Gay poet Iftikhar Nasim's Urdu verse on Homosexuality

Iftikhar Nasim, one of the most unique Urdu poets of our generation was born in Pakistan and is settled in America. He is the first openly gay poet of Urdu.

'Mere Baba' [My father] is an emotional verse about a gay man seeking answers for his alternative sexuality. The poem should be read in the context of Indian sub-continent where declaring one's homosexuality is risky as it is in direct conflict with the culture and community.

Read this unique Nazm:

मेरे बाबा

सब कहते हैं मेरी शक्ल आप से मिलती जुलती है
मेरी आँखें, मेरी पेशानी, मेरे होंट
मेरा लहजा, बातें करने का अंदाज़
उठने, बैठने, चलने फिरने का अंदाज़
मेरे होंटों की हरकत
सब कुछ आप ही जैसा है
मैंने सुना है बेटा
बाप की नस्ल का वारिस होता है
मेरे जेहन मैं एक सवाल उभरता है
में जो बिलकुल आप पर हूँ
तो फिर मेरी तरजीह-ए-जिन्स*
आपसे क्यूँ इस दर्जा अलग है?
[*sexual preference]

Now read the poem in Roman English script: 

Mere Baba

sab kahte haiN merii shakl aap se miltii jultii hai
merii aaNkheN, merii peshaanii, mere hoNT
meraa lahjaa, baateN karne kaa andaaz
uThne, baiThne, chalne phirne ka andaaz
mere hoNToN kii harkat
sab kuchh aap hii jaisaa hai
maiNne sunaa hai beTaa
baap kii nasl kaa vaaris hotaa hai
mere zehn meN ek savaal ubhartaa hai
maiN jo bilkul aap par huuN
to phir merii tarjiih-e-jins*
aapse kyuuN is darja alag hai?
[*sexual preference]

Iftikhar Naseem

English Translation
My father, everyone says my appearance resemble yours.
My eyes, my forehead, my lips, my accent, the way I talk,
sit around, the way I walk;
movement of my hands, everything is like yours only.
I have heard that the son is the heir of his father’s lineage.
A questions comes to my mind. If I am exactly like you
then why my sexual preference is so much different from yours?
[Courtesy: Mohib Ahmad Sahab]