Phoenix - By Professor Dr. Saadat Saeed |
3- Phoenix
Phoenix!
What caravans have robbed you of
the lava you had in your mouth
the quick silver in your body
and the fire of your wings
You had
the whistling voice of a great dream
which having lost itself
in the emptiness of thought
ended up as shroud of your glory!
Behind the light of sparkling awareness
were the miracles
giving away light of your cremation
to the prison houses
the same was the echo of your voice
the burning spot of a valuable pain
the same air hole in the dust.
That heat was so intense
that pride of all kings
became the fate of those jewels in rags
who were crushed by elephants
O Phoenix
Rise on the hill of fear
for a moment
coming out of your web
and restoring the chords of throat
tell us _____ whose working is this
the chill of tyranny
from door to door
the ash of the hill of agony,
the death of writers' conscience
and the way leading to nothingness?
Ice frozen in your bones has metamorphosed
your blood into stone
The glacier in your heart has extinguished
several burning suns
The winds which were released
from your cold icy prison houses
have taken with them all my warmth
Open your eyes for a while and see
you could not keep in your hands
I could not keep in my hands
the rein of the horse
of bubble like life
Translated By
Prof.Gilani Kamran
From Kajli Bun (Elephant Jungle)
By Saadat Saeed, Pub. Sang-e-Meel,Lahore .