This is the strange and painful tale of Allah Jilai
If you pay close attention, these are all miracles of love
Epitaph On The Tombstone Of Allah Jilai (1337 Hijri/1919 AD)
Through 100 pages of 'Poetry as Evidence', Outlook presents a selection of poems and verses that have moved us, and we feel these serve as evidence of our bleak times and lives. The poem below is the 73rd from the series.
A wall graffiti on LGBTQ symbolising the other genders in Kolkata in 2023
A wall graffiti on LGBTQ symbolising the other genders in Kolkata in 2023
As she arrived in Azimabad from Allahabad,
her singing and beauty became the talk of the town,
At the prime of her youth, pinnacle of charm,
her personality was discussed by the entire populace,
The way she often smiled with grace and pride,
the pomp and style that she carried with herself
Words fail me as I try to narrate her story
there were so many aspects to her persona
She had attained unparalleled success
in her profession,
So much was yet to be enjoyed
of her hard-earned wealth,
But alas! she brought such a disease
with her from Calcutta,
Her health was already on the wane
as she returned here,
It was the 11th day of the month of Rajab
that the day of reckoning arrived,
This fairy-face had seen only 24 years in her life
Was this any age to die?
or the time to enjoy oneself,
The blooming flower of this garden
dried off at its prime without seeing the world
and nothing was left except to mourn,
Oh Lord! not just sinners but even unbelievers
eventually trust in the power of your forgiveness
It is with a cold heart that I tell this tale
and pray to you
Please grant her a place in a corner of heaven.
—Translated from Urdu by Iqbal Abhimanyu
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1327 ??????
Anonymous, Bihar
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