Shall this lifelessness forever persist? By Jaun Elia

This poem, originally titled “Bay Dili Kya Yun Hi Din Guzar Jayenge” by Jaun Elia, evokes a deep sense of disillusionment with life and the inevitability of mortality. The translation, "Shall this lifelessness forever persist?" , reflects these themes, emphasizing existential despair and the brevity of existence. Translated by Mason Carter. Translation: "Shall this lifelessness forever persist?" Shall this lifelessness forever persist? These days slip by like shadows missed. Living on, merely a husk of breath— Shall we survive to only taste death? Dancing in the fading twilight’s gleam, Yet all will scatter like a broken dream. These spirits, forlorn, enslaved by dawn, Shall toil once more—by day withdrawn. How fair thou art, how my soul doth ache, That we, like dust, must death partake. A mercy, it seems, the secrets untold, For as we came, so death takes hold. Translated by: Mason Carter