What numbers of boats in this river’s depths have sunk and disappeared,
A single plank of which, even shouldst thou search, cannot be discovered!
Everywhere separation and absence have enkindled the flame of grief:
Like unto green wood thrown upon the fire, how long wilt thou weep?
Sorrow and joy-pain and pleasure-are, from the beginning, linked together;
And as much as one may have wept, so much even shall he rejoice again!
Many lofty minarets have I beheld, in their graceful symmetry standing;
But not a soul mentioned their names unto me, nor said unto whom they belonged.
The cares and troubles of the world are of a thousand varieties and forms;
And the summer skylarks trill and warble in a thousand different ways.
They are different, by far, from the cherished sentiments of my heart
The manifold rumours, that the folks bandy from one to the other.
This scroll is not the kind of thing, that it shall ever be brought to an end:
It is spread open, and examined into-it is read, and then rolled up again.
Thine own actions are of use to thee, both in this world and the next
Verily, the throat of every one is kept moist, by its own saliva.
The humblest fare, though barley-bread, unattended by care and trouble,
I will account more dainty than the viands, on the king’s table outspread.
The ears of the reckless and imprudent are deaf-they cannot hear
The blunt, plain-spoken words from Khushal Khattak’s mouth.
(Khoshal Khan Khattak)
More Poetry from Khoshal Khan Khattak:
Khoshal Khan Khattak Poems based on Topics: World, Sadness, Grief, Fire, Kings & Queens, Actions, Soul, Summer- I. (Khoshal Khan Khattak Poems)
- XXVI. (Khoshal Khan Khattak Poems)
- XXVII. (Khoshal Khan Khattak Poems)
- X. (Khoshal Khan Khattak Poems)
- XIII. (Khoshal Khan Khattak Poems)
- XLI. (Khoshal Khan Khattak Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: World Poems, Sadness Poems, Soul Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Fire Poems, Summer Poems, Grief Poems, Actions PoemsBased on Keywords: varieties, saliva, imprudent, bandy, khattak, barley-bread