Nida Fazli translations

Nida Fazli translations of Urdu poems into English



Failures
by Nida Fazli
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

 
I was unable to relate
the state
of my heart to her,
while she failed to infer
the nuances
of my silences.



Apni Marzi se
by Nida Fazli Shayari
translated by Mandakini Bhattacherya and Michael R. Burch

This journey was not of my making;
As the winds blow, I’m blown along ...
Time and dust are my ancient companions;
Who knows where I’m bound or belong?

Original Urdu Poem:

Apni Marzi se kahan apne safar ke hum hain,
Rukh hawaaon ka jidhar ka hai udhar ke hum hain.
Waqt ke saath mitti ka safar sadiyon se,
Kisko maaloom kahan ke hain kidhar ke hum hain.



Every Day and in Every Direction

by Nida Fazli
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

 
Everywhere and in every direction we see innumerable people:
each man a victim of his own loneliness, reticence and silences.
From dawn to dusk men carry enormous burdens:
all preparing graves for their soon-to-be corpses.
Each day a man lives, the same day he dies.
Each new day requires the same old patience.
In every direction there are roads for him to roam,
but in every direction, men victimize men.
Every day a man dies many deaths only to resurrect from his ashes.
Each new day presents new challenges.
Life's destiny is not fixed, but a series of journeys:
thus, till his last breath, a man remains restless.


 

Couplets
by Nida Fazli
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

 
It was my fate to entangle and sink myself
because I am a boat and my ocean lies within.
―Nida Fazli, translation by Michael R. Burch

 
You were impossible to forget once you were gone:
hell, I remembered you most when I tried to forget you!
―Nida Fazli, translation by Michael R. Burch

 
Don't squander these pearls:
such baubles may ornament sleepless nights!
―Nida Fazli, translation by Michael R. Burch

 
The world is like a deck of cards on a gambling table:
some of us are bound to lose while others cash in.
―Nida Fazli, translation by Michael R. Burch

 
There is a proper protocol for everything in this world:
when visiting gardens never force butterflies to vacate their flowers!
―Nida Fazli, translation by Michael R. Burch

 
Since I lack the courage to commit suicide,
I have elected to bother people with my life a bit longer.
―Nida Fazli, translation by Michael R. Burch