A Poem,Ali Sardar Jafri’s life spanned most of the 20th century and he was a multi-award winning Indian poet, writing in Urdu, while also working as a literary critic and occasional lyricist for the Indian film industry. Because of his strong political activities he got on the wrong side of the university authorities while studying at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during the 1930s, and was expelled.He courted further controversy during the Second World War when he was arrested for writing anti-war poems. Despite his early difficulties he went on to become one of his country’s greatest poets, being one of the founder member of the Progressive Writers’ Association in 1936.
A Poem by Ali Sardar Jafri
A Poem
TU MUJHEY ITNEY PYAR SE MAT DEKH
TERI PALKOn KE NARM SAAYE MEIn
DOBTI CHAAnDINI SI LAGTI HAI
AUR MUJHEY ITNI DOOR JAANAA HAI
RET HAI GARM, PAAOn KE CHHALEY
YOn DAHAKTEY HAIn JAISEY AnGAAREY
PYAR KI YE NAZAR RAHEY NA RAHEY
KAUN DASHT-E-WAFAA MEIn JALTAA HAI
TEREY DIL KO KHABAR RAHEY NA RAHEY
TU MUJHEY ITNEY PYAR SE MAT DEKH
Don’t look at me so lovingly.
In the soft shadow of your eyelashes
Moonlight looks like drowning
And I’ve to go a long way
The desert’s sand is burning, the blisters on my soles
flare up like cinders
This look of love may last or vanish
Who keeps burning in the desert of fidelity?
Your heart may bear in mind or may forget
Don’t look at me so lovingly.
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