Since the beginning

By Mugu Ganesan ● 2025

Original Urdu

Ek baat keh ni thi aap se shuru se
Aap acche lagte hain mujhe shuru se!

Aap ki awaaz deti hai sukoon rooh ko
Jis ki justujuu thi mujhe shuru se!

Door se baith kar dekha karta tha aap ko
Har woh adaa yaad hai mujhe shuru se!

Kaii baar socha tha kareeb aane ka
Himmat ki talash thi mujhe shuru se!

Baar baar nahin aata is mehfil mein
Gar aap mile hote hum se shuru se!

Baat keh diya aap khamosh ho gaye
Bas ye hi toh darr tha mujhe shuru se!

English Translation

I’ve been keen to share a thought with you since the beginning –
I’ve been fond of you since the beginning!

Your voice brings blissful peace to my soul –
One that I’ve been on a quest for since the beginning!

For long, I admired you from afar –
I remember each of your graceful gestures since the beginning!

I yearned to come closer to you several times –
I’ve been seeking courage since the beginning!

I wouldn’t keep returning to your revered gathering
If you had met with me any time since the beginning!

When I revealed what’s in my heart, you went silent –
Isn’t this what I was afraid of since the beginning!

Mugu Ganesan is a poet based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who writes poetry in both English and Urdu. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Hindu, Burning House Press, Scarlet Leaf Review, Boston Literary Magazine, Last Leaves Magazine, High Shelf Press, and Cracked Walnut’s anthology Rewilding Hope. He has honed his craft by participating in several poetry workshops, such as those at the UCLA Extension, The Loft Literary Center, and Poetry School. Mugu’s poetry reflects his observations and life experiences across different cultures and continents, focusing on expressing the strife that comes with being human, delving into themes of identity, human connections and the universal quest for meaning.

Posted in: Poetry