Rustam, a man not much known in his life, lived in the remote village of Brep in the Yarkhun Valley of Chitral. He was born in the last half of the Nineteenth Century, and most probably lived in to the early decades of the Twentieth century. He is said to belong to lower social order, and such had no chance of access to education. Still his verses bear ideas and wordings of a very high quality, making him an outstanding figure among Khowar poets.
Professor Murad Ali Khan has rendered some of his lines into English
Translation Professor Murad Ali
The elements are showing no mercy on this poor soul, and icy winds are blowing from all directions.
And although, the ordeal has pushed endurance, beyond it's limits, still the obdurate heart forces physical endurance to hang on.
Similarly, our true, reciprocal love could not culminate in our union, as the goddess of love forcing us to keep apart.
You are no ordinary human being and, hence your abode is among distant stars and planets.
The earth can not be a place to abide for a matchless beauty as you are.
The heartless folk that you happen to belong to, are forcing you to party with the villain, just to show their authority, regardless of the helpless tears that trickle down your cheeks.
Noble hearts have always been praised by people, and those trustless, go down as ignoble.
True lovers, on the day of parting for ever, as is the fate of all true lovers, shed helpless tears.
Oh my dear beloved! You are synonymous to a flower bed, beautiful and fresh. You are one of the clan of Hoories, heavenly.
That I lost my heart at first glance to your charms. Your beautiful teeth are made of rare gems.
As token of charity from boundless riches of your charms, just raise your eyes and look lovingly towards me, and make me king of the entire world.
My beloved is like a glass of forbidden drink, placed by my side, made from the flowers of wild violets.
My heart is ever restless like the pans of scale, hanging in the balance, and shaken by slightest of whiffs.
When a tree grows too many branches, and weakens it fruit bearing qualities, then those branches are cut down for good.
I compare myself with that tree. They cut its branches, and in my case, curse me.
Had I been a guest at a grand palace, and you the proud owner of the palace, I, a non-existent ant.
Floods should utterly destroy the house and orchards of the ugly old hag who talks disapprovingly to my beloved, who is such a symitrical, tall form.
Your abode, o my dear beloved, among the galaxies, at which one can only look logingly, but can not reach them.
The world is full of the wicked and the prying, who can not be trusted as messengers, so I will venture myself to see you, even at my life’s peril.
O my beloved! How desperately I want to see you, can be compared with the longing of a fish that is out of water, and in sight of river.
I wish that my sweetheart graced my company with her presence and talked to me with sweet words, then that little-while would have been like a millennia of pure happiness for me.
RUSTAMO DANI Listen to Baba Fatahud Din
رستمو دنی
ای مشرقو وݰکیار ای مغربو وݰکیار اوݰک گان گویان
ہردی جہل کویان قالب تھان دویان
مہ اوچے تہ محبت نسی نو نِسیتائے نصیب جہل کوری موژتو کھانج بویان
تو میان ثریا، تو یونوس
تہ کیڑئے الونیان کیہ ناموس
تہ بلاور اشرو ڈیل دیاو موخو گونیان چھوئے انوس
وفادار رویانتے روئے ارزو کونیان
بے وفا رویانتے ہزار تھو کونیان
ایغو خوش دراک روئے جدائیو انوس
چارہ کوئی نو ݯوکی لئے اشرو کونیان
تو صفت گلزار، توحورانان موژار
تہ اویل پوشیکہ دلِ من پریشان، صد افسوس
تہ دون درِ مکنون لہ فیروز
تان رحمو نطرین ای خپ لو مہ وݰکی، ہفت اقلیمو سورا شہنشاہ مہ کورے بیک روز
دوست جانان چینیئا بنفشو شربت لکھی شیر مہ کونہ پیئک نِکی ریم
تہ گدیریو ہردی ترازوو میزان گان کوریکو ڑینگور تھیئک نِکی ریم
ملامتو کانو کمبوخ بو بونی
کمبوخ بو کہ ہونی، تیتان درینو بوئے
بخت پولیرو کمبخت متے رینو بوئے
تہ اسکیم سرایہ کہ مہمان بیسام
تو سلطان سرایو اوا مور
جلاد واو غش کورویان مہ ݱانگ تھینیو سوم
کوݯھو ہون گنی الار تہ رتھینیو سوم
تو میان ثریا تہ نامیئن نو بوئے
ملامتو دنیا گیتی تان نہ پشیم کوس ویݰیئن نو بوئے
ماہی خشک بے آب، سے دریاہوت کہ ہائے مہ مثال بیسیر
مہ جم روئے مہ نسہ ای دربت نیشی تان شیرین الفاظین ای کہ لو مہ سوم دوئے
پھت بسو مہ عمر ہزار سال بیسیر
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