ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF DASHT-E-TANHAI
By Mara Ahmed (Nov 24, 2009, revised on April 21, 2019)
The desert of my solitude
In the desert of my solitude, my love, quiver
the shadows of your voice,
the mirage of your lips
In the desert of my solitude,
from the arid dust of our parting,
bloom the jasmine, the roses of your touch
From somewhere nearby
rises the warmth of your breath
it smolders in its own perfume – gently, languorously
Far away, on the horizon, glistens
drop by drop,
the dew of your beguiling glance
With such tenderness, my love,
your memory has placed its hand
on the contours of my heart
Even though this is the dawn of our farewell,
it feels like the sun has set on our separation
and the night of our union is at hand
…
DASHT-E-TANHAI – A DESERT SOUNDSCAPE
Translated from the Urdu and read by Mara Ahmed, sound design by Darien Lamen: