Noon Meem Rashid (b. 1910 – 9 October 1975) is considered to be the father of Modernism in Urdu Literature. Along with Faiz Ahmed Faiz, he is by far the greatest poet in the history of Pakistani literature. His themes run from the struggle against oppression to the relationship between words and meanings, between language and awareness and the creative process that produces poetry and other arts. Though intellectually deep, he was often attacked for his unconventional views and life-style. He rebelled against the traditional form of ‘ghazal’ and became the first major exponent of free verse in Urdu Literature. (courtesy Wikipedia)
By Noon Meem Rashid
Translated by Ayesha Khanna
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
zindagii se bhaag kar aayaa huu.N mai.n
Dar se larazaa.N huu.N kahii.n aisaa na ho
raqs_gaah ke chor daravaaze se aakar zindagii
Dhuu.NDh le mujh ko nishaa.N paa le meraa
aur jurm-e-aish karate dekh le
come, my fellow dancer, hold me
from life I have fled and arrived
quivering with fear
that in this brothel, life may follow
and find me intoxicated
see me decadent, corrupt and debauched
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
raqs kii ye gardishe.n
ek mubaham aasiyaa ke daur hai.n
kaisi sargarmii se Gam ko rau.ndataa jaataa huu.N mai.n
jii me.n kahataa huu.N ki haa.N
raqs_gaah me.n zindagii ke jhaa.Nkane se peshtar
kulfato.n kaa sang_rezaa ek bhii rahane na paaye
come, my fellow dancer, hold me
these cycles of dance
enigmatic revolutions of sin
with what zeal I spin the wheels of sorrow
and in my mind, I agree
before entering this brothel
not one speck of my troubles should remain
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
zindagii mere liye
ek Khuunii bhe.Diye se kam nahii.n
ai hasii.n-o-ajanabii aurat usii ke Dar se mai.n
ho rahaa huu.N lamhaa lamhaa aur bhii tere qariib
jaanataa huu.N tuu merii jaa.N bhii nahii.n
tujh se milane kaa phir imkaa.N bhii nahii.n
tuu merii aarazuuo.n kii magar tamsiil hai
jo rahii mujh se gurezaa.N aaj tak
come, my fellow dancer, hold me
for me life
is no less than a surreptitious murderer
o beautiful stranger, from its very door
slowly, I come closer to you
knowing you are not my love
and meeting you is unlikely
but still you are that one desire
which eludes me till today
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
ahad-e-paariinaa kaa mai.n insaa.N nahii.n
bandagii se is dar-o-diivaar kii
ho chukii hai.n Khvaahishe.n be-soz-o-rang-o-naatavaa.N
jism se tere lipaT sakataa to huu.N
zindagii par mai.n jhapaT sakataa nahii.n
is liye ab thaam le
ai hasii.n-o-ajanabii aurat mujhe ab thaam le
come, my fellow dancer, hold me
of no divine promise am I a follower
and bondage to this place
has weakened all desire for abstinence
to your body I can cling
but life I cannot battle
so hold me now
o beautiful stranger hold me now
Image Courtesy the film Paheli