Mother
eternally
educating
persevering
comprehending
ministering
sacrificing

miss you today
more than ever

Salaam
youN zaat ka diya jala ker
kaisi ki hay yeh lau baydaar
wajood maiN m’ray

tujh kO aye maaN hazaar salaam

___________________________


Clouds II
cascading silver rays robbing
the halo from your moon face
when they float ominously
across your eyes’ horizon
tears tremble timidly
gliding over the shoulder
and then down the supine spine.

Sitam Zareefi
haiN sheh’r e arzoo mainN
hum bay aab o aabroo
aur bayabaanouN maiN
ab’r e rehmat rawaaN

Mirror of Truth
the sages found and fought over
now the mirror of Truth lies
shattered, each piece valued, possessed
for the truth it deflected

To Death
in the infancy of Time
the moment Life stirred
Death came alive too
since then
Death’s out stretched arm
keeps exacting dues from Life.

Death proud of her eternal life
--the raison d’être of her existence.

Soul of man developed gradually
Exemplary man rose from this soul
and put to rest death once again
nobody eulogises Death anymore
nobody.

B’naam-e-Maut
Zindagi paida hoo’ie
rauz-e-azal ki sa’atouN maiN jis dum
maut nay bhi khOli aankh oos p’al
Maut--ik zaalim ka haath
Zindagi daitee rahi oos ko khiraaj

thaa maut ko
apni hayaat-e-la-fanaa per ghooroor
hayaat-e-la-fanaa--jawaaz-e-zindagi-e-ajal

rooh-e-insaaN rafta rafta paa ga’iee baalidgi
Mard-e-momin qalb-e-insaaN say ootha
maut ko oos nay a’jal say kar diya hum-kinar
Maut pur ab noha khaaN ko’iee nahiN
ko’iee nahiN.