Seeing For A Moment By Denise Levertov In Hindi/Urdu Translation Poem by Ravi Kopra

main ne socha mere pankh
nikal rehay thay -
magar main kachay reshmi k kovay main tha

main ne socha ab aa gaya hai waqat
aag main cHlaang laganay ka -
lakin ye sab gehra paani tha

parloke sidhant ka shabad
main ne bachpan main seekha tha:
doosri duniya main jaanay ka vigyaan tha;

sheeshay main moonh main ne apna dekha -
jawaani ka naamo nishan na tha
khabar maut ki hamesha thee,
kuttay ka so kar uthna, chillana
bhonkna aur bhonka tha

fir bhi
main ne aik lehmaiN main dekha
dar asal ye batt nahin hai: ye hai
pehli baar har cheez ko dekhna.

lafz ke baad lafz
aanaey lagay sheeshay se
tairtay huey meri taraf.

***

Seeing for a Moment
BY DENISE LEVERTOV


I thought I was growing wings—
it was a cocoon.

I thought, now is the time to step
into the fire—
it was deep water.

Eschatology is a word I learned
as a child: the study of Last Things;

facing my mirror—no longer young,
the news—always of death,
the dogs—rising from sleep and clamoring
and howling, howling,

nevertheless
I see for a moment
that's not it: it is
the First Things.

Word after word
floats through the glass.
Towards me.