[Reader-list] A Poem by Faraz

[Kshmendra Kaul]

In one of his Ghazals, Faraz writes:
 
Jisko bhi chaa'ha, ussay shiddat se chaa'ha hai Faraz
sil'silaa too'taa nahi dard ki zanjeer ka
 
My impoverished translation:
 
That what I desired, I desired with ferocity
Unbroken links of pain, I ever enchained
 
Pakistan has struggled since it Independence to come out of the clutches of Military Dictatorship, that allowed it only every now and then to flirt with Democracy. In this period Pakistan has an impressive literary history, especially from amongst the poets in both their writings and  public demeanour, wherein they have not only been critical and questioning of 'dictatorship' but also revolted. Faraz is one such Poet.
 
A poem (a lamentation) below by Faraz which though written for Pakistan would be equally applicable to India. My apologies to those for whom Urdu is alien. It is beyond my capability to translate it
 
Kshmendra
 
ab kis kaa jashn manaate ho us des kaa jo taqsiim huaa 
ab kis ke giit sunaate ho us tan-man kaa jo do-niim huaa 
 
 
us Khvaab kaa jo rezaa rezaa un aa.Nkho.n kii taqadiir huaa 
us naam kaa jo Tuka.Daa Tuka.Daa galiyo.n me.n be-tauqiir huaa 
 

us parcham kaa jis kii hurmat baazaaro.n me.n niilaam hu_ii 
us miTTii kaa jis kii hurmat mansuub uduu ke naam hu_ii 


us jang ko jo tum haar chuke us rasm kaa jo jaarii bhii nahii.n 
us zaKhm kaa jo siine pe na thaa us jaan kaa jo vaarii bhii nahii.n 


us Khuun kaa jo bad_qismat thaa raaho.n me.n bahaayaa tan me.n rahaa 
us phuul kaa jo beqiimat thaa aa.Ngan me.n khilaa yaa ban me.n rahaa 


us mashriq kaa jis ko tum ne neze kii anii marham samajhaa 
us maGarib kaa jis ko tum ne jitana bhii luuTaa kam samajhaa 


un maasuumo.n kaa jin ke lahuu se tum ne farozaa.N raate.n kii.n 
yaa un mazaluumo.n kaa jis se Khanjar kii zubaa.N me.n baate.n kii.n 


us mariyam kaa jis kii iffat luTatii hai bhare baazaaro.n me.n 
us iisaa kaa jo qaatil hai aur shaamil hai Gam_Khvaaro.n me.n 


in nauhaagaro.n kaa jin ne hame.n Khud qatl kiyaa Khud rote hai.n 
aise bhii kahii.n dam_saaz hue aise jallaad bhii hote hai.n 


un bhuuke nange Dhaa.Ncho.n kaa jo raqs sar-e-baazaar kare.n 
yaa un zaalim qazzaaqo.n kaa jo bhes badal kar vaar kare.n 


yaa un JhuuTe iqaraaro.n kaa jo aaj talak aifaa na hue 
yaa un bebas laachaaro.n kaa jo aur bhii dukh kaa nishaanaa hue 


is shaahii kaa jo dast-ba-dast aa_ii hai tumhaare hisse me.n 
kyo.n nang-e-vatan kii baat karo kyaa rakhaa hai is qisse me.n 


aa.Nkho.n me.n chhupaaye ashko.n ko ho.nTho.n me.n vafaa ke bol liye 
is jashn me.n bhii shaamil huu.N nauho.n se bharaa kashkol liye 


Reproduced from the most brilliant web-resource for Romanized Urdu Poetry - Urdupoetry.com  http://www.urdupoetry.com/faraz42.html