Wednesday, May 2, 2012

translating shiv kumar batalvi: rog baṅ ke reh gaya


gazal 


it’s become a disease
the love of your city
and i saw the savior himself
suffering from it

my strapping youth
was eaten up by it’s streets
why should i not, friend,
revere your city

in your city the people
they value not true love
and every marketplace here
comes alive after dark

not another step towards
my destination could i gain
some thorn of your city
pierced me with such pain

where i wasn't fortunate enough
at my death even to get a shroud
what demented lunatic would
trust your city now

they auctioned off even
my corpse at my death
yet i could not, friend
repay your city's debt


the gazal, sung by jagjit singh

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