Kal, A Poem By The Kashmiri-American Poet Fatimah Asghar In Hindi/Urdu Translation Poem by Ravi Kopra

Allah tum ne hamain aisi zubaan dee hai
jis main guzray din, aanay walay din
ka zirf ek hi naam hota hai. Kal

Jisay kehnay mmain sara moonh khul jaata hai
gallay se le kar daanton tak. kal ka matlab hai
kal vo hamesha k liyay meri ho jaey gi

Is ka matlab ye bhi hai
hamesha k liyay alwida vo ho jaey gi
Donon kal ka matlab ek hi hai.

Muje patta hai tum waqt ko moD saktay ho
main to sirf maang rahoon jo mera hai
meri maan ko muje wapis de do

Siraf is liyay hi k vo meri maan hai.
agar donon kal hai ek hi hain
to meri dharti main daba maan ka phool ko

Dharti se nikalo. kal main crib main thee
meri aankhain bheegi theen, muj ko vo dekh rahi thee
kal man bistray main thee

us se door farsh pe ghust-tee ja rehi thee
jab mera bapu kam e ghar lotaa tha
kal ka matlab hai vo meri shaadi

pe naach rehi hai jo ab tak hui nahin hi
vo meri pehli baar school jaanay k din
mere baalon main tail laga rehi hai

main sunti hoon uski ajeeb awaaz
jab vo rasoee se muje pukaarti hai
meri na-paida hui bachhi ko haathoN main liyay

us ka naam main kya rakhoon
kal vo meri madad karnay main
mun se lagi hui hai.

***

Kal
Fatimah Asghar

Allah, you gave us a language
where yesterday & tomorrow
are the same word. Kal.

A spell cast with the entire
mouth. Back of the throat
to teeth. Tomorrow means I might

have her forever. Yesterday means
I say goodbye, again.
Kal means they are the same.

I know you can bend time.
I am merely asking for what
is mine. Give me my mother for no

other reason than I deserve her.
If yesterday & tomorrow are the same
pluck the flower of my mother's body

from the soil. Kal means I'm in the crib,
eyelashes wet as she looks over me.
Kal means I'm on the bed,

crawling away from her, my father
back from work. Kal means she's
dancing at my wedding not-yet come.

Kal means she's oiling my hair
before the first day of school. Kal
means I wake to her strange voice

in the kitchen. Kal means
she's holding my unborn baby
in her arms, helping me pick a name.