Arabic & Persian
Khushhal Khan Khattak
Khushhal Khan, chief of the Khattak tribe, was born in 1613 and succeeded his father in 1640 after the latter was wounded fighting the Yusufzis. He served the Mughal emperors Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, then fell under Aurangzeb's suspicion, was sent away as a prisoner, and afterwards led Afghan resistance to the Mughals, dying free in the mountains.
Raverty calls him alike a warrior and a poet. Unlike the Sufi poets in this volume he writes on whatever was on his mind: spring and love, wine, the faults of tribes and rulers, and the call to Afghan unity against the Mughals.
Poems (98)
- I: An Ode to Spring
- II: What wonderfully delicious wine is this
- III: Spring hath returned: the narcissus in the garden…
- IV: My beloved is offended: would there were any…
- V: Wherefore doth Aurangzeb his throne and crown adorn?
- VI: Thou wast saying, "Grieve not any more; for…
- VII: Again the minstrel's rebeck toucheth the heart profoundly
- VIII: When towards his father a son acteth perfidiously
- IX: Every sick person that is impatient with his…
- X: Through sorrow at the poor-spiritedness of the Afghans
- XI: If, for once only, she will show her…
- XII: O zephyr of the morn! draw near unto…
- XIII: Draw near, and behold him now, with a…
- XIV: These dark waving curls, they are thine, thou…
- XV: Wine's intoxication soon cometh, and as quickly disappeareth
- XVI: From out of the clear, azure flask
- XVII: Tho' the miser's house may contain the water…
- XVIII: Very many persons within my recollection
- XIX: Like unto the wind, every moment, life passeth…
- XX: The Almighty gave into my arms--and I am…
- XXI: Unto the old man, who sigheth after youthfulness…
- XXII: Her sweet face took from me all thoughts…
- XXIII: The skirt of fortune and prosperity cannot be…
- XXIV: It is the sweet spring time, and I…
- XXV: Although she quarreleth with me, by word of…
- XXVI: Upon those lips of her's is there not…
- XXVII: I am, indeed, a wine-bibber; then, wherefore, O…
- XXVIII: The world's affairs have all become turned upside…
- XXIX: What numbers of boats in this river's depths…
- XXX: Every moment that a person may be thus…
- XXXI: Neither doth any one here seek to avail…
- XXXII: There is lamentation everywhere, from the hand of…
- XXXIII: Whilom, indeed, I was always wise; and wise…
- XXXIV: Amongst the whole village, my beloved is that…
- XXXV: There will be none of the world's vanities…
- XXXVI: The Turanis are all turbulent, quarrelsome, and oppressive
- XXXVII: I am well acquainted with Aurangzeb's justice, and…
- XXXVIII: I am intoxicated with that countenance, which hath…
- XXXIX: A man is he, who is courageous, and…
- XL: In this parterre, a single leaf of thine…
- XLI: Should any one speak about intellect and ability…
- XLII: Notwithstanding thou art unto me a sovereign, and…
- XLIII: Gentle breeze of the morn! shouldst thou pass…
- XLIV: I never will carry my face unto the…
- XLV: I am intoxicated! I am a worshipper of…
- XLVI: I become quite astonished with the people of…
- XLVII: Separation turneth sweet existence bitter unto man
- XLVIII: The carnality of my heart is an Afridi…
- XLIX: How handsome soever thou art, thou art not…
- L: Were thine heart a little compassionate, how good…
- LI: Both fair and rosy, too, are the Adam…
- LII: Say not unto me--"Why swearest thou by me?"
- LIII: By the laughter of the happy and the…
- LIV: The Afghans have gone mad about posts and…
- LV: A white beard is a mark of respectability…
- LVI: When thou severest thyself from cupidity with regard…
- LVII: Altho' happiness was a delicious food; lo, 'tis…
- LVIII: The sword that is sharpened, without doubt, is…
- LIX: Every misfortune that befell me, throughout the whole…
- LX: Whoso acquireth wealth, spendeth it, and bestoweth it…
- LXI: The call of the mu'azzin is not to…
- LXII: Everywhere, throughout the world, I am become dishonoured…
- LXIII: Be content with thine own lot, and do…
- LXIV: Whether it is the wise man, or the…
- LXV: Let the mouth of the liar, forsooth, be…
- LXVI: Thy society is like unto the sea, and…
- LXVII: Upon the difficult path of love, there is…
- LXVIII: I was not, at first, aware, that thou…
- LXIX: 'Tis grief and sorrow--joy and gladness, that affect…
- LXX: Whoso like unto the dust, may not be…
- LXXI: When the tresses become dishevelled about her fair…
- LXXII: If the damsels of Kashmir are famed for…
- LXXIII: If the Afghan people are of the human…
- LXXIV: Vain is his affectation respecting the end of…
- LXXV: Like as I my dear one love, there…
- LXXVI: It is the navigator, that guideth the ship…
- LXXVII: Since those dark eyes of thine are such…
- LXXVIII: The vicious are vicious, while yet in the…
- LXXIX: However tortuously the snake moveth about
- LXXX: Certainly this man is, thro' polish and good…
- LXXXI: What is it, but a sound and healthy…
- LXXXII: Such an amount of misery is there in…
- LXXXIII: Either let it be a sovereign upon his…
- LXXXIV: Verily, the Afghans are deficient in sense and…
- LXXXV: I went and turned anchorite--such is my case…
- LXXXVI: O rose! who art the true cause of…
- LXXXVII: When of the circumstances of the wise are…
- LXXXVIII: Of them, who always placed upon their heads…
- LXXXIX: Of the preciousness of youth what doubt can…
- XC: That one's blood should be upon one's own…
- XCI: The faithlessness of the world hath become manifest…
- XCII: It is false that aught of evil or…
- XCIII: Wherever thou reclinest, that place a parterre of…
- XCIV: From the lustre of the internal, the exterior…
- XCV: Account him a good man, who, in heart…
- XCVI: All woman-kind are of intellect deficient
- XCVII: I am of those eyes of thine enamoured--look…
- XCVIII: The mercy of the Almighty be upon Akorraey…