Last Letter

KARTHIK VENKATESH TRANSLATES FAIZ AHMAD FAIZ

That day, my love isn’t very far away
When pain will end my life’s journeys
When my inner anguish transcend its limits
My desperate and unsuccessful glances tire
My sighs and tears lose their fire
And my hopeless youthful life be torn away from me

Perhaps you will then remember my love
Feel a tinge of sadness in your heart
Come to my grave to shed a tear or two
Bringing along a few stray blooms
Perhaps you will disown my memory altogether 
Laugh at my unrequited love
Be contemptuous of my charity

But my shattered heart will have no inkling of
Whether you choose to laugh at my love,
Shed tears, express regret for what has passed
Because it will be cold and dead. 
 Faiz Ahmad Faiz (Punjabi, Urdu: فیض احمد فیض ‎, born 13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) MBE, NI, Lenin Peace Prize was a Pakistani intellectual, revolutionary poet, and one of the most celebrated writers of the Urdu language. Faiz also wrote poetry in the Punjabi language. A notable member of the Progressive Writers’ Movement (PWM), Faiz was an avowed Marxist.

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Karthik Venkatesh Written by:

A few words about myself. I am originally from Bangalore, but circumstances took me to Punjab where I lived and worked for more than a decade. This resulted in a keen interest in things Punjabi – history, literature, culture and politics. I have written on aspects of Punjabi history and translated Punjabi poetry. I'm now back in Bangalore and work as an editor with a publishing firm.

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