Love Song: I And Thou By Alan Dugan In Hindi/Urdu Translation Poem by Ravi Kopra

koi bhi cheez lambi seedhi, brabar ya chokri nahn hoti
studs jhukay hotay hain, sheteeroN ka hilna unki jaat hai
koi bhi hissa kisi doosaray hissay theek juDta nahin
hamesha faasla, ghich-pich rehti hai aur
mekhaiN stah pe keeDoN-meekoDoN si naach karti hain.
Isahai ki kasam se main koi tarkhan nahin hoon
mainchaaat khud banaai, dewwarain aur farsh bhi
aur apnay aap is main latka reh gaya.

-to be continued


Love Song: I and Thou
BY ALAN DUGAN

Nothing is plumb, level, or square:
the studs are bowed, the joists
are shaky by nature, no piece fits
any other piece without a gap
or pinch, and bent nails
dance all over the surfacing
like maggots. By Christ
I am no carpenter. I built
the roof for myself, the walls
for myself, the floors
for myself, and got
hung up in it myself. I
danced with a purple thumb
at this house-warming, drunk
with my prime whiskey: rage.
Oh I spat rage's nails
into the frame-up of my work:
it held. It settled plumb,
level, solid, square and true
for that great moment. Then
it screamed and went on through,
skewing as wrong the other way.
God damned it. This is hell,
but I planned it. I sawed it,
I nailed it, and I
will live in it until it kills me.
I can nail my left palm
to the left-hand crosspiece but
I can't do everything myself.
I need a hand to nail the right,
a help, a love, a you, a wife.