I Always Get Late

Here's a poem by Munir Niazi, I translated from Urdu on 18th November, 2003, the day after someone's birthday. I don't know for sure, but I think that someone had some part in spurring this creative surge.

Anyway, what I really don't know about this poem is whether the translation does at least 50% justice to the actual poem. There's no one here at least in Peshawar who could help me find that out. I mean, no one who is an expert in both languages who could say, ok, this is a good translation or a bad translation. Khair, let's see. One of these days, I might get lucky too. (:

I Always Get Late (Belated)

I always get late in doing things
To say something, to keep a promise
To call him, to beckon him back
I always get late.
To help him, or to sympathize with my friend
To meet someone on ways unrevealed
I always get late.
To put my heart in the changing seasons
To remember someone, to forget someone
I always get late.
To save someone from some grief before death
To tell someone that the truth was something else
I always get late in doing everything.

Munir Niazi