The King of Music Is Gone

Kashmir is burning

The King of music is gone

Kashmir is burning.

 

Kashmir is burning

The music’s power is gone

Kashmir is burning.

 

Kashmir is burning

Its music is burning

It’s burning holes in my soul.

 

The Kashmiri Keol, Ghulam Nabi Sheikh

is gone in the bemoaning cry

It’s wailing snarls in my soul.

 

The Koel was the King of music,

The music of the raging fire

The fire of Kashmir’s freedom.

 

The Keol was peace and joy

The harmony of the raging fire

The fire of the Kashmiri freedom.

 

The Kashmiri Keol is gone

The King of music in the bemoaning cry

It’s wailing snarls in my soul.

 

The Koel was the teacher

The teacher of the babies

The babies, the flames of the fire.

 

The Koel was the father

The father of the children

The children, the flames of the fire.

 

The flames of the fire

Rolling  skyward

Unbraiding rhyme and rhythm.

(Huma Sheikh is the daughter of Ghulam Nabi Sheikh—the prominent Kashmiri Ghazal Singer. Huma is a journalist currently based in the US).

Click to read about Late Ghulam Nabi Sheikh. Photos: Huma Sheikh.