On Jhelum River : a Kashmir Love Song

Swiftly the light shikara
From sunny Bijbehara
With sweet fruit freighted
To the silent city glides;
Through maze of lotus
The lacquered paddle glides
Swiftly the light shikara
From sunny Bijbehara,
Ah, Jhelum River.

Cutting the cool green rushes,
Robbing the wild rose bushes,
Beating the branches of the weighted walnut trees;
Clipping the silver willows that ramble in the breeze,
Cutting the cool green rushes,
Robbing the wild rose bushes,
Ah, Jhelum River.

But hark! ’tis the hum of the city!
Ah! would I might linger yet,
A journey, alas, lies before me,
Dear love, thou wilt not forget?

Earrings set with rubies rare,
Anklets, bangles of fine gold,
Silken robes today I wear,
Who has sent the gems where-with
For the bridal I am decked?
’Tis Ramzan the silversmith!

Little mirror on my ring,
Tell me am I beautiful
As the hired minstrels sing
Tell me am I beautiful?
If my father’s heart be glad,
If my mother weep for joy,
Surely I may not be sad!

Will the red sun never set?
Will the daylight never die?
I am mad with a wild regret,
There is blood in the angry sky.
  Mine errand is dark as the night!
  Oh bridegroom I bear thee a gift;
  Mine arm is strong and my steel is bright,
  And my dagger is sure and swift.

Thou hast purchased thee a maid;
But the maid shall ne’er be wife
Till her lover in full be paid
With thy life, poor fool, with thy life.
  Mine errand, etc.

My sad eyes gaze o’er the river,
They are dim and wet with tears;
Lonely and dark as the river –
The long, long years.
Soubahna!

My jasmine chains are faded
And their fragrance pass’d away.
Does thy love, like a flower, Soubahna,
But last a day?
Soubahna!

But, hush! a boat on the waters,
And a voice that softly sings,
A boat like a bird o’er the waters,
For love hath wings,
Row hither, Soubahna!
’Neath my casement the river flows;
I send thee a message, Soubahna,
I fling thee a rose!

A crimson rose
From the lattice softly fell,
My love is at the lattice –
What has the rose to tell?
Ah! Only a rose may fall;
But to the happy lover
The rose tells all.

Within my rose
I sought and found a tear!
Like dew in the rose it lay,
And made love’s message clear.
Ah! Only a tear may fall;
But to the tender lover
The tear tells all.

Kingfisher Blue!
Bird of the sunlight, who
Over the silent stream at will dost wander,
On joyous wing we fly
My love and I,
To share thy freedom yonder.

Bulbul, whose note
O’er lily fields doth float,
Rapture untold to list’ning lovers bringing,
In well remember’d bow’rs,
Of sweet wild flow’rs,
We roam where thou art singing,
Bulbul of love,
Bird of the starlight.