The names of carpets - Jhaffur khan azad darakth

[Lawrence Robinson]

The names of carpets

Qaalinon ke naam hamen un shehron ki yaad delate hen.
 jahan ab rangeen dhagon ki bajaye bamon gara di jati hen.
oon mai khas daskhat ek bar har jagah se taalq ruktey the 
ab un sab ko siraf khun aalud patharon ki yaad rakha jayenge.

the names of carpets remind us of those cities
where now instead of coloured threads bombs are being dropped
the special signatures in wool once belonged to each place 
now they will all be remembered as just bloodstained rocks

zamana mai ungliyon ko saath dene wale, ghar ki dewaron par phul tangey 
maihamanon ke liye phal or chai ke sath bethane ki khaas jage the
jahan roti or namk aayat ke dohay ke sath pesh kiya jate the.
aur baghon min gulab ke phul khile aur bulbule gate rahe.

once the comforter of toes, hanging flowers on house walls 
the special place for guests to sit with fruit and tea on offer
where bread and salt were served with couplets of verse
and in the gardens the roses bloomed and bulbuls sang

chhotay hathon ne ek bar apane mazi ki shanon ki kahaniyan gondhi the.
or qeemti yaad dahaniyon ko mastaqbl ke liye tiyari diya.
lekan ya qaalin ab phatay hue or be harmati ke pade pade hen.
un ke naam ke shehron ko todkar zalil kiya ja raha hay. 

small hands once knotted stories of the glories of their past
and treasured the reminders for the future to be told
but these very carpets lie now torn and desecrated
cities bearing their name are being smashed and humiliated. 

nafrat ki sharm naamon ke baghair khamosh jaghon min nehin rahtha hai
har shehr ek qaalin ki manind hay jise pyare hathon or dilon ne banaya hai.
karghe se pukarta hay or derpa yaad dilane ke liye ye baath dikhate.
ke aman ko dubarah banane min kabhi der nihen lagti.

The shame of hate dwells not in silent places without names
each city is like a carpet made with caring hands and hearts
calls out upon the loom and leaves a message resounding
that it is never too late for peace to be rewoven.

	- Jhaffur khan azad darakth
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sonic.net/pipermail/poetrylovers/attachments/20260516/76a1cd11/attachment.htm>