It is with a sad heart that I note the passing away of Ahmed Faraz. He always spoke truth to power.
update: See the obit in Dawn.
کٹھن ہے راهگزر، تھوڑي دور ساتھ چلو
بهت بڑا ہے سفر، تھوڑي دور ساتھ چلو
تمام عمر کهاں کوئي ساتھ ديتا ہے
ميں جانتا ہوں مگر تھوڑي دور ساتھ چلو
نشے ميں چور ہوں ميں بھي، تمهيں بھي ہوش نهيں
بڑا مزا ہو اگر تھوڑي دور ساتھ چلو
يہ ايک شب کي ملاقات بھي غنيمت ہے
کسے ہے کل کي خبر تھوڑي دور ساتھ چلو
ابھي تو جاگ رہے هيں چراغ راہوں کے
ابھي ہے دور سحر، تھوڑي دور ساتھ چلو
طواف ِ منزل ِ جاناں هميں بھي کرنا ہے
فراز تم بھي اگر تھوڑي دور ساتھ چلو۱
the road is hard, let us walk a little while
the journey is long, let us walk a little while
who gives a life-time to another
i know, but let us walk a little while
i am intoxicated, and you are not sober
what a delight, if we walk a little while
enough that we have this night
who knows about tomorrow, let us walk a little while
the lamps are still awake in the paths
the dawn is still far, let us walk a little while
we too will walk the beloved’s destination
faraz, if you just walk with me a little while
about that quick translation job - no one yell at me for the thori dor vs thori der. ok?
I read the news today morning and it saddened me immensely. I haven’t read much of Faraz, but did enjoy some of his poetry greatly. And of course, Iqbal Bano singing Ranjish hi Sahi is an all time favourite.
It is sad to read about the death of Ahmed Faraz.May God give him eternal peace and strenght to his family members to bear the unrepairable lose.
It is sad that one by one we are losing Intellectuals who are un placeable.
nice obit in the nytimes, too:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/books/01faraz.html
You translation of Urdu does not do any justice to the poem.
Watch me translate just a couple of your lines…
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the lamps are still awake in the paths
the dawn is still far, let us walk a little while
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Street-lamps continue to glow the side-walks
Dawn is yet to break let’s walk a little while