mainu nahin si patta k
o faatak jiday whichon
aakhari waari nikal k
main is duniya which chalaan ga
eh o hi faasla howay ga
jo meray wade bhra nay
teh keeta si
o meray kolon kujh lamba si
jawaani wich bhar riya si
par kaafi samajhdaar si
28 saal di umr tay
badiaan kujh gallaan kar chukka si
saaray papad wail chukka si
saary glass jo o fir kadi vi na dhossi
thunday tooti day paani
haithan dho chukka si.
hun eh ik cheese hai
jisda toon intzaar karda piya hain -
eh o mainu kiya karda si
tay main kehnda saan - kehri, kehri?
tay o kehnda si - dekh.
tay mera paneer tay raaii da sandwich
huth wich uttay lai jaanda si
main kehnada saan -
kay piya karda hain? kay piya karda hain?
tay fir o jiwain kujh
dhoond riya howay,
kehnda si -
dekh, eh dekh.
-tr. Ravi Kopra
The Gate
I had no idea that the gate I would step through
to finally enter this world
would be the space my brother’s body made. He was
a little taller than me: a young man
but grown, himself by then,
done at twenty-eight, having folded every sheet,
rinsed every glass he would ever rinse under the cold
and running water.
This is what you have been waiting for, he used to say to me.
And I’d say, What?
And he’d say, This - holding up my cheese and mustard
sandwich.
And I’d say, What?
And he’d say, This, sort of looking around.
- Marie Howe