Mir Anis Poems ( Translated in english)

Monday, October 6, 2008

Elegies from Mir Anis
These are some of the translated poems of the urdu poet Mir Anis, the famous marsiya-nigaar (the style of urdu poetry dedicated to martyrs of Karbala).

------------Arrival of Hussain in kerbala
Like the full moon come to earth
Husain advanced towards his steed
Ali’s angelic breed around him like a cluster of stars
Tresses streaming in the wind,
Hand in hand,
Heads held high,
The gallant lads walked in majesty and pride.
Suddenly the desert became dark as the night,
Battle drums boomed across the sands,
The earth shook under the horses hooves,
The enemy had reached the river’s edge
Each one like a dreadful orge.
Said abbas to his men, “go ask them what they want”
Tell them : “Take care, remember, the daughters of the prophet rest inside these tents.”
They answered : “We ‘ve come to block your access to the river.
To night General shimr shall cross the marsh
At this Abbas roared, the lion in the vale,
Raised his eyebrows, looked at the hilt of his sword---
No less in might than Ali’s scimitar---
And charged
As a tiger springing from his lair.

-------Hussain’s farewell to his daughter Sakina
This world is a play of shadow and light,
Of joys and greif,
Of sunrise and dusk,
The end of every beginning never is the same
Little lass, once you laid your head in my lap,
Now don’t be stubborn, don’t you sleep on the dust,
My elfin child.

----------Hussain rides his brave steed
He bent his forelegs and knelt down
To let his hallowed master mount,
Who sat erect in his saddle
Like a jewel set in a glowing crown,
From east to west rose the cry, Hail, Hail, Hail !
The shouts of hosanna echoed thro’ hill and dale,
The horse turned into flash of lightning.
The Lady Moon opened her parasol of rays,
The dawn wind came running with the scent of paradise,
Flowers of the desert sprinkled their pollen-gold,
Hussain, the Imam, is the son of the Imam,
His shield and sword carry salvation’s grace,
The worlds shall perish if he is enraged.

----------------------------Abbas’s charger
Famished and thirsty for two nights and days,
The dumb creature looked the twinkling river and neighed,
His muscles quivered and twitched as Abbas stroked his proud and fiery mane,
But the sound of rippling water made him restive again,
And he turned his head and looked at his rider.

-------------The morning of the martyrdom
The Lord of faith had prayed all night,
At daybreak he said to Akbar, his son,
“The morning of murder is come, arise.
Call out for prayer, the night is done.”
The lord’s beloved then called the faithful to prayer,
And the people recalled the prophets own voice.
In the forest of terror the trees in ecstacy swayed.
As the nightingale of truth sang out in the glade.