This poem was translated by Professor Carlo Coppola as part of the MULOSIGE Translations project. You can explore our collection of Urdu Poetry here.

Professor Carlo Coppola, Oakland University

K̲h̲atam hūʼī bārish-i sang / The Rain of Stones Has Ended

Suddenly today, after being cut from the thread of my glance,

The sun and moon on the horizon broke into pieces;

Now there will be neither darkness nor light anywhere;

After me the road of fidelity was extinguished like the heart;

O friends, what will happen to the caravan of pain?

.

Now someone else should tend the garden of sorrow;

O friends, the wet-eyed dew has stopped;

The cacophony of madness has abated, the rain of stones has ended.

The dust of the road today has 

The colour of the lips of my beloved.

Let us see who will be the people called after me:

‘Who will stand up to the love-wine which overpowers people?

The saqi has twice called out after me.’

.

  November 1960

      

.

From: Dast-i tah-yi sang (Hand Beneath the Stone). Dihlī: ʻAlīgaṛh: Ejūkeshanal Buk Hāʼūs, 1979.  pp. 53 – 54

             

Suddenly today, after being cut from the thread of my glance,

The sun and moon on the horizon broke into pieces;

Now there will be neither darkness nor light anywhere;

After me the road of fidelity was extinguished like the heart;

O friends, what will happen to the caravan of pain?

.

Now someone else should tend the garden of sorrow;

O friends, the wet-eyed dew has stopped;

The cacophony of madness has abated, the rain of stones has ended.

The dust of the road today has 

The colour of the lips of my beloved.

Let us see who will be the people called after me:

‘Who will stand up to the love-wine which overpowers people?

The saqi has twice called out after me.’

.

  November 1960

      

.

From: Dast-i tah-yi sang (Hand Beneath the Stone). Dihlī: ʻAlīgaṛh: Ejūkeshanal Buk Hāʼūs, 1979.  pp. 53 – 54