My life-giving Ganges: poems of Jameela Nishat/ translated by Hoshang Merchant.

Poems.

Introduction: Jameela Nishat: Muse as Poet HOSHANG MERCHANT -- 1. Where would my life-giving Ganges flow from Zindagi ki Gangotri / Ghar se nikalti hai -- 2. Sitting under a tree I thought To become the Gautama, the Buddha Ped ke neeche baith ke socha/Main bhi Gautam Buddha hoti -- 3. May your beauty last till eternity (Yogini)/ Yogini ai yogini -- 4. You cut circles of love Turn mohabbat ke halqe banaate rahe -- 5. On my first train journey Pehli baar/Jab rail mein baithi -- 6. The python of whose body / drinks from my moons? Kis badan ka azdar/ Mere chaand pee raha hai -- 7. I balance the globe on my shouldersv Mein globe ko kandhon par liye khadi rahi -- 8. Come let us marry Death Chalo aaj kar le biyaah / Maut ka zindagi se -- 9. The light of dreams / Spread in my veins Sapnon ka noor ragon mein fatltagayd -- 10. You sang the Bhairavi alap Tumne Bhairavi aalap kar -- 11. Human intelligence is a brooding sun Insaan ki zahanat /Azurda hai sooraj -- 12. I am a Banjaran / Love struck Main Banjaran / Pyar ki maran -- 13. I lost myself for love / thought I'm nothing Pyar mein mit gayi / Main ne Socha -- 14. A pure spirit / Drips like drops of water Ek pakeezah ruh / Pani ke qatron se tapak rahi hai -- 15. My nature is wealth / Man, reason, deeds, Fitrat meri daulat / Aql. aml. insaan -- 16. If you can restrain / the waves of thought Shaoor mein uthti maujon ko / Tum rok sako to rok hi lo -- 17. Thirty-five years of living / with only five fingers to help out Paintees zindagiyan / aur paanch ungliyan -- 18. Wearing a burkha / I took a degree Burkha pehankar nikli / digree bhi maine lee -- 19. the night owl in your tree / was a light shade of the soul of me Tere kamre ki khidki mein / Kal jo ullu aya tha -- 20. Who walks with us silently? King of the howllow realm homeless Kaun chal raha hai / Hamare saath-saath -- 21. Eyes search for someone / But they find someone else Dhoondhita bain aankhein kisiko / Milta koi aur hai -- 22. I am an emotion / Feel me (On my fathers death) Main ek ehsaas hoon / mujhe mehsoos karo -- 23. I a Yemini lady / Kept sitting on a desert rock Main / Bint-e-ansari -- 24. Words rained / When you did not come Tere na aane pe / Alfaaz ki barsaat huyi -- 25. Jungle / Adnse jungle Jungle jungle / Kala jungle -- 26. Till yesterday I had no thirst / Every thing was within my breath KAl talak mujhe koi pyaas na thi / Mere sanon mein sabhi kuch tha -- 27. Tell me how your are / Hoe the people of that locality are Kaho kis haal mein ho / Log kaise hain us basti ke -- 28. What a state of my heart is in / I find no meaningful word for it Ajab haal hai dil ka / Milta nahin lafz -- 29. Within the heart of sound / Silence sleeps Suron ke kaieje mein / Khamoshi chhoopee hai -- 30. I dance / between two poles Main naach rahi hoon / In khambhon ke beech -- 31. I am the dark / And alive Andhiyaraa hoon /Aur zinda hoon -- 32. On the bookshelf of my mind / The dust of words settles Zehen ke taapdan mein / Lafeon ki gard jam gai -- 33. My heart beat fast / Why did someone appear so beautiful Yeh dil mera dhadak gaya / Koi haseen kyun laga -- 34. The red of my palms / Wasn't henna but blood Woh jo rang the mere haath ka / Woh hina nahin mera khoon tha -- 35. Wandering in the body's city / the wounded man Badan ke shehar mein / Bhakte-bhatakte -- 36. Beautified / Enhanced, created by my fingers Ungliyon ne sanwara / Sajaya, taraasha -- 37. My flesh has fallen off my bones / Blood flows from my lips Mera gosht / Haddiyon se alag ho gaya -- 38. Whose gentle memory / Knocks on my heart Kiski mulayam yado ne / Dil ko yeh dastak di hai -- 39. This heart has turned sad / Who had bound my feet Yeh dil udas ho gaya / Mere paanv kisne kas diye -- 40. Henry's white blood / slipped Anais' diary-pages Henry ka safed khoon / Anees ki diary se phail kar -- 41. On cat feet you came / To slurp my butters Turn chale aaye billi ki tarah chupke-chupke -- 42. They laid roads / Started up traffic Sadakein banayi / Busein chalayi -- 43. Cupping a small sparrow in my hand /1 thought to make it firee Nanhi chidiya le kar baithi / Socha use azad karoon -- 44. I have walked this far /1 can walk no more
Chaii aayi hoon badi door se/Ab chaina bhi nahin ata -- 45. Like a portrait I was made to hang / painted like some Mona Lisa Mujha khoonti par tangaya / aur kabhi tasveer banayee -- 46. What a seimic qauke under the sea Dil ko dhakka jo laga / Raat jaane kya guzri -- 47. What heart hurt / god knows how night passed Dil ko dhakka jo laga / Raat jaane kya guzri -- 48. O brave new world! / All my innocence Woh duniya kitni bholi thi / Main moorakh thi woh kehta the -- 49. Such burdens of others burdened me so Takleef mujh ko logon ne / Kuch iss tarah se dee -- 50. When my tongue reached your cup Meri saanson se laba-lab tha