People cried when it rained. 

We went to sleep in the temple. 

People cried when the sun shone.

We went to the jungle to sleep.

.

People got angry

And woke us up.

“We’re up and you’re asleep, you fools

You’re alone and all of us here are together

We’re old and you’re a child

You’re a liar; we tell the truth

It’s a sin to sleep like this

You should weep when the sun shines and even when it rains!”

.

When it rained and when the sun shone 

We wept

And buried the wealth of sleep beneath the earth.

Then sleep-flowers bloomed

And spread their-fragrance everywhere.

When it rained, some people were in the temple

Sleeping;

When the sun shone, some were in the jungle

Sleeping.

.

Then we had a good laugh 

At our foolishness, 

At our sacrifice to wealth. 

We laughed so much we cried.

.

From: Dard kā shahr (City of Suffering). Lāhaur: Naʼī maṭbūʻāt. 1965. pp. 31 – 32