In A Test Room – A Translation

I read this today and loved it!

The following is an excerpt from a poem written by Amjad Islam Amjad, one of the most famous Pakistani poet, playwright and screenwriter.

This in poem by him is in Urdu language and after reading it for the first time, I immediately decided to share its translation on my blog.

آج دل کے آنگن میں اک خیال آیا ہے

سیکڑوں سوالوں سا اک سوال لایا ہے

وقت کی عدالت میں

زندگی کی صورت میں

یہ جو تیرے ہاتھوں میں اک سوال نامہ ہے

کس نے یہ بنایا ہے

کس لئے بنایا ہے

کچھ سمجھ میں آیا ہے

زندگی کے پرچے کے

سب سوال لازم ہیں سب سوال مشکل ہیں

بے نگاہ آنکھوں سے دیکھتا ہوں پرچے کو

بے خیال ہاتھوں سے

ان بنے سے لفظوں پر انگلیاں گھماتا ہوں

کوئی دیکھتا ہے تو

دائرے بناتا ہوں

حاشیے لگاتا ہوں

یا سوال نامے کو دیکھتا ہی جاتا ہوں

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The translation below is done by Google Translate and for those who can read or speak Urdu, I know it is not an accurate one since the real essence of this poem lies in it original language.

But I couldn’t resist sharing this with you, so enjoy:

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A thought has come to my heart today

One question has been brought out of hundreds

In the court of time

In the form of life

This question paper in your hands

Who made it?

Why is it made?

Have you understood it

In the test of life

All questions are compulsory

All questions are difficult

I look at the paper with blind eyes

With careless hands

I roll my fingers over these words

If someone sees

I make circles

I add margins

Or I just look at the question paper

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