POEM WITH RENDITION. A TRIBUTE TO MALALA YOUSUFZAI BY SHARIQ ALI
Dekh Zinda Hon Main is an Urdu poem by Shariq Ali, the founder of Valueversity
Still alive!
(Malala`s message to her assailant and his supporters)
My foe, my assailant, the Taliban
did you notice?
I am still alive!
and I am here to stay!
this time, history belongs to me
by the grace of God!
My foe, my assailant, the Taliban
your paradigm is a leper
who lives and decided to remain
in the darkness of caves
you hide your face
and hold your gun
and thrive on fear
and ambush pacifist and armless
is this courage?
Look at me now!
my paradigm is freshness of awakened morning
I belong to a lush green valley
my sibling is breeze
my friends, the valley girls
we sing along with waterfalls, with flowing river
the songs of awakening and freedom
We, the valley girls, have hearts and minds
no different from branches of trees
waiting for spring
and who can stop flowers to blossom?
Our eagerness to get education is our weapon
our weapon to be free!
It is also our song,
our santour for love and peace
a lantern for journey through dark night
our desire to be alive and free
It keeps us illuminated like a lamp
and the darkness has to fall
Look! I am still alive!
we are still alive!
And this time, I am not alone,
we are not alone
decency of humanity is with us
countless human souls, with us
to sing along, to fight along
to move along and win,
the final win of freedom!
Did you notice!
we, the men and women,
are side by side,
and are equal in this fight for our dignity,
we are born to struggle together through life
And this is the will of God!
And this is the will of time!
My foe, my assailant, the Taliban
did you notice?
because of your paradigm
you are hiding your face
And my face is open
I stand upright with dignity
Did you notice?
I am still alive!
We are still alive!
Shariq Ali
18/10/12