O Lord, I’m not Your man, and yet
I seek more moments of Your time.
The one You made to make me me,
I seek more moments of his time.
He’s used to single pairs of shoes.
Until one broke, no more were bought.
He made me polish them at night,
Besides the school pair I had got.
Oppression then, an honour now,
I seek more shoes of crusted grime.
The one You made to make me me,
I seek more moments of his time.
And after Daily News, he’d sing
With Nusrat on the radio.
If I complained, he’d simply laugh,
“Go! Get yourself some cotton. Go!”
Oppression then, an honour now,
I seek more tuneless ghazal rhymes.
The one You made to make me me,
I seek more moments of his time.
O Lord, I’m not Your man, and yet
I seek more moments of Your time.
The one You made to make me me,
I seek more moments of his time.
Translated from my Hindi Poem, ए मालिक
E Mālik
E Mālik terā bandā hūn nahīn main
par tere kuCH pal aur māngne āya hūn.
jise tune banāyā mujhe banāne ke liye
uske kuCH pal aur māngne āya hūn.
ādat thī unhein ek hī chappal kī.
TūTti nahīn to nayā nahīn lete the.
School ke jūton sang raat ko mujhe
chappal bhi polish karne kehte the.
tab zulm aur āj nasīb mānkar
ek do chappal aur māngne āya hūn.
jise tune banāyā mujhe banāne ke liye
uske kuCH pal aur māngne āya hūn.
news ke bād radio par roz
Nusrat sang sur lagāte the.
shikāyat kartā to has ke
wo rūī DHūnDHne bhagāte the.
tab zulm aur āj nasīb mānkar
besure wo Gazal aur māngne āyā hūn.
jise tune banāyā mujhe banāne ke liye
uske kuCH pal aur māngne āya hūn.
E Mālik terā bandā hūn nahīn main
par tere kuCH pal aur māngne āya hūn.
jise tune banāyā mujhe banāne ke liye
uske kuCH pal aur māngne āya hūn.
Minakhi Misra 