In youth my wings were strong and tireless,
But I did not know the mountains.
In age I knew the mountains
But my weary wings could not follow my vision --
Genius is wisdom and youth.

Bedenk, wenn Undank herb dich kränket,
Daß dankbar bis zum letzten Hauch
Der Mensch nur dann der Huld gedenket,
Wenn Wohltat ihn gebessert auch.

Alas, what shall I do for love?
For love, alasse, what shall I do?
Syth now so kynd
I do you fynde
To kepe yow me unto?
Alasse!

Alac, alac, what shall I do,
For care is cast into my hart,
And trew love lokked therto?

Weep not in the mystery of the tomb,
over the Spaniards’ momentary triumph,
for if a bullet your cranium destroye
your idea, in turn, an empire destroyed.

Jis ghar ke daro baam pa dekhe gaye shole,
Kuchh roz se us ghar mein andhera bhi bahut tha.

khuda ka shukr ke iss ahde be libasi mai,
Ye kam nahi ke darakhton mai pattiyan niklee(n),

Wo bach sakee na kabhi bul hawas parindon se,
Hisare aab se bahar jo machhliyan niklee(n).

Ah! cannot sighs not tears, nor aught else move thee
To pity me, who more than life do love thee?
O cruel fates! see, now away she’s flying,
And fly, alas! alas! and leave me dying.
Farewell, most fair, farewell, yet more disdainful:
Was never grief like mine, nor death more painful.

Ah me! the Five (Bhuta-s) , the ten (Indriya-s) ,
And the Eleventh, their lord the mind,
scraped this pot* and went away.
Had all together pulled on the rope,
Why should the Eleventh have lost the cow?
(Why should the soul have gone astray?)

In halcyon days
waves upon a kindred shore
you and I believed


(Previously published in Poems Md, Apr 2008)