Hayat Saif : Worked as a civil servant, retiring as chief of the Customs department. He has published several collections of poetry. At present he is Executive Editor of ICE Today magazine.

Make Me Cry

And god shall wipe away all

tears from their eyes; and there

shall be no more death, neither

sorrow, nor crying; neither shall

there be anymore pain; for the

former things are passed away.

THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE

If you can, ventriloquist,

make this blabbing city

cry.

Mingle

your tears

in the silence

of the terrible.

Burn this wilderness

of bricks and stone

with the fire

of unknown

bones.

Let the heart-rending

cry

of truth and beauty

ring aloud

Make this

sham city

tremble

cry.

– Translated by M. Harunur Rashid