My Favorite Anecdote From Urdu
This is my best story in
my mother tongue urdu
which I translated and
tried my best to turn it
into a poem in english
Luqman who was a
merchant wiseman and
his son
bought themselves a
fine donkey once.
The two then set off
together
walking besides it,
holding its tether.
Then they came upon a
group of gossipers
Roadside chatterboxes
they were
And how they began to
talk and mock
staring at the two from
the sidewalk.
They jeered saying how
silly the two were
to own a donkey and
not ride it
and walk foolishly beside
it!
Hearing that, Luqman
quickly seated his teen
son upon the dönkey's
back
They set off thus,
Luqman walking besides
the donkey, his son
riding it.
Then they came upon
another group of people
squatting on the roadside
Watching the trio, the
onlookers instantly
began passing comments
so snide.
They rebuked the son
for having no respect
and consideration
for his aged father, for
letting him walk while he
rode himself, like a spoilt
generation'.
Hearing that the son got
down the donkey and
asked his father to ride
and be seated.
Luqman then got on the
donkey and began riding
before the argument got
heated.
Thus they set off once
more
the son trailing on foot
behind his riding father.
But soon they came
upon another group of
bystanders
who immediately
stopped minding their
own businesses
like some nosy witnesses
and began passing
comments
They said how very cruel
and unkind
was the father to let his
lil' son trudge behind
while he himself rode on
a donkey fine! '
So once again to stop
their pooh poohing
Luqman the asked his son
to get on the donkey
with him as well.
So now they both were
seated on the donkey's
back
and they continued their
journey that way.
But they had hardly
gone a mile or two
when they came upon
another set of idle
ramblers who would
boo.
Immediately they started
eyeing the trio quite
critically,
exclaiming that the two
were behaving quite
brutally!
That with the poor
animal riding with both
of their weights upon it
was too a heavy a load
for it!
Luqman's son's eyes
then popped out to hear
that
and he looked at his
father, mouth agape.
His father shot him a
wry look and sigh grin
'Everyone's pleasure son
you can't win'.
You just cannot please
each and everybody
So you better heed
nobody
but God for He is only
one
and He changes not for
moon or sun
The one God is far easier
to please
Fellow humans are too
many to appease!
Copyright © S.Zaynab Kamoonpuri | Year Posted 2013
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment