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BBC Pashto This material is subject to copyright A selection from modern Pashto poetry ېګلېب رعش رصاعم وتښپ د Selected and translated by Najib Manalai یلنم بیجن : باختنا وا هړابژ Restricted edition for the SAARC literature festival, Delhi, March 2010 © Najib Manalai, 2010 This selection This selection was made during 2002 to introduce Pashto poetry to a group of friends spread all over the world who were interested in Afghanistan. We communicated to Internet. I selected some of the poems I liked and proposed a first draft of translation. My other friends who knew English far better than I did, helped improving the translation. Poets selected here are among the shining stars of the modern Pashto poetry. Jahani, Karwan, Laeq, Malal, Pasarlay, Olfat and Sediqi belong to Afghanistan, Ajmal Khattak, Ghani, Gol, Sayel, Shahin and Taer are related to Pakistan. Shishir Shah (from Mumbai, India), Riaz Hakeem (from Swat, Pakistan, Eleanor …. From …) contributed the most to this work. I have never met these friends but friendship transcends the distance. Shishir Shah has now gone. Last time I received news from Eli, she was fighting against a terrible illness. I don’t know if she could read these lines. Let these poems be the heralds of friendship amongst men and women of good will from all countries, all climates, all faiths, all beliefs and all colors. N.M. 2010 باختنا اد ېک ټوګ ټوګ هپ ۍړن د ېچ هت وناتسود ونیځ ېک لاک ۲۰۰۲ هپ ام ڼاچروغ اد هل يفرعم د رعش وتښپ د هدولرد هقلع ېی هرس ناتسناغفا هل وا وو هراو هراوخ ېچ هنورعش هغه ام .لدولرد يکیړا هرس ېرل هل ټېنرټنا د ږوم .و یړک هراپ امز .لوک ېدناړو ېم هرس ېړابژ ۍړمول هل وا لوباختنا لدېښوخ رېډ امز حلصا هپ ېمجرت د یوغه ،وو يسلرب رېډ ام رت ېبژ يږېرګنا رپ ېچ وناتسود .هلوک هتسرم هرس ار ېک رعش رصاعم د وتښپ د يد يلغار ېک ڼاچروغ هغد هپ ېچ نارعاش هغه هل يقیدص وا تفلا یلرسپ ،للم ،قیل ،ناوراک ،يناهج .يد يروتس يکنودېلځ هل ریاط وا نیهاش ،لیاس ،لګ ،ينغ ،کټخ لمجا ،يد يلړت هرس ناتسناغفا .يرل هړا هرس ناتسکاپ ، ) رونایلا وا (ناتسکاپ ،تاوس) میکح ضایر ،(ناتسودنه ،یبمم) هاش ریشیش يد هن هسوا رت ناتسود هغد ام .يتسیخا هډنو هرېډ ولوټ رت ېک راک ېد هپ (اکیرما هراپ هل لت د هخڅ ږوم هل سوا هاش ریښیښ ،ينژېپ هن ېلصاف ایترګلم وخ يلدیل و سل هرس ځنر دب وی د ،یغار ربخ ېی هت ام ېچ لځ یتسورو ،مه یلا .یللت هنورعش هغد ېچ هد هلیه .هن هک وا يلولو هب ېښرک اد ېچ مږېهوپ هن ،هو ناوېرګ ،ېک داوېه ره هپ ،يش يزاتسا ۍتسود د څنمرت واناسنا وکنودولرد تین هښ د هب .يو ېچ ګنر ره هپ وا ېدیقع ېره د ،ېدنل میلقا ره رت ۱۳۸۹ .م.ن Ajmal Khattak کټخ لمجا (1925 – 2010) WISHES So many are the wishes in my heart How I pray your liquid eyes to fulfill them all Each drop of my tears is a piece of my heart filled with countless regrets Ask not my mouth, ask rather my eyes, red with tears Filled with a rainbow of prayerful longings Waiting for a single smiling glance from a certain person I have books full of wishes As provisions for this world and the next, O Khattak, I have burnt spots on my injured heart هنونامرا مرل هنونامرا ېک هړز هپ هرموڅ مرل هنوراک لوټ هت رظن اتس وی هړز د هد هرتک یکڅاڅ ره وکښوا د مرل هنوترسح هرامش ېب ېک هپ هتښوپ ېګرتس ېرس ېړاوغ هڅ ېم ېلوخ هل مرل هنولاوس نیګنر نیګنر ېک هپ همت هپ رظن يکسوم وی د اچ د مرل هنورتفد ېناګ انمت هکټخ ایند د وا نید د هښوت مرل هنوغاد يوس هړز يمخز هپ WHO IS When I go to see flowers in the garden I stand lonely in the crowd of flowers I feel the devastation of my loneliness Who comes to my mind, if not you? As flowers laugh in the beautiful dew and waves of breeze play in arms of the flowers my heart longs to possess them Who comes to my mind, if not you? When water rushes through the brooks of the garden and the reflections of the red flowers swirl and spin A storm rises in my imagination Who comes to my mind, if not you? When the moon above my head reaches the middle of the sky looking at me, it smiles and laughs my heart recalls but one beauty Who comes to my mind, if not you?