Those who sang by the riverbanks - what happened to them?
Those who sailed their boats - what happened to them?
The sunrise that almost dawned, where is it stranded?
The caravans that were to come - what happened to them?
All night long I await their arrival.
The ones who lit the path - what happened to them?
Who are these people who surround me?
Those who preserved friendship - what happened to them?
Those eyes that pierced the heart - what happened to them?
Those lips that smiled - what happened to them?
The buildings have burnt to cinders.
Those who would rebuild them - what happened to them?
Misery questions the lonely house:
“Those who lit your lamps - what happened to them?”
You and I are but burdens on this earth.
Those who shouldered the earth’s burden - what happened to them?
Translated from Urdu by Debjani Chatterjee
