That Is Sight

That Is Sight

[By Asghar Gondvi. Translated from the Urdu by Siyaah]

That is sight, which goes beyond this existence and the next
And yet falters when it falls on a radiant face [1]

How can sight not falter on that beauty- how can it not?
That turns at times to a blossom, and is at times a face [2]

I stride on- laughing, playing with the waves of tragedies
If there were ease, life would be difficult indeed... [3]


Translator's Notes
[1] Kaun-o-makaan: literally, this Persian expression refers to "all existence", but the implication is to include this existence and the next, based on earlier classical usage by the Persian sufi poet, Hafez;
Ru-e-taabaan: face that is radiant / emits heat or light. I interpret it as an expression of beauty that blinds one to all else.

[2]rukhsaar: face;
"(Nazar) us...par thahre" literally means "to stay put", but the meaning of the expression is lost in English. The implication is more closely captured by "to not falter".

[3]mauj-e-hawaadis: literally, waves of accidents/misfortunes/tragedies;
Dushwar: difficult to the point of being almost impossible.