Poem by Akbar Barakzai, translated from Balochi by Fazal Baloch
WE ARE ALL HUMAN Russia, China and India, Arabs and the New World*, Africa and Europe, The land of the Baloch and Kurds -- Indeed, the whole world is ours. We are all human. We are all human. Of blood and brotherhood, We share common traits and ties. Love is all we harvest. On freedom our faith does rest. Indeed, the whole world is ours. We are all human. We are all human. A life free from strife, A world blooming with Dreams and desires, Happiness and delight -- This is all we seek. Indeed, the whole world is ours. We are all human. We are all human. From murderers and tyrants, Like Genghis, With our swords and soul, We protect the beautiful Earth. Indeed, the whole world is ours. We are all human. We are all human. Together along with the downtrodden, The wretched of the Earth, We shall wage a war Against brutes of the world, And for truth we shall lay our lives. Indeed, the whole world is ours. We are all human. We are all human. With the stars of our blood, Like our beloveds, we shall adorn The night-bitten cities and valleys. The dark night will vanish forever. Indeed, the whole world is ours. We are all human. We are all human. The sun will rise from our blood, the prophet of glory will appear, The night will pass into dawn -- There will be happiness everywhere. Indeed, the whole world is ours We are all human. We are all human. *By the New World, the poet means the continents of Americas and Australia.
Akbar Barakzai (1939-2022) was born in Shikarpur, Sindh. He is ranked amongst the proponents of modern Balochi literature. His poetry reflects the objective realities of life. Love for motherland, peace and prosperity and dignity of a man are the recurrent themes of his poetry. His love for human dignity transcends all geographical and cultural frontiers. Barakzai is not a prolific poet. In a literary career which spans over half a century, Barakzai has managed to bring out just two anthologies of his poems, but his poetry has depth and reaches out to human hearts with its profundity. Last year, Barakzai rejected the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) award, quoting the oppressive policies meted out to his region by the government as the reason.
Fazal Baloch is a Balochi writer and translator. He has translated many Balochi poems and short stories into English. His translations have been featured in Pakistani Literature published by Pakistan Academy of Letters and in the form of books and anthologies. Fazal Baloch has the translation rights to Barakzai’s works and is in the process of bringing them out as a book.
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