A Response Paper For The Book "A Thousand Splendid Suns".
ADVANCE \d4The Poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi
ADVANCE \d4KabulAh! How beautiful is Kabul encircled by her arid mountainsAnd Rose, of the trails of thorns she enviesHer gusts of powdered soil, slightly sting my eyesBut I love her, for knowing and loving are born of this same dustMy song exhalts her dazzling tulipsAnd at the beauty of her trees, I blushHow sparkling the water flows from Pul-I Bastaan!May Allah protect such beauty from the evil eye of man!Khizr chose the path to Kabul in order to reach ParadiseFor her mountains brought him close to the delights of heavenFrom the fort with sprawling walls, A Dragon of protectionEach stone is there more precious than the treasure of ShayaganEvery street of Kabul is enthralling to the eyeThrough the bazaars, caravans of Egypt passOne could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofsAnd the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her wallsHer laughter of mornings has the gaiety of flowersHer nights of darkness, the reflections of lustrous hairHer melodious nightingales, with passion sing their songsArdent tunes, as leaves enflamed, cascading from their throatsAnd I, I sing in the gardens of Jahanara, of SharbaraAnd even the trumpets of heaven envy their green pastures