Dispensing Keys
by Hafiz aka Hafez
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

The imbecile
constructs cages
for everyone he knows,
while the sage
(who has to duck his head
whenever the moon glows)
keeps dispensing keys
all night long
to the beautiful, rowdy,
prison gang.

Keywords/Tags: Hafiz, Hafez, translation, imbecile, cages, sage, duck, head, moon, keys, night, prison, gang, prisoners, inmates, felons

Gitanjali 35
by Rabindranath Tagore
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been divided by narrow domestic walls;
Where words emerge from the depths of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not been lost amid the dreary desert sands of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Keywords/Tags: Tagore, translation, Hindi, mind, fear, head, held, high, knowledge, free, world, narrow, walls, words, depths, truth, perfection, reason, habit, thought, action, heaven, Father, awake, mrburdu

This Dog
by Rabindranath Tagore
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Each morning this dog,
who has become quite attached to me,
sits silently at my feet
until, gently caressing his head,
I acknowledge his company.

This simple recognition gives my companion such joy
he shudders with sheer delight.

Among all languageless creatures
he alone has seen through man entire—
has seen beyond what is good or bad in him
to such a depth he can lay down his life
for the sake of love alone.

Now it is he who shows me the way
through this unfathomable world throbbing with life.

When I see his deep devotion,
his offer of his whole being,
I fail to comprehend ...

How, through sheer instinct,
has he discovered whatever it is that he knows?

With his anxious piteous looks
he cannot communicate his understanding
and yet somehow has succeeded in conveying to me
out of the entire creation
the true loveworthiness of man.

“This Dog” appeared in the poetry collection Arogya by Rabindranath Tagore. Keywords: Tagore, translation, dog, feet, head, caress, caressing, joy, delight, devotion, friendship, companion, companionship, whole, being, entire, instinct, loveworthiness, mrburdu

ooh! the faith was stood
against every worst

God has its word
all technology had given up

all apparatuses became as a decorate
the media has no word

the arts had been from an ancient
football becomes an old fashion

sports lost their luster
the world has one order


their play became boring
and it is gone so farthest

it may not be returned
the only art is the *******

the white becomes a new color
the faith will grow so fast

the films will tell a word
the art will draw a portrait

tell the oldest and hated word
that they want to hide it

they tried to **** believe
believe leads to live
with happy and give
the others the funny

God is not presented
but the fact has appeared

untie your feeling
and ask your God from deepest

worship and be honest
all **** sites became the preachers

the naked at the end gets clothes
they all talked one word
save us our God

there was injustice
governed the land
he believes that he was the god

he believed that he deserved
to govern all world
when a prophet appeared

he argued him a lot
the prophet told that his God
could get the life and the death

the king said," I could do
more than your God could do
I could judge that to be killed

so I got him dead
and the other to be lived
and so I get him safe from the death

the prophet told him with shortage,"
my God gets the sun from the east
could you get it from the west"

the king got in troubles
the problems and worst riddles were faced
their mouthes were widely opened

the only and only the matter to be solved
is killing that awful
as he damaged the others Gods

and put the ax at the shoulder of the biggest
they came and asked
, "who could argue to destroy our gods"

one of them answered, ' he is that youth
who refused to worship them
he must be punished"

when they asked
he answered so clearest,
brightness as the sun of August

the big god's statue did
they looked with amazement
they said in one word,"
that he could not do that

he could not be jealous
the facts he could not do that"
he attacked them as a fighter

carrying strong armies
," how do you worship them
as they had no harmful or useful

how do you worship who you make"
they got astonished
times and times

the king got angry
as if he could overlap their gods
he would destroy his godhead so nearly

they made a great hole
gathering every wood from all parts
putting it and burned

the tongues of fire were so hight
so the birds were flying over it
could fell into it

from the heat of it
he would be thrown at the first moment

they made a great catapult
they put him at it
and threw at the heart

of the fire which worshipped its God
and believed in its godhead
it waited for the orders

the great angel came
his face filled with fear
fearing of fire to burn the only truth

walking over that land
,'' do you need any help"
the angel asked

the prophet answered,"
from you, that is no demand
and I thank you from my heart

from my God, he knows what I face
and he will save any hurts"
the fire was ordered,"

to be safe on that closest
prophet
the people waited a lot

the prophet got saved
the fire burned its ties
he was saved as well as his clothes

the only truth is the God
say it at times
save us, us

dear highness
dear truth
my God

A blinking cursor,
Is waterboarding to a poet.
Lines underlined in red,
Blooded rivers,
Among our heads.
Blank paper.
Lined and-
College ruled.
72 sheets,
And still,
blank.
Still,
Blinking.
Still,
Nothing.