A tree said one day to the desert bird,
This grief-house of color and fragrance is founded on oppression.
If God had also given me wings and feathers,
This created world would be even more vibrant.
The desert bird gave it a good reply,
It's outrageous, you've mistaken justice for injustice!
In the world, the joy of flight is not the right of one,
Whose being is not free from the pull of the earth.
This Urdu poem presents a philosophical dialogue between a rooted tree and a free-flying desert bird. The tree laments its grounded existence, perceiving it as an 'oppression' that prevents it from experiencing the world more fully and desires wings. The bird, in response, offers a counter-perspective, suggesting that the tree misunderstands its own nature and the concept of freedom, arguing that true liberty, symbolized by flight, is not for those bound by earthly attachments. The dialogue reflects on themes of destiny, the acceptance of one's inherent limitations, and differing perspectives on what constitutes 'joy' and 'injustice' in existence, echoing common motifs in classical Urdu poetry that often explore self-realization and the human condition.
wonder & existence · the world's unfairness (shikwa) · wit & rebuke