Azeezo is ko na ghadiyal ki sada samjho
19th Century Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq UrduMy dears, don't think that sound the clock's cold chime; Know it to be the footstep of your time.
What all the world proclaims as right and true, Believe it is God's drumbeat calling you.
The wild's a clinic where the mad can mend; Its very dust is medicine, my friend.
A man of letters who can't understand Is like the blind without a staff in hand.
Why read old books? A pure heart is your space, More sacred than a fabled "Garden's Grace."
If she should laugh to see my weeping state, Her lashes build a wall of scornful weight.
For life's true prayer is the breath you take; To miss that prayer is your last mistake.
A million souls lie turning into clay, And for this single recognition pray.
We send a blessing from a grateful heart To praise the blade that tears our soul apart.
He spilled my blood within his narrow street; Know this as payment, final and complete.
What can I say to one as wise as you? God only knows what you will find is true.
Like any mirror, what's a name to you? The face before you is the one that's true.
What sweet a fate, if when you practice harm, You see my dust-heap and then raise your arm.
A sallow cheek is worth far more than gold, A purer substance for the wise to hold; So Zauq, your love's an alchemy, all told.