Translated from Balochi by Fazal Baloch
(1)
If you were a lamp,
I would not become the night—
Nor a moth,
Nor a window,
Nor an eye.
If you were a lamp,
I too would be a lamp.
(2)
Whether you dwell afar or near,
To me, you are everywhere.
Be it dawn or dusk,
You bloom—verdant, evergreen.
With famished lamps,
I wander, seeking you.
I crumble, collapse.
With my tired soul,
I sow and grow whispers.
You are my pasture.
Munir Momin is a contemporary Balochi poet widely cherished for his sublime art of poetry. Meticulously crafted images, linguistic finesse and profound aesthetic sense have earned him a distinguished place in Balochi literature. His poetry speaks through images, more than words. Momin’s poetry flows far beyond the reach of any ideology or socio-political movement. Nevertheless, he is not ignorant of the stark realities of life. The immenseness of his imagination and his mastery over the language rescues his poetry from becoming the part of any mundane narrative. So far Munir has published seven collections of his poetry and an anthology of short stories. His poetry has been translated into Urdu, English and Persian. He also edits a literary journal called Gidár. This poem originally titled as Pajjar (Identity) is taken from Munir Momin’s poetry collection Yak Bechelley Aazman (A Span Long Sky) published by Gidar Publications in 2014.
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 Munir Momin’s works.
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