On the Dal lake
Can I confine the limitless with limits,
Does at all mercury offer its lap,
For a while of restful lull,
To easy loving pleasure-hunters,
For their luxurious enjoyment,
In houseboats and shikaras.
Does the fire of vanity and valour
Contain the fatigue of cowardice.
~ select lines from ‘The River’ by Abdul Ahad Azad.
Translation from biography of the poet by G.N. Gauhar for ‘Makers of Indian Literature’ series.
