The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
'T was half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t' other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
(I wasn't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)
......
Old elm that murmured in our chimney top
The sweetest anthem autumn ever made
And into mellow whispering calms would drop
When showers fell on thy many coloured shade
And when dark tempests mimic thunder made -
While darkness came as it would strangle light
With the black tempest of a winter night
That rocked thee like a cradle in thy root -
How did I love to hear the winds upbraid
Thy strength without - while all within was mute.
......
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream- -and not make dreams your master;
......
We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin.
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don't hurt anyone,
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your knowledge.
We believe in sex before during
and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
......
I torture myself with these thoughts ,
Trying to make sense of me crumbling ,
A strong enough breeze could turn me to dust ,
But the wind is stalling it’s just dark and cold ,
I’m surrounded by a cage of broken glass ,
Picking up pieces of myself cut me little by little,
I’ve be played with broken & left for garbage ,
Once treasured with care , affection and love ,
......
Tides of Truth
On a peaceful day, seagulls glide,
while shells scattered across the sand reflect pure sunlight.
A storm is raging beyond,
nearing the calm sands,
immersed in self-proclaimed vindication.
Ripples turn into unapologetic waves,
......
What is the meaning of Spiritual Initiation?
It is a start to reach our ultimate destination
The guidance of a Guru can take us there faster
But for this, we need an Enlightened Master!
Initiation is the beginning of our Journey to the Truth
It is the way to get to the bottom of the root
Why Spiritual Initiation? Why must we go on a Quest?
Why must we put our beliefs to test?
Because of ignorance, what we were taught in schools
......
I torture myself with these thoughts ,
Trying to make sense of me crumbling ,
A strong enough breeze could turn me to dust ,
But the wind is stalling it’s just dark and cold ,
I’m surrounded by a cage of broken glass ,
Picking up pieces of myself cut me little by little,
I’ve be played with broken & left for garbage ,
Once treasured with care , affection and love ,
......
I write for the one who pulled me from the darkness,
Whose presence we kept hidden,
A secret shared only between the shadows,
Invisible to all, but etched into our souls.
We no longer speak,
Yet you will always live in the corners of my mind,
Even if you’ve forgotten the girl who once knew your name.
To be honest,
......
Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) was one of the most famous Urdu poets. In fact, his reputation is such that he has been called "the Poet of the East." His name is often spelled Faiz Ahmad Faiz in English. These are my modern English translations of Urdu poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Last Night
by Faiz Ahmed Faiz
loose translation by Michael R. Burch
Last night, your memory stole into my heart—
as spring sweeps uninvited into barren gardens,
......