Useless for me to come out of my mother’s womb. 

Even today I’m a prisoner.

.

I should change my mother’s command,

Go far away from her hate-laden eyes,

Wander about here and there,

Pick up thorns of sin

And vitiate my soul;

I should listen to lust-and-passion songs

.

And make my mind fearless.

I still long for such a life.

.

Love—everyone says she loves me.

How long have I been lying asleep beneath love’s ashes

They all lie. They disgust me

I hope the flame, now turned to smoke

Under the crush of ashes love will spring up once again. –

.

    1 August 1957

.

From: Dard kā shahr (City of Suffering). Lāhaur: Naʼī maṭbūʻāt. 1965. p. 21

             

Useless for me to come out of my mother’s womb. 

Even today I’m a prisoner.

.

I should change my mother’s command,

Go far away from her hate-laden eyes,

Wander about here and there,

Pick up thorns of sin

And vitiate my soul;

I should listen to lust-and-passion songs

.

And make my mind fearless.

I still long for such a life.

.

Love—everyone says she loves me.

How long have I been lying asleep beneath love’s ashes

They all lie. They disgust me

I hope the flame, now turned to smoke

Under the crush of ashes love will spring up once again. –

.

    1 August 1957

.

From: Dard kā shahr (City of Suffering). Lāhaur: Naʼī maṭbūʻāt. 1965. p. 21