Poet
Obaidullah Aleem
Pen Name(s)
Aleem
Translation in Rhyme
My Lord, should I ink the woes or dreams divine,
This visage, these eyes of mine,
Like extinguished lamp, awaiting shine.
That moonlit face, those starry eyes,
Those graceful locks, where shadow belies,
Once vowed to join, in love entwined,
Assuring me, oh traveler in kind,
I’ll be with you, no matter the time,
Like the moon of night, and shadow daytime.
That moonlit face, those starry eyes,
Those graceful locks, where shadow belies,
A promise broken, of courtship, of love,
Now someone else’s blessings from above,
This traveler now abound concerned,
That face obscured, once brightly burned,
Starry eyes in slumber turned,
Tresses, once shade, now softly spurned.
That light, that shade was mine to grant,
And thus no one dare say I can’t,
For I am still that traveler enchant.
That moonlit face, those starry eyes,
Those graceful locks, where shadow belies,
Are now in number a thousand time,
They flood my mind in thoughts sublime.
For every face is moonlit face,
And all the eyes are heavenly grace,
The locks of hair are shadowy lace.
To whom I bow, with whom I intertwine,
That face, those eyes, the locks no longer mine,
My Lord, should I ink the woes or dreams divine.
Translation in Prose
My Lord, should I pen the tortures of life or the dreams thereof,
This face, these eyes of mine,
Like extinguished lamps,
That are waiting to be lit again.
That moonlit face, those starry eyes,
Those gracious, shadowy tresses,
That made promises with me,
Of courtship, of love,
That assured me: oh traveler of the faithful path,
I will accompany you wherever you go,
I will be the moon of the night, the shade of the day.
That moonlit face, those starry eyes,
Those gracious, shadowy tresses,
After having broken the promises of courtship, of love,
Who knows upon whom they now bestow light from above,
What does this traveler know?
That moonlit face has now hidden,
Those starry eyes are asleep
Those tresses have lost their shade.
That light, that shade was my grant,
Thus they are in my paths even today,
Since I am the traveler of the faithful path.1
That moonlit face, those starry eyes,
Those gracious, shadowy tresses,
The shape of thousand faces, thousand eyes, thousand tresses.
Are flooding my thoughts.2
Every face is a moonlit face,
All eyes are starry eyes,
All are gracious, shadowy tresses.
Whom do I embrace, whom do I kiss,
Under whose shade do I take rest,
That face no longer mine, the eyes not mine,3
My Lord, should I pen the tortures of life or the dreams thereof.
Transliteration
mire khudāyā maiṇ zindagī ke azāb likkhūṇ ke khwāb likkhūṇ
ye merā chehra ye merī āṇkheṇ
bujhe hue se charāgh jaise
jo phir se jalne ke muntazir hoṇ
vo chāṇd-chehrā sitārā āṇkheṇ
vo mehrbāṇ sāyā-dār zulfeṇ
jinhoṇ ne paimāṇ kiye the mujh se
rafāqatoṇ ke mohabbatoṇ ke
kahā thā mujh se ke ai musāfir rah-e-vafā ke
jahāṇ bhī jā.egā ham bhī ā.eṇge sāth tere
baneṇge rātoṇ meṇ chāṇdnī hum tho din meṇ sā.e bikhaer deṇge
vo chāṇd-chehrā sitārā āṇkheṇ
vo mehrbāṇ sāyā-dār zulfeṇ
vo apne paimāṇ rafāqatoṇ ke mohabbatoṇ ke
shikast kar ke
na jaane ab kis ke rahguzar kā manāra-e-raushnī hue haiṇ
magar musāfir ko kyā khabar hai
vo chāṇd-chehra tho bujh gayā hai
sitāra-āṇkheṇ tho so ga.ī haiṇ
vo zulfeñ be-sāyā ho ga.ī haiṇ
vo roshnī aur vo sā.e mirī atā thay
so merī rāhoṇ meṇ āj bhī haiṇ
ke maiṇ musāfir rah-e-vafā kā
vo chāṇd-chehrā sitārā āṇkheṇ
vo mehrbāṇ sāyā-dār zulfeṇ
hazāroṇ chehroṇ hazāroṇ āṇkhoṇ
hazāroṇ zulfoṇ kā ek sailāb-e-tund le kar
mire ta.āqub meṇ ā rahe haiṇ
har ek chehra hai chāṇd-chehra
haiṇ sārī āṇkheṇ sitāra-āṇkheṇ
tamām haiṇ
mehrbāṇ sāya-dār zulfeṇ
maiṇ kis ko chāhūṇ maiṇ kis ko chūmūṇ
maiñ kis ke sā.e meṇ baitth jā.ūṇ
bachūṇ ki tūfāṇ meṇ dūb jā.ūṇ
na merā chehra na merī āṇkheṇ
mire khudāyā maiṇ zindagī ke azāb likkhūṇ ke khwāb likkhūṇ