This poem was translated by Professor Carlo Coppola as part of the MULOSIGE Translations project. You can explore our collection of Urdu Poetry here.
Bilaur / Crystal
The crystal of bright silence shone;
A light beam shattered upon a marble floor;
Blossoms—voice-flowers—exuded fragrance;
A Milky Way of colours and laughing chords have fallen into my lap;
From the depths of sea-silence
Some mermaid seems to call me.
A rustle in the darkness-curtain; the musical instrument stirred;
Fingers of several lights glittered;
Twilight within twilight; colour within colour;
Her cheeks, chambers holding surprises,
That smiling tavern,
The rainbow—all appeared before me.
How should I tell this story to someone?
How should I take one step farther?
.
4 December 1966
.
From: Bisāt̤-i raqṣ (Dance Carpet). Ḥaidarābād, Inḍiyā: Istiqbāliyah kameṭī jashn-i Mak̲h̲dūm, 1966. pp. 230 – 31
Bilaur is quoted in full in Urdu Poetry, 1935-1970
The crystal of bright silence shone;
A light beam shattered upon a marble floor;
Blossoms—voice-flowers—exuded fragrance;
A Milky Way of colours and laughing chords have fallen into my lap;
From the depths of sea-silence
Some mermaid seems to call me.
A rustle in the darkness-curtain; the musical instrument stirred;
Fingers of several lights glittered;
Twilight within twilight; colour within colour;
Her cheeks, chambers holding surprises,
That smiling tavern,
The rainbow—all appeared before me.
How should I tell this story to someone?
How should I take one step farther?
.
4 December 1966
.
From: Bisāt̤-i raqṣ (Dance Carpet). Ḥaidarābād, Inḍiyā: Istiqbāliyah kameṭī jashn-i Mak̲h̲dūm, 1966. pp. 230 – 31
Bilaur is quoted in full in Urdu Poetry, 1935-1970
Translator’s Note: This poem is said to be Makhdum’s last poem, he having completed it a few weeks before his death. The poem is dated 4 December 1966; Makhdum died on 25 August 1969. It is likely that the dating of the poem is incorrect.
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