On Knowledge

Poem by REHMAN BABA

عالمان دي روښنايي ددې دنيا
عالمان دي د تمام جهان پېشوا

Lights in the world are those, who know,
Guides of mankind are those, who know

که څوک لار غواړي و خداى ته و رسول ته
عالمان دي ددې لارې رهنما

When looking for the road to God
And prophet, ask from those, who know

کيمياگر که د کيميا په طلب گرځي
همدمي د عالمانو ده کيميا

The alchemist in his research
Finds sympathy with those, who know

په مجلس  د عالمانو به سرۀ زر شي
که څوک کاڼى وي که لُوټه د صحرا

A desert stone will turn to gold
In company with those, who know

جاهلان دي په مثال د مرده گانو
عالمان دي په مثال د مسيحا

An ignorant is like a corpse,
Like Jesus Christ are those, who know

چې مرده يې له نفسه ژوندي کېږي
عالمان دي واړه هسې اوليا

For by His breath the dead arose,
The saintly breath of those, who know

هر سړى چې رتبه نۀ لري د علم
سړى نۀ دى خالي نقش دى گويا

Those are not humans, only shells,
The empty ones, who do not know

زه رحمان حلقه بگوش د هر عالم يم
که اعلٰى دى که اوسط دى که ادنىٰ

No matter to which low degree,
REHMAN will serve the ones, who know

(Translated by Jens Enevoldsen. The Nightingale of Peshawar: Selection from Rehman Baba. Published by InterLit Foundation, Peshawar)

Agony of love

Poem by Rehman Baba

ته چې ماته وايې چې په څه کوې ژړا
نه درمعلومېږي دغه خپل جور و جفا
ته جور و جفا کړې زه ژړا کوم دلبره
ستا که دغه نه وى دا به هم نه وى زما

You ask, my love, about my tears
But don’t you recognize the fears
That agonize my heart?
Were not your infidelity
Torturing me so cruelly
My sorrows would depart

څه ښادي به کاندي طايفه د عاشقانو
رسم د بتانو که همدا وي لکه ستا
دا خصلت چې ستا دى که هم تل په دغه شان وي
نه رامعلومېږي د دردمند د زړه دوا

How can your lovers joyful be
If practicing idolatry
Is just like loving you?
If this your real nature is
What wounded heart can find release?
What medicine will do?

يو دا ستا ماڼى شو بل غرور د رقيبانو
وار په وار مې وژني کله هغه کله دا
هر چې عاشقي کا که په قطع افلاطون وي
زه خو يې مجنون ګڼم که نن وي که سبا

I sense, that you have turned aside
I suffer from my rivals’ pride
I’m killed in either way,
If one makes love to Plato’s tune
To me he’ll always be Manjun
Tomorrow as today

سپى هم په عذاب د جدايۍ د وژلو نه دى
زه خو ګوندې ستا د کوڅې سپى شوم په وېنا
هيڅ يې پکار نه دي رحمان تا غواړي دلبره
دا زما رضا ده باقي هر چې ستا رضا

No dog is subject to such pain
I’m like a watchdog in your lane
And yet I suffer still,
A dog wants naught, RAHMAN wants you
This single goal I must pursue
Whatever be your will

(Translated by Jens Enevoldsen, from the book The Nightingale of Peshawar: Selected Poems of Rehman Baba)

Love in a garden

Poem by Khoshal Khan Khattak

دواړه شونډې کړه په بيار ته
در ريزي وکړه خپل يار ته
زه چې ستا و مخ ته گورم
زړه مې نه کېږي گلزار ته
گل له شرمه خولې پرېږدي
چې نظر کا ستا رخسار ته
که مې وار درباندې جوړ شي
منتظر يم و خپل وار ته
گله دا درباندې ښايي
چې ځير ځير گورې و خار ته
آئينې وته نظر کړه
که دې مينه شي بهار ته
زار و چاته کړې خوشحاله
چې دې نه گوري څوک زار ته

When her petall’d lips are parting,
Whitest pearls do lose their luster;
When her glance to me is darting.
Fades the fairest flower cluster,
Roses shamed, forget to blossom
Brighter radiance to discover
In the budding of a bosom
Flaunting as to bee the clover,
She the rose, her grace bestowing
On the thorn, that waits her pleasure,
I the fountain, faintly glowing,
Mirror of a garden’s treasure,
Lover, loved, together knowing
Rapture passing dream or measure

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‘All authority is subject to my Lord’

عقيده
Credo

Poem by Rehman Baba
Translated by Jens Enevoldsen

گوره هسې کردگار دى رب زما
چې صاحب د کل اختيار دى رب زما

What a marvelous creator is my Lord:
All authority is subject to my Lord

همگي بزرگواران چې څوک يې وايي
تر همه ؤ بزرگوار دى رب زما

All the holy ones of old you may recall,
Unsurpassed in excellence is still my Lord

نه يې هيڅ حاجت په چا باندې موقوف دى
نه د هيچا منت بار دى رب زما

Nothing does He need or want from anyone,
Seeking favours none should reckon with my Lord

له نيستۍ يې د هستۍ صورت پېدا کړو
هسې رنگ پروردگار دى رب زما

Out of nothing He created everything,
He sustains and nourishes it all, my Lord

هم صانع دى د جمله ؤ مصنوعاتو
هم سامع د هر گفتار دى رب زما

Like an artist He perfectly formed all things,
Yet he harks to all the man would speak, My Lord

چې يې هيچرې نه مثل نه مثال شته
د هغو عطرو عطار دى رب زما

Of the unimagined in this time and space
Very essence, very fragrance is my Lord

هر تعمير چې د دنيا او د عقبا دى
د همه واړو معمار دى رب زما

Of all structures in this world and in the next
Peerless architect and builder is my Lord

خواننده د نانويسو صحيفو دى
داننده د هر اسرار دى رب زما

All the pages not yet written, He has read,
Perfect knowledge of all secrets has my Lord

که ظاهر دى که باطن دى که مابين دى
له همه ؤ خبردار دى رب زما

Be it hidden, manifest or half obscured,
Cognizant of any matter is my Lord

شريک نه لري په خپلې بادشاهۍ کې
بې شريکه شهريار دى رب زما

No one is a partner in His government,
As an absolute dictator reigns my Lord

هسې نه چې واحدي يې ده له عجزه
په واحد وجود بسيار دى رب زما

List his oneness be considered poverty:
In His unity abundant is my Lord

حاجت نه لري د بل چا و يارۍ ته
له هغو سره چې يار دى رب زما

Fellowship with anyone they do not need,
Who have found a lasting friendship with my Lord

څه حاجت دى چې يې بل و خوا ته غواړم
په خپل کور کې همکنار دى رب زما

Why should I go anywhere in search of Him?
Right beside me in my cottage is my Lord

هيڅ تغير او تبديل نه لري رحمانه
تل تر تله برقرار دى رب زما

He is never liable to change, RAHMAN,
In eternity remains unchanged my Lord

(From the book The Nightingale of Peshawar: Selections form Rehman Baba
Translated by Jens Enevoldsen, Published by IntelrLit Foundation Peshawar, Pakistan 1993)