Woman – Kaifi Azmi

Woman

Rise, my love!You have to walk along with me

Sparks of rebellion are astir in the air, today
Both time and life have but one resolve, today
Knocks swirl around in delicate decanters, today
Love and beauty have one voice, today
In the fire I burn you too must burn with me

Rise my love! You have to walk along with me.

Life lies in battle, not in patience and restraint only
Life’s veins have blood, not trembling tears only
In what opens and flies lies fragrance, not in tresses only
There is a paradise too, beyond a male’s embrace only.
To its free rhythm you have to dance in ecstasy

Rise my love! You have to walk along with me.

In every corner a pyre smoulders for you
Death changes the garb of duty for you
Elegance is an invitation to destruction for you
The world is nothing but poison for you.
Change the season if you want to blossom too

Rise my love! You have to walk along with me.

History has not yet known to respect you

Not only tears, there are glowing embers within you
Not entertaining stories only, there is a reality to you
Not only your youth, your existence has value too.
You have to change the title of your history

Rise my love! You have to walk along with me.

Break the bond of custom, from the prison of tradition escape
Delight not in your weakness, from this imagined delicacy escape

From these self-conjured vows of greatness escape
It too is bondage, from love’s bondage escape.
Not only the thorn, the flower too emasculate

Rise my love! You have to walk along with me.

Break these doubts, the uncertainties about what is right, break
The vow that for you is a fetter, break
It is a yoke of emeralds, even this necklace break
Break the standards set by so-called wise men, break!
Becoming a storm, you have to walk along with me

Rise my love! You have to walk along with me.

You are Aristotle’s philosophy, you are the symbol of beauty
The sky is in your palm, foreheads at your feet
Yes, raise, raise quickly your forehead from the feet of destiny
I too will not tarry, nor will time wait for any.
How long will you falter, you must have stability

Rise my love! You have to walk along with me.

– Kaifi Azmi ( Selected Poems )
    14/1/1918 – 10/5/2002
Translated by Pavan K Varma

Image source : http://www.azmikaifi.com Rebel with a cause