Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980). translated from the Hindi-Urdu by Alverston & Associates.
Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980). translated from the Hindi-Urdu by Alverston & Associates.
Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980). page 117 “Mademoiselles”
(Addressing The Cynical Nations Inside Peace Talks)
Honorable Nations, Souls of Sovereignty
Why are you perplexed without reason
If people are saying so, they may be speaking the truth
Your dear affiliations may or may not have acquired
civilization
In my own personal surrounds, people declare inhabiting the
splendor of civilization
But their splendor, I believe, consists of bare financial
assets alone
Where we are standing today, civilization cannot be
nourished
Poverty destructs all sense of elegance
Hunger cannot be caste into the molds of decorum
If people are saying so, then why get surprised at such
accounts
They ask the absolute truth, and that is, “What is there to
consecrate about devastation?”
People are declaring their ruin, but why do you revel in their
ruination?
Please! You continue to insist upon adding to their strife
through remarks like, “There is no civility in
the low.”
Very soon those generations that you expeditiously classified
as forever lost
Very soon that epoch will arrive when you have to reexamine
today’s outlook
We took oath at the time of our disgrace, and I swear today
upon your greatness
We must reexamine the standards of civility
In every epoch, we endured humiliation, yet we bestowed the
brilliance of honor in the face of wrongs
upon that era and continued onwards
In every epoch, we have bore the toil of injustice
In every epoch, we have bequeath power
What is to be gained by these bitter discussions today
People are asking this, so they may be speaking some truth
herein
My dear affiliates have not acquired civilization
Where I am residing today, there is no humanity inhabiting anywhere
For the cause for the lost luster of this garden, I till
Should I say this or should I not?
Who is guilty for such misfortune or at fault for such setback
Should I disclose this or should I not?
Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980). translated from the Hindi-Urdu by Alverston & Associates.
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