Early This Morning - Gulzar
Early this morning, when I heard
A knock on the door in a dream,
I opened the door and looked out.
And saw that some guests from across The border were standing there, travel weary. Their faces looked familiar. So I welcomed Them into the courtyard, gave them water To wash up, made some thick maize rotis For breakfast on the coal stove, and laid Out cots for them to recline. These guests had brought my share Of jaggery from the past harvests.
When I opened my eyes I saw that There was no one here, yet the coals Were still warm, and my mouth was Still sticky with jaggery.
It must have been a dream. Yes, it was a dream.
I heard that at the border, last night There was gunfire. I heard that at The border last night, few dreams Were summarily executed.
Translated from Hindustani
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On Daily Business - Gulzar
On daily business when I occasionally go her city;
I pass through that narrow alley,
That narrow alley with that small square at the end,
And that lamp post
By whose side I kept vigils Before I left that city.
That lamp post still stands there Now wearing a funny hat of sunlight And a shirt of election posters.
And I still slip in unobtrusively By the lamp post to ask strangers In the alley, if after my departure Whether she came to the lamppost? Did she still come?
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Pain Stays - Gulzar
Pain stays only a little while.
No, not for long
Just like a leaf torn from a branch Loses all color of the branch After a few days, likewise how will this pain Stay the same torn from the body?
When it is drained of all pain It might flicker on and off for a bit As it dies, but after a final exhalation It too will go out.
Pain stays only for a little while. No, not for long.
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