دا وطن افغانستان دى

دا عزت د هر افغان دى

كور د سولې، كور د تورې

هر بچى يې قهرمان دى

Dā watan Afghānistān dai,

dā izat də har Afghān dai

Kor də sole, kor də ture,

har bačai ye qahramān da

This land is Afghanistan,

it is the pride of every Afghan,

abode of peace, abode of the sword,

each of its sons is brave

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I dream, and seek for it some answer from the world.
I lie and rest my head on the beloved’s lap;
I see myself rising like a falcon to the air;
Alighting on the roof of Mehmoud I become eyes of Ayaz.
I rise from the quiet heart like a tender love song,
Bartering for houris the age of courtesans.

I dream I am sitting on the cool bank of Jindai –

My beloved amongst maidens stands out as a candle;
Her red lips smile and tell me to weep on,
‘Drink your lifeblood, for it is a joyous wine.’
I dream, and seek for it some answer from the world

I dream of an evening at a garden full of flowers –
Red eyes of the cupbearer with wine in ruddy hands;
Fingers on a sitar in elation like Khayyam’s,
Gently turning over it the sweet fable of love.
I dream, and seek for it some answer from the world

I dream that the white moon is rising with a smile;
My sweetheart is shy and slowly reaches me –
Wine comes to the lips, demise to the mouth,
And measure for measure she gives me red élan.
I dream, and seek for it some answer from the world.

I dream that I set out shrouded in a zephyr;
Go to my darling’s side as a vision of love;
Hang before her eyes like a desert dream,
And lose in one jangle the riches of my life.
I dream, and seek for it some answer from the world

I dream that I set off like a butterfly;
Fly round a narcissus and skim past a jasmine;
Circle the necklace round the beloved’s delicate neck
And hail her, invisible, with silent greetings.
I dream, and seek for it some answer from the world

I dream that I rise like the cry of Mansoor –
A handful of dust, I become an ocean of light.
But then I hear the Azan and wake up with a flurry.
Sleep takes away the dreams and the world comes to life
Saying, ‘lay down Ghani Khan, do your time in jail.’

Ghani Khan in Hyderabad Jail – 1948

'As far as the eye reached, flowers were in bloom. In spring near Parashawar the fields of flowers are very beautiful indeed' -Babar 

Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and the city of proud Pashtuns has always been an attraction for tourists. It has the 2nd highest population of Pashtuns and has become the centre of their culture and arts in Pakistan. It is a place where ancient traditions rub against those of today, where the bazaar in the old city has changed little in the past hundred years except to have a modern university, some first-class hotels, several international banks and one of the best museums in Pakistan.

It’s connected with Islamabad via Motorway M-1 and via national highway N-5. Peshawar Airport is a 25 minutes drive from the city and is served by all the national carriers including the PIA. Moreover some of the Middle East airlines like Etihad, emirates airlines and Qatar airlines also serve this airport. You can reach the city via Pakistan Railways that departs from some of the major cities like Quetta, Karachi and Lahore.

Khair, Once you are there, there are a lot of must visit places ranging from historical establishments to some really good restaurants. Below are some of the places one must visit in Peshawar..!

Peshawar Museum

Housed in a glorious Victorian Mughal-Gothic hall across the tracks from the Old City, the Peshawar Museum has the largest collection of Gandaharan art in the world, ranging from statues and friezes depicting the Buddha’s life to winged cupids and Herculean heroes. It’s a dizzying stylebook of Graeco-Bacrian art, if often let down by poor labeling (also check out the Graeco-Bactrian coinage hidden upstairs).

There’s a small Islamic collecton with some delightful illustrated books, and an ethnographic section with wooden effigies taken from a Kalasha cemetery, including and ancestor figure riding a two-headed horse. 

Fort Bala Hisar

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