By Noon Meem Rashid
Translated by Ayesha Khanna

zindagii se Darate ho?
You are afraid of life?
zindagii to tum bhii ho, zindagii to ham bhii hai.n!
But you are life, and I am too!
aadamii se Darate ho?
You are afraid of man?
aadamii to tum bhii ho aadamii to ham bhii hai.n!
But you are man, and I am too!
aadamii zubaa.N bhii hai, aadamii bayaa.N bhii hai
Man is hearsay, man is fact as well
is se tum nahii.n Darate!
It is not him you fear!
harf aur maanii ke rishte haaye aahan se aadamii hai vaabastaa
To syntax and semantics is man tied
aadamii ke daaman se zindagii hai vaabastaa
To man is life inextricably tied
is se tum nahii.n Darate!
It is not him you fear!
ankahii se Darate ho
You fear the unspoken
jo abhii aa_ii nahii.n us gha.Dii se Darate ho
That which has not come, that moment you fear
us gha.Dii ke aane kii aag hii se Darate ho!
The fire of that moment, this is what you fear!

pahale bhii to guzare hai.n
But times have come and gone before
daur naarasaa_ii ke, beriyaa, Khudaa_ii ke
Epochs of failure, centuries of godliness
phir bhii ye samajhate ho, hech aazaruumandii
Still you believe it is meaningless to aspire
ye shab zubaa.Nbandii, hai rahe Khudaabandii!
That silence is a way to avoid divine ire!
tum yahii samajhate ho, tum magar ye kyaa jaano?
You believe this, but what would you know?
lab agar nahii.n hilate haath jaag uThate hai.n
If lips fall silent, the hands arise
haath jaag uThate hai.n raah kaa nishaan ban kar
As signs that point to the path that is right
nuur kii zubaa.N ban kar
Becoming the voice of light
haath bol uThate hai.n subah kii azaa.N ban kar
Calling to prayer after the night
roshanii se Darate ho?
You are afraid of light?
roshanii to tum bhii ho, roshanii to ham bhii hai.n
But you are light, and I am too
roshanii se Darate ho!
You are afraid of light!

shahar kii fasiilo.n par
From the walls of the city
dev kaa jo saayaa thaa, paak ho gayaa aaKhir
The shadow of evil was removed finally
raat ka labada bhi
Night's garb of darkness
chaak ho gaya aakhir, khaakh ho gaya aakhir
Torn finally, made ashes to dust finally
az_dahaam-e-afsaa.N se fard kii navaa aa_ii
Then from humanity, one man's voice sounds
zaat kii sadaa aa_ii
The cry of the Self arrives
raah-e-shauq me.n jaise raah_ravii Khuu.N lapake
Like in the path of love, love's passion leaps
ik nayaa junuu.N lapake!
A new exhilaration abounds!
aadamii chhalak uThe
Mankind awakes
aadamii ha.Nse dekho, shahar phir base dekho
Watch him smile, see cities come to life
tum abhii se Darate ho?
Is it the present you fear?
haa.N abhii to tum bhii ho, haa.N abhii to ham bhii hai.n
But present you are, and I am too
tum abhii se Darate ho!
It is the present you fear!

Images Courtesy Corbis