Some more translations - my own actually

Have been working on a project to translate sufi poetry into English.

There is always a problem in translations. The pathos is lost and it is difficult to replicate the inherint feeling. I have chosen free verse style in order to capture the essence rather than the existing 'desi' trend of translating by metre and specific rythmic arrangement(s). In English, atleast the modern poetry that I have read has long eliminated the need for rythm and the emphasis is on expression of feeling.

Reference to 'love' in the original poems is a reference to divine love but anyone wanting to look at it from 'personal love' or 'ishq-e-majazee', can appreciate the beauty, that is if the translation is not crap. A translator is usually quite paranoid for having done injustice to the original piece of work by misinterpreting the message.

verse 1
the bravest cannot brave the fires raged by love
then how can feeble hearted endure
as they writhe in pain and
hide in solemn prayer
nights consumed in remembrance of love and
silent tears in solitude
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


verse 2
a few precious moments with you
is the yearning of this heart
to cast away my sins

come to me, love, with all your splendor
lest the night is spent yet again
in a relentless deluge of pain
of this aching heart


More to come after I cleanup the daily dose of crap piling up on my desk and my inbox.