Sunday, November 18, 2007

Goodbye Grandpa

Alvida Dadajaan: May you rest in peace
My 95-year old grandfather passed away on Tuesday November 13. At the moment, words fail me... so I pay tribute to him by posting a heart-wrenching Urdu poem by Nida Fazli (He wrote the following poem at the death of his father whose burial he could not attend).


Tumhaarii qabr per

Tumhaarii qabr par maiN
Faatehaa paRhne nahiiN aayaa,

Mujhe m’aaluum thaa, tum mar nahiiN sakte.
Tumhaare maut kii sachchii Khabar
Jisne uRaa’ii thii, wo jhuuTaa thaa,
Wo tum kab the?
Koiii suukhaa huaa pattaa, havaa meN gir ke TuuTaa thaa.

Merii aaNkheN
Tumhaare manzaroN meN qaid hai ab tak
Main jo bhii dekhtaa huN, sochtaa huN
Vo, vohii hai
Jo tumhaarii nek-naamii aur bad-naamii ki duniyaa thii.

Kahiin kuch bhi nahiiN badlaa

Tumhaare haath, merii uNgliyoN meN saaNs lete haiN
Main likhne ke liye jab bhii, qalam kaaGaz uThaataa huN
Tumhe baiThaa huvaa maiN
Apnii hi kursii meN paataa huN,

Badan meN mere, jitnaa bhi lahuu hai,
Wo tumhaarii
Lagzishon, naa-kaamiyoN ke saath bahtaa hai,
Merii aavaaz meN chhup kar, tumhaaraa zehn rehtaa hai,

Meri biimaariyoN meN tum,
Meri laa-chaariyoN meN tum

Tumhaari qabr par jis ne tumhaaraa naam likhkhaa hai
Wo jhuTaa hai,
Tumhaari qabr meN, maiN dafn huN,
Tum zindaa ho !
Tum zindaa ho !

Mile fursat kabhii, tau faatehaa paRhne chale aanaa.

3 comments:

durgs said...

Loved it to the core of my heart. I was too young to realise the loss when my grandpa passed away. Your poem brought the memories of my grandpa back to me. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

The whole-hearted expressions of feelings at such a tragic occasion. It really shows the height of relationship, love and affection.

Anonymous said...

The whole-hearted expressions of feelings at such a tragic occasion. It really shows the height of relationship, love and affection.