Poetry by Manzur Bismil, translated from Balochi by Fazal Baloch
In my head,
Bustles a world
With the sun, the moon, and the earth.
In this vast realm,
A stream of light gives voice to my thoughts.
Yet, amidst this brilliance,
A quern has ground fire.
From that fire, pours forth the light.
In my head,
Exists a world
With the sun, the moon, and the earth.
I am an ant, a worm,
Snuggled in a hole,
Somewhere in the corner of that vastness.
My 'sovereign head',
Unaware of the world's flux,
Mute and silent,
Brings no tidings,
Indifferent to all,
Ignorant of the spectrum of life.
I'm an ant, yearning for light,
A worm, a firefly in the dark!
Manzur Bismil is a prominent Balochi poet. He emerged on the literary scene in the early 1990s and soon rose to fame, creating a niche for himself in the pantheon of the Balochi poets. He is widely known for his neo-classic style, especially in his verses. So far he has published eight anthologies of his poetry. This poem is taken from the second edition of “Hoshken Kaaneeg” published in 2017.
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 of of this poem from the poet.
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