Shauq
Kharhi raho
Isi jagah issi tarah kharhi raho
Safed barf ki chattaan qatra-qatra gal rahi hai
Galney do
Siyah aur taveel raat dheerey-dheerey dhal rahi hai
Dhalney do
Meri nigah ke hisaar mein yuhin kharhi raho
Main tumse aur duur ho raha hoon, mujhse mat daro
In ungliyon pe os ke nishaan thay jo mit gaye
Labon pe ek ajnabi ka naam tha jo bujh gaya
Hiran ki aanth khauf ki chamak se bhi tahi huyi
Darindey jungalon ko chhorh kar kahin chaley gaye
Kharhi raho
Isi jagah issi tarah kharhi raho
The Fatigue of Love
(Stay
Stand right there
Drop by drop
The white cliff of ice is melting
Let it melt
The dark and long night is waning
Let it wane
Stand there
In the circle of my sight
I am going far away from you
Don’t be scared of me
These fingers carried the stain of dew
That is rubbed off now
These lips bore the name of a stranger
That is snuffed out now
The deer’s eye is empty of the flare of fear
The beasts have left the forest and gone away somewhere
Stay
Stand right there)
And the somewhat darker, shorter ones from Shaam Hone Wali Hai, that hint at the dark underbelly of bodily desire:
Badan Paataal
Hawas aakaash se neechey bhi utro
Badan paataal mein ta-dair thehro
Main apne aap ko ji bhar ke dekhoon
Abyss Body
(Come down from the skies of lust
Linger in the abyss of the body for a long time
So I may look at myself to my heart’s content)
And:
Tujhe Kuchh Yaad Aata Hai
Main terey jism tak kin raaston se
Ho ke pahuncha tha
Zameen awaaz aur gandum ke khoshon ki mehak main
Saath laya tha
Tujhe kuchh yaad aata hai
Do You Remember Any of It
(The routes I had taken
To reach your body
Bringing with me
Earth voice and the scent of sheaves of wheat
Do you remember any of it?)
To conclude, let us remember that love, be it romantic or bodily, is for the most part unattainable, as hard to find as a restful, dream-filled night’s sleep.
SECTION II
A Selection of Poems
Mere liye raat ne
Aaj faraham kiya
Ek naya marhala
Neendon se khaali kiya
Ashkon se phir bhar diya
Kaasa meri aankh ka
Aur kaha kaan mein:
‘Maine har ik jurm se
Tumko bari kar diya
Maine sada ke liye
Tumko riha kar diya
‘Jaao jidhar chaho tum
Jaago ki so jaao tum
Khwaab ka dar band hai’
Tonight the night presented me
With a new dilemma
It emptied the basin of my eye
Of all sleep
And filled it with tears
Then it whispered in my ear:
‘I have absolved you of all sin
And set you free, forever
‘Go wherever you wish
Sleep, or stay awake
The doorway of dreams is closed for you’
Shankh Bajaane ki Gharhi
Aankh mandir ke kalas par rakho
Shankh bajane ki gharhi aati hai
Devdasi ke qadam ruk-ruk kar
Aage badhte hain
Zameen ke neeche
Gaai ko seeng badalne ki barhi jaldi hai
Bulhawis aankhon ne phir jaal buna
Raal tapkaati zubaan phir huwi masruf-e safar
Jism ke khurdure kuchh narm ilaqon ka safar
Sadhna bhang na ho abke bhi
Zor se cheekh ke ishlok
Pujari ne padhey
Aankh mandir ke kalas par rakho
The Moment for the Blowing of Conches
Keep your eyes on the temple spire
The moment for the blowing of conches approaches
The temple dancer’s feet halt
Then move again
Beneath the ground
The cow is in a hurry to change its horn
Lustful eyes have once again woven a web
The salivating tongue is once again engrossed in
its journey
Across the soft, sometimes coarse, terrain of the body
Lest the concentration snaps once again
The priest chants the verses
With a loud scream
Keep your eyes on the temple spire
Main Nahin Jaagta…
Main nahin jaagta, tum jaago
Siyah raat ki zulf itni uljhi hai ke suljha nahin sakta
Baraha kar chuka hoon koshish main to
Tum bhi apni si karo
Is tago-daw ke liye khwaab mere haazir hai
Neend in khwaabon ke darwazon se laut jaati hai
Suno, jaagne ke liye inka hona
Sahal kar dega bahut kuchh tum par
Aasma-reg mein kaaghaz ki naao
Ruk gayi hai isey harkat mein laao
Aur kya karna hai tum jaante ho
Main nahin jaagta, tum jaago
Siyah raat ki zulf
Itni uljhi hai ke suljha nahin sakta koi
I Won’t Lie Awake
I won’t lie awake, you do
Night’s dark tresses are so tangled
I can’t untangle them
&nbs
p; I have tried, time and again
Now, you do
I will give you my dreams
To help you in your endeavours
Sleep has turned away from the doorway of these dreams
Listen, these dreams will make it easy
For you to stay awake
The paper boat has stopped in the sands of the skies
Row it, make it move
You know what you have to do
I won’t lie awake, you do
Night’s dark tresses are so tangled
No one can untangle them
Ek Kaali Nazm
Main kore kaghaz par likhoon phir kali nazm
Alakh jagate sannaton se phir se sajaoon bazm
Gaddar amrudon ki khushboo pagal kar jaye
Meri in khali aankhon ko jal-thal kar jaye
Door darindon ki awazein khud se larhti hon
Mere uske beech mein kaali raatein parhti hon
Shiknon se aari ek bistar mujh ko takta ho
Jism mera aadha sota aadha jagta ho
Tab main karoon yeh azm
Ke likhoon koi kaali nazm
A Black Poem
Let me write a black poem on virgin paper
Let me light this banquet with unseen, formless silences
The smell of unripe guavas maddens me
It makes my empty eyes brim with wetness
Far away wild animals growl at each other
Between us, lie endless nights
An uncreased bed stares at me
My body half sleeps, half wakes
And I resolve
To write a black poem
Zindagi ki Khwahish
Abhi botalon ke badan mein thi
Abhi ek glass ki tah mein thi
Abhi qatra-qatra laraz rahi thi
Labon ki zard mundeir par
Abhi halaq mein, abhi dil mein thi
Abhi haan, abhi-abhi, bas abhi
Kisi reghzaar mein kho gayi
The Desire for Life
In the bottle’s body a moment ago
Now at the bottom of the glass
Now trembling drop by drop
At the pale parapet of the lips
Now sliding down the throat
Now inside the heart
Now, yes, just now
It disappeared in some desert
Ek Aur Peshangoi
Phir ghane pedon se udenge tayur
Phir bajayenge taaliyan patte
Taheniyan phir ladeingi aapas mein
Konpalon ke shaheed jismon ko
Muntashir phir karegi mauj-e hawa
Another Prophecy
Once again birds will fly from dense trees
Once again leaves will clap
Branches will beat against each other
Gusts of wind will once again scatter
The martyred bodies of young leaves
Kuchh Bolne Do
Kholne do
Khushboo ke dariche kholne do
Tolne do
Is tayar-e-jaan ko duur des ke lambe safar par jaane do
Par tolne do
Bolne do
Is jism ki qaid mein surkh lahoo ko bolne do
In sabz sunehre pardon ke us simt
Bada sannata hai
Mat toko mujhe, mat roko mujhe
Kuchh bolne do
Let Me Speak
Let me open
Let me open the window of fragrances
Let it fly
Let this bird-like soul fly far, far away
Let it speak
Let the red blood imprisoned in this body speak
Behind the gold-and-green curtain
Lies an impenetrable silence
Don’t hush me, don’t stop me
Let me speak
Kya Tumhe Yaad Hai
Kya tumhe yaad hai
Tumne raat ke haath par qasam khaai thi
Ke subah ke suraj ki talwar ki chamak
Aur kaat se
Tum khauf zada nahin hogey
Aur apni aankhon mein
Tumne khwaabon ke jo khazane chhupa kar rakhey hain
Unhein kisi aise aadmi ko
Ba-taur tohfa de dogey
Jo tum se zyaada
Bulund hausla, nidar aur jari ho
Toh ab kya sochtey ho
Do You Remember?
Do you remember
You had sworn
Placing your hand on the night’s palm
That the glitter and keen of
The sword of the morning sun
Would no longer frighten you
And you would give away
The dream treasures
Hidden in your eyes
As gifts
To someone
Braver and stronger
Than you
So, what stops you now?
Humein Zameen Poochhti Hai
Humein zameen poochhti hai
Koi keh raha tha
Kaun keh raha tha
Titliyon ko dhoop ke azaab se
Bachanewale haath phir jhulas gaye
Badi ki fasl ke liye
Bahut sa khoon chahiye
Badan tatol kar zara bataiye
Kahan se fasd kholni hai
Kitni der ka sukoot shart hai
Chalo yeh mashk bhi karein
Sunein yeh ghaur se sunein
Humein zameen poochhti hai
Log keh rahe hain yeh
The Earth Asks Us
The earth asks us
Someone was saying
Who was it?
Hands that would have saved the butterflies
From the terrible heat of the sun
Have been singed again
The harvest of evil
Demands a lot of blood
Touch your body and see
Which festering wound needs to be lanced
How long must we preserve this silence
Come, let’s practise this
Listen, listen carefully to this
The earth asks us
That’s what people say
Badan ke Bund
Tumne yaad aa ke
Badan ke bund khole
Aao main tum par hawis asraar kholoon
Lab-tarazu mein tumhe taa-deir toloon
Aakhri siski talak main chup rahoon aur kuchh na boloon
Bus isi eik kaam mein mashhaq hoon main
The Clasps of the Body
I was content in the circle of desires
By your remembrance
You made me open the clasps of the body
Come, let me reveal the secrets of the senses
Weigh you for hours in the balance of the lips
To remain silent till the last whimper
And say nothing
That, now, is my sole preoccupation
Is Deewar ko Girtey…
Is deewar ko girtey-girtey
Jaaney kitni der lagey, main aankhein
Band kiye leta hoon apni
Mere honthon par barish ho
Tez musladhaar
Chattanein apni-apni jagah se sirkein
Main jazbaat mein behte-behte ruk jaoon
Beech nadi mein kashti phir hichkole khaaye
Duur kinare par do aankhein
Meri raah takein, khamoshi
Ik lambi sargoshi bann ke
Saari simton par chha jaye
Bheege bistar ki shiknon se
Khushboo ki laptein-si uththein
Meri aankhein uske aage
Kyun kuchh dekhein?
Is deewar ko girtey-girtey
Jitni der lagey, achcha hai
The Crumbling Wall
Who knows how long it will take
For the wall to crumble
I shall close my eyes
Strong and gusty
The rain will lash upon my lips
Let rocks shift from their places
I shall stop myself
From being
swept away in a flood of emotions
Once again
The boat will wobble midstream
Far away on the bank
Two eyes wait for me
Like a long whisper
Silence spreads in every direction
From the creases on the damp bed
Fragrance rises like flames
Why should my eyes see
Anything beyond this?
The longer it takes
For the wall to crumble
The better
Hairaan Karne Wali Eik Baat
Doobti shaam ke us paar
Khadhe thay jo log
Humne in aakhon se dekha hai
Ke un logon ki
Mutthiyan band thi
Yeh reit kahan se aayi?
A Bewildering Thing
Across the descending gloam
Stood some people
I saw with my own eyes
That their fists
Were clenched tight
Where, then,
Did this sand come from?
Eik Siyaasi Nazm
Magar be-zaiqa honthon se
Tumne sakht chattanon ko chooma tha
Woh unki khurdarahat noke nikli chhatiyan
Tezaabiyat namkeen kaai
Sab ki lazzat se rahe na-aashna bachche tumhare
Isi baeis to unke jism mein khoon ki jagah paani ki gardish hai
Isi baeis woh apni nafraton ke khud hadaf hain
Aur dushman un pe hanste hain
A Political Poem
With savourless lips
You had kissed
The hard rocks
But your children remained unfamiliar
With the taste of their rough, pointed breasts
And the acidic, somewhat salty algae
And that is why water courses through their bodies
Instead of blood
And that is why they are victims of their own hatreds
And the enemy laughs at them
Ek Main Bhi Hoon
Patjhadon ke aaney se
Aur kuchh toh kya hoga
In ghaney darakhton ke
Saaye ke taley baithey
Log uth khadey hongey
Lambi dooriyon waley
Ajnabi safar jinko
Yeh bhula chukey hongey
Unko yaad aayengey
Lazzat-e safar unko
Kab yeh sochne degi
Patjhadon ke aane tak
In ghaney darakhton ne
Dhoop ki tamazat se
Kitni kya hifazat ki
Patjhadon ke aane ka