In Water is from Kamil's fifth collection of peoms yim myane sokhan 2007 (These My Words). This English translation of the ghazal appeared in a recent international anthology of poems Language for a New Century -- Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond published by W. W. Norton & Company, New York. The collection includes four poets from Kashmir.

Despite Insight
Amin Kamil

An unknown doubt came in sight, despite all insight:
And we fell for the darkness in a morning clearly bright.

Look, shadows dissolve under the dense shade of trees;
It's like the mid-day scorching sun, in a late afternoon breeze.

A dusty storm at his back and a thick fog in the front
Makes Adam as uncertain as he is brilliant.

I too have studied the lessons of morals and ethics.
I too have erred with all that knowledge of its topics.

(more couplets to be added soon)

Translated from the Kashmiri by Muneebur Rahman

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