The Scarecrow by Anwar Sahib Khan

Translated from Balochi by Fazal Baloch

Anwar Sahib Khan (1944–2018) was a notable poet, drama artist and film actor. His poetry explores a wide range of themes, from love and romance to social and political issues. He published two anthologies, Chaotaar (A Riot of Colours) and Sareechk (The Scarecrow). The translated poem is taken from his second anthology, Sareechk.

Like a scarecrow,
I stand—
Rooted in fields of green,
Until time strips away
The truth of my being:
A breath of nothingness.

I am the emblem of eternal stillness,
My outside,
My inside —
Two different tales. 

When the truth dawns,
The beasts — once fled
From the fear I’d fashioned —
Will return.
My walls will scatter
Like tufts of cotton
Cast to the wind.

Birds will nest in me,
Jubilant creatures will roam
Unafraid,
Dancing in my shadow.

And the tale of my stillness
Will drift through the air —
I’m a lifeless scarecrow standing here.

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 Anwar Sahib Khan’s works. 

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