Conflicts of Imagination

Har roz aik nazm likhne keliye baiThtaa hoon
har roz binaa likhay phir mein uThtaa hoon
kya karoon ke hazaaron mazmoon zehn nasheen hain
kya likhoon ke har aik khyaal mujhe dilnasheen hai?
Kabhi murgh-e-khird uRtay hain tassawuf ke aasmaanon mein
kabhi jee chaahata hai likhoN kuchh maikhaanoN mein
kabhi dil midhat-e-Sarwar-e-Kainaat [1] chaahita hai
kabhi zikr-e-ashraf-e-makhlooqat [2] aajaata hai!


kabhi sochtaa hoon ke sair karooN madinay ki galliyon ki
kabhi tafreeH karta hooN puraanay maashuq ki galliyon ki!

na aik jaggah khyaal Tehrtaa hai aur na qalam chalti hai
chand aik alfaaz likh kar, phir meri syaahee jaa rukti hai!

issi jidd-o-johad-e-dunyaa-o-deen mein paRa rehta hooN
kabhi paa-e-Shaikh, kabhi mast-e-mai paRa rehta hooN
kabhi jazbaat choo lete hain Zaat-e-Haq ki tammanaoN ko
aur kabhi maan leti hai nafs hawas ke iraadoN ko


kabhi hum-kalaam e Saadi aur Hafiz, Rumi o Jami
kabhi hum pyaala-e-rind o sharaabi, faasiq o jahannami!

kabhi soonGhtaa hooN behisht ki taaza mehak ko
kabhi tarasta hooN garam bistar ki lapak ko!
kabhi paakeezah phool khilte hain mere khyaaloN mein
kabhi mughelaaN aate hain inhee bayaabaanon mein
baaz awqaat ishq ki intehaa chahataa hooN
kabhi aashiqoN ki sirf sazaa chaahataa hooN
aakhir har roz nateeja nikalta hai yehi
aur nawaai-e-sarosh aata hai yehi:
kyon nahin tu qaaim rehta, ay Asif, aik hi raah par
kyoon larztaa rehta hai tu pul-Siraat [3] par!
Idhar noor hai udhar naar hai
Aur tu naa aar hai, na paar hai!

- x -

Each day to pen a poem I do sit
Each day having writ nought I arise
What shall I do for a thousand topics crowd my mind?
What shall I write for each thought is dear to my mind?
Sometimes the birds of my imagination fly in the skies of Sufism
Sometimes I do desire to write about the joys of the tavern
Sometimes my heart wishes to sing praises of The Prince of the Universe[1]
Sometimes I remember the ’noblest of all creatures’ [2].

Sometimes I think I should travel the streets of Madina
Sometimes I loiter in the alleys of past lovers.


My mind does not stick to one idea and nor does my pen write
Having writ a few words the ink in my quill dries up!

I am forever caught in this struggle between World and Faith
Sometimes at the feet of the Shaykh, sometimes drunk with wine!
Sometimes my feelings soar to touch the very Being of the Lord of Truth
And sometimes they concur with the basest desires of my lust

Sometimes I converse with Sadi and Hafiz, Rumi and Jami
Sometimes I drink with the drunkards, the sinners, the hellbound!

Sometimes I can taste the fresh fragrance of Paradise itself
Sometimes I crave for the joys to be had in a warm bed!
Sometimes pure flowers bloom in my imagination
Sometimes these very forests become inhabited by thorny bushes!
Sometimes I wish for the extremities of ardent love
Sometimes only for the punishment of the lovers!
Ultimately each day the end result is this:
And the call of the angels to me is this:
Why do you not stick, O Asif, to one path
Why do you wobble on the Sirat Bridge [3]?
One one side there is Paradise, the other, Hell
And you are neither here nor there!