Centre for Romanian Studies

Poetry in Translation (CCCLVII), Syed FAIZAN (b. 1987, INDIA): “The Riot”, “Răzmeriţa”

The Riot
Syed FAIZAN
(b. 1987, Mysore, India)

A perfect picture of domestic life-
A child immersed in play, innocent still,
Wisdom in the man, patience in the wife,
He is at work and she at chores; until,

Upon the horizon a crowd of men,
Appears with Crosses, Swords, Trishuls; aloud
Invoke a ‘Christ’, a ‘Ram’, an ‘Allah’, then
They kill, rape, rob and burn; until a cloud

Of human beings haunted the ev’ning skies,
Each holy soul now wrapped in heavy smoke,
Wingless, formless, in silence upward flies,

Just then innocence cried; the silence broke.
I know not to which faith belonged those cries,
I wonder still which God those cries invoke.

(From: ‘Indian Sonnets’ by Syed FAIZAN)

* * * * * *

Răzmeriţa
Syed FAIZAN
(n. 1987, Mysore, India)

O viaţă nu mai este-aşa sub soare:
Copilul lor se joacă în ogradă:
Bărbatu-i înţelept, nevasta-i răbdătoare…
El e pe câmp şi ea-i fără zăbavă.

Dar iată dintr-odat’ un pâlc străin
Agită cruci, pistoale şi-şi bat joc:
Iisus, Allah, sau Bud-auzi din plin…
Ucid şi pângăresc, iau pradă şi dau foc…

Făcând un nor de praf, plin de năduf,
De umbre de prea-sfinţi, în sihăstrie,
Fantome risipite în văzduh…

Atunci un plâns domol, fără de ştire,
Nu înţeleg cui îi înalţă ruga,
Sau căror zei le cere mântuire…

* * * * * * *

SHORT BIO: Syed FAIZAN was born in the city of Mysore in Karnataka, India in June,1987. After completing his schooling in Mysore he commenced his Medical education at the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) in 2005 and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S) degree in 2011. He intends to pursue specialized training in Psychiatry.
FAIZAN started writing poems when he was eleven years old, Nature being his first Muse. He has continued writing poems ever since and this cacoethes scribendi has over the years resulted in an oeuvre comprising hundreds of fugitive Sonnets and other poems. His poetic efforts have
been primarily directed at attempting a fusion of Western and Oriental, particularly Indian, ideas of Poetry and he has, to this end, experimented with Oriental forms like the Ghazal.
Apart from writing he loves philosophy, playing the violin, painting and travel
Syed FAIZAN ‘s works: “Indian Sonnets” (Publ. www.Smashwords.com)

Source: (from poemhunter.com)