Arsalan Iqbal at The Woolmark 2016
Collection: Tiloor
The subject bird is houbara bustard.
Houbara bustard is Pakistans national bird nearing extinct cuz Arabs love to visit Pakistan (balochistan and Sindh) and hunt these down.
These birds are almost extinct
Guess how much do they pay to hunt a bird each?
50,000/- PKR
Every piece of the collection is priced for $500 which is the same amount in rupees.
I had translated the above poem for Arsalan and here’s the translated version in English
“O dear winged creature
You were made by God
To stand out.
You were made by God
To stand out.
He gave you a beauty that
you embraced from head
to your toes,
No doubt.
you embraced from head
to your toes,
No doubt.
So much so that
your long tall neck
and your tainted wings
your long tall neck
and your tainted wings
seduce the worldly men
that come again and again -
their wicked hearts
cannot stop looking.
that come again and again -
their wicked hearts
cannot stop looking.
We had heard of tales
of your rule across lands
with your queen by your side
of your rule across lands
with your queen by your side
and how you'd run around
trees and the mountains
with pride in your stride.
trees and the mountains
with pride in your stride.
Your love story
embelished by lakes,
innocence and
striking sights.
embelished by lakes,
innocence and
striking sights.
Until man came into view.
It unleashed it's greed,
with a loveless life
It unleashed it's greed,
with a loveless life
and aimed to unlove
by making a break
for your pure blood
on it's knife.
by making a break
for your pure blood
on it's knife.
The words whispered by
the wind about the
strength of your love
the wind about the
strength of your love
were true.
You saved the cause
of the beat
of your heart.
You saved the cause
of the beat
of your heart.
The heavens shook;
the beauty they had blessed
this heartless world
the beauty they had blessed
this heartless world
had ceased to dust.
And for what?
The end of the purest
form of love.”
And for what?
The end of the purest
form of love.”
