Childhood
A Version after Iqbal
Earth & sky were new realms for me
My mother’s embrace the world
If anyone made me weep, I found
Comfort in rattling the door chain
O to gaze for hours at the moon
Journeying silently amidst clouds
Above mountains & deserts
Astonished at the blend of truth & lies
I trained my eyes to see, lips to move
My heart yearned
Translated from the original Urdu by Rafiq Kathwari whose collection ‘In Another Country’ is available here.