Paradise Locked; Hafez Shirazi

Paradise Locked

The stooges and the populace locked down

And thereafter the Shah had gained his crown.

Harud¹ hasn’t yet reached chinars² and still

They would not wait their leaves’ turning to brown.

The last shikara³, that which brought you here

Got struck by lightning in the Dal⁴, got drown!

To cheerings of a blinkered herd of sheep

Métamorphoses Shalimar the Clown.

Persian embroidery upon cashmere

How glorious glare this carpet gives when glown.

The auspices of this merital rape

Demand you wear your most elegant gown.

And thereafter the Shah had gained his crown

The stooges and the populace locked down.

 

Notes:

  1. Harud is Kashmiri word for the fall/autumn season
  2. Chinar is a beautiful tall tree found abundantly in Kashmir
  3. Shikara are beautifully designed houseboats, a major tourist attraction of Kashmir
  4. Dal is the name of a renowned beautiful lake in Srinagar.