The Scarlet Streams by Asif Sultan Matta
The Scarlet Streams Asif Sultan Matta Thou ask me about the autumnal beauty And the full charm of the Chinar tree? Let me thank thee for reminding The inert beauty of my hapless valley, Let thou trust me that we-- We’ve forgotten this abode of glee. Can there be anything to please A fearful heart with anxieties? Can a dying man rejoice The delicious food of his choice? Can a betrayed lover savour The night’s silence and day’s glitter? Can a motherless child enjoy The catchy playthings and lifeless toys? Can a heart broken be marvelled By the yellow falling leaves of maple! My comrade, our sun rises and burns The blooming flowers and green ferns; The Chinar leaves scornfully sing The litany of mockery at our bleak spring! The woeful mothers Who rehearsed madrigals, To sing in their sons’ nuptials Are crooning now the elegies On their sons’ funeral! Thou art inquiring of Kashmir, my dear! ‘Tis swamped with the tempest of fear And takes away the beaut