POEM_: Ek Kashti Kaghaz ki / एक कश्ती काग़ज़ की / ایک کشتی کاغذ کی

Barsaat ke behte paani se ubal rahi

sadak kinaare ki naali mein chhodi gayee

ek ladke ki chhoti si kaghaz ki kashti ne

ek mod par achanak khud se kaha:

Main hoon

Aur voh ho gayee

Phir voh Suqraat kehlaayee

voh Isa voh Sarmad voh Meera

voh Jhansi ki Raani voh Gandhi

voh Teresa voh insaan ki

khudi kehlaayee

- owais

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

बरसात  के  बहते  पानी  से  उबल  रही  

सड़क  किनारे  की  नाली  में  छोड़ी  गई  

एक  लड़के  की  छोटी  सी  काग़ज़  की  कश्ती  ने  

एक  मोड़  पर  अचानक  ख़ुद  से  कहा:

मैं  हूँ

और  वह हो  गई  

फिर  वह  सुक़रात कहलाई  

वह  ईसा  वह सरमद  वह मीरा  

वह  झाँसी की रानी  वह गाँधी  

वह ट्रीसा वह इंसान की  

ख़ुदी कहलाई

- उवैस

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 برسات کے بہتے پانی سے ابل رہی 

سڈک کنارے کی نالی میں چھوڑی گیئ

ایک لڑکے کی چھوٹی سی کاغذ کی کشتی نے

ایک موڈ پر اچانک خود سے کہا:

میں ہوں

اور وہ ہو گیئ

اور پھر وہ سقراط کہلائ 

وہ عیسی وہ سرمد وہ میرا 

وہ جھانسی کی رانی وہ گاندھی 

وہ ٹریسا وہ انسان کی

خودی کہلائی  

- اویس

--

This was first published in the book, 'Sham-e-Raah'.

POEM_: Aakhri Qadam / आख़री क़दम / آخری قدم

Main

tumhare bina jee nahin sakta

Yeh bakwaas hai

tumhare bina

jeena nahin chahta, yeh sach

Aur yoon

main tum tak aane ke liye

ninnanve qadam chal sakta hoon

magar aakhri qadam

tumhen hi chalna hoga

- owais

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

मैं  

तुम्हारे बिना जी नहीं सकता

यह बकवास है

तुम्हारे बिना  

जीना नहीं चाहता, यह सच

और यूं  

मैं तुम तक आने के लिए  

निन्नानवे क़दम चल सकता हूँ  

मगर आख़री क़दम  

तुम्हें ही चलना होगा

- उवैस

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

میں

تمہارے بنا جی نہیں سکتا 

یہ بکواس ہے 

تمہارے بنا

جینا نہیں چاہتا، یہ سچ

اور یوں

میں تم تک آنے کے لئے

نننا نوے قدم چل سکتا ہوں 

مگر آخری قدم 

تمہیں ہی چلنا ہوگا

- اویس

--

This was first published in the book, 'Sham-e-Raah'.

POEM_: Khwaab / ख़्वाब / خواب

Har raat main ek khwaab dekhta hoon

Har subah mera khwaab mere bazoo ban kar

mujhe duur talak uda le jata hai

Har shaam mera khwaab kho jata hai

aur phir main thak kar so jata hoon

Kisi raat main khwaab nahin dekhoonga

aur subah mere baghair ho jaaegi

- owais

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

हर  रात  मैं  एक  ख़्वाब  देखता  हूँ

हर  सुबह  मेरा  ख़्वाब  मेरे  बाज़ू  बन  कर  

मुझे  दूर  तलक  उड़ा  ले  जाता  है

हर  शाम  मेरा  ख़्वाब  खो  जाता  है

और  फिर  मैं  थक  कर  सो  जाता  हूँ

किसी  रात  मैं  ख़्वाब  नहीं  देखूँगा

और  सुबह  मेरे  बग़ैर  हो  जाएगी

- उवैस

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ہر رات میں ایک خواب دیکھتا ہوں

ہر صبح میرا خواب میرے بازو بن کر 

مجھے دور تلک اڈا لے جاتا ہے 

ہر شام میرا خواب کھو جاتا ہے 

اور پھر میں تھک کر سو جاتا ہوں 

کسی رات میں خواب نہیں دیکھوں گا 

اور صبح میرے بغیر ہو جاےگی

- اویس

--

This was first published in the book, 'Sham-e-Raah'.

POEM_: Khamoshi- Ek Mukalma / ख़ामोशी - एक मुकाल्मा / خاموشی - ایک مکالمہ

“Main tumhen chhod kar jaa raha hoon”

…

…

…

…

“Tum mere hue hi kab the

Jo ab chhod kar ja sako

Tum kehna chahte ho-

Ke main tumhen chhod doon

…

…

“Thheek hai.”

- owais

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“मैं  तुम्हें  छोड़  कर  जा  रहा  हूँ”

…

…

…

…

“तुम मेरे हुए ही कब थे

जो अब छोड़ कर जा सको

तुम कहना चाहते हो-

कि मैं तुम्हें छोड़ दूं

…

…

“ठीक है.”

- उवैस

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"میں تمہیں چھوڈ کر جا رہا ہوں"

-

-

-

-

"تم میرے ہوئے ہی کب تھے

جو اب چھوڈ کر جا سکو

تم کہنا چاہتے ہو

کہ میں تمہیں چھوڈ دوں

-

-

"ٹھیک ہے"

- اویس

--

This was first published in the book, 'Sham-e-Raah'.

POEM_: Taaqat / ताक़त / طاقت

Taaqat

Sikandar saron pe chahta tha

Newton

zehnon par

Aur main

dilon pe chahta hoon

- owais

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ताक़त

सिकंदर  सरों  पे  चाहता  था

न्यूटन

ज़हनों  पर

और  मैं

दिलों  पे  चाहता  हूँ

- उवैस

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

طاقت

سکندر سروں پہ چاہتا تھا
.

نیوٹن

ذہنوں پر

.
اور میں

دلوں پہ چاہتا ہوں

.
- اویس

--

This was first published in the book 'Sham-e-Raah'.

POEM_: Dialogues with Mother: XI

Mother,

I often wonder

what I would do

when you are

no more.

Who will harass me

like you have

always done

and still do.

And who will caress me

like you have

always done

and still do. 

When I permit you.

Yet,

there are so many things

that I think

I may be able,

may want to do

when I do not have

to mommy-sit you.

And these things

have changed

over the years.

I no more want

to lose myself

in dissipate romances;

in drunken orgies.

Not because, now,

I value my life more;

but because I value it

and my wants

much lesser.

What matters,

if I did

or did not

get what I wanted:

just another

lost little butterfly

in the great, beautiful

garden of this Earth,

in the vast, limitless

expanse of the Universe.

Mother,

my desires

matter not. 

I, matter not. 

Even you, Mother,

matter not.

But what can I do

Mother. 

You,

still matter to me. 

And matter,

more than my desires.

So,

don’t go.

- owais

--

This is first being published here.

POEM_: Dialogues with Mother: X

I was never good enough
for you, Mother.

I was not good enough
when I got admission to a good school.
You wanted the best,
so you asked me to lie
that I did get admitted
to the best one,
but for practical reasons,
am going to the lesser.

You told me to tell all
that I chose
to go to a distant college
as it saved a year,
and offered a better course
though the fact was that
I did not get admitted
to the college, closer home.

When I took up a job
in a distant city,
you asked me to tell all
that it was only a training!

I am really grateful, Mother
for your pushing me
to reach ever higher. 
But if it was only for my sake,
why the shame?

Mother,
I am not your tool
to achieve your greatness.

It was my life, or was it yours?
Why did I have to fulfill your ambitions?
What of mine…?

You did well--
no indeed, great, from where you started.
Though that might not be as great
as you may have wanted it to be.
But remember, for me,
you are still
the greatest mother on Earth.
Warts and all.

I never asked
for a similar pride
but, why can you simply
not be ashamed of me?


- owais



--



This is first being published here.