A News Came
A Poem by Amir Khusro
Tonight there came a news that you, oh beloved, would come -
Be my head sacrificed to the road along which you will come riding!
All the gazelles of the desert have put their heads on their hands
In the hope that one day you will come to hunt them….
The attraction of love won’t leave you unmoved;
Should you not come to my funeral,
you’ll definitely come to my grave.
My soul has come on my lips (e.g. I am on the point of expiring):
Come so that I may remain alive -
After I am no longer — for what purpose will you come?
Short Analysis of the Poem
This poetry conveys a deep yearning for the coming of the beloved. The speaker uses exaggeration to show how desperate they are, saying they would sacrifice their head to follow their beloved’s path. They suggest that when the lover arrives, there will be a sense of purpose because they relate the anticipation to gazelles that are ready for a hunt.
Bio of Amir Khusro
During the Delhi Sultanate era, Amir Khusro (1253–1325) was a prominent poet who resided in India. He had a significant impact on the growth of…
