main waisay hi subah subah

*main waisay hi subah subah
jab phiikaa sa ghulaabi suraj
nikal raha thaa uth baithi.

main nay mur kar dekha
tum meri chchaati k saath
laggay uth rehay thay

meray dil main yeh aaya
k saansain bharta aadmi (chup, bolna nahin!)
khuda se bhi zyaada khoobsoorat hota hai.

-tr. Ravi Kopra *
from the English version given below:


Waking Intuitively

Waking Intuitively in the rosegray light of rising sun
I turned, saw you arise sleepwarm from my heart’s side.
And knew( plain Calvinistic conscience, hold your tongue!)
that man, here, breathing, is more beautiful than God.

  • Q. Lutatius Catulus ( c. 102 B.C.)
    translated by Janet Lembke from Latin