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 .