PREFACE
I would like to thank Afzal Shauq for allowing me the honor of being the translator of his poetry. For the past two years I have attempted to express his work with the sensitivity and care it deserves. I find his work insightful, passionate and honest. He is a man driven by his dreams. He seeks to find a perfection in life that can only live in dreams, but I respect his endless search for that perfection. When he speaks of his homeland and his people, one can feel the love and pain of this author. He knows the true meaning of devastation and loss. As witness to the suffering of his people, he speaks openly about it in his verse. One merely has to read his words to feel the pain. Though some of his images are quite graphic, it is my belief that it makes the reader more aware of the people’s plight. It is my hope the translations of his work will allow the world to share in the talent of this author.
As the reader finishes this work, may they appreciate how lucky they are in life. I hope they remember there are places in this world where people are suffering and dying. There are places in this world where people may not speak freely. There are people who are longing to find fulfillment; and willing to search the corners of the globe. There are people longing for love's perfection; yet, walking away empty. My greatest hope for the reader is they will open their eyes, and realize... We may be from different lands... We may speak different languages... We may have different religious beliefs... We may have cultural differences... But when you get to what is basic in all human beings, we are all the same. We all smile, laugh, cry, want. love, lose, hunger, thirst, bleed and die.
In closing, I would like to say Shauq never quit searching, dreaming or writing. The world is a better place with your words in it. Thank you for trusting me with your words, and I would like to leave you with this poem...
THE MUSE
In darkness she comes
Creeping in your dreams
softly she whispers
her face a blur...
The sun rises
she is gone...
You awake driven
uncertain why ...
You grab your pen
the words flow...
And from her visit
the world is blessed
You seek her out
The one who haunts you
Always she eludes ...
yet she servers you well.
She is your muse
The source of encouragement
Moving you forward
Keeping you searching.
