Growing Up Red

Nadia_Zhera:
Thanks alot. I couldn`t have imagined.

peace.

Chund roz aur meri jaan.....

A few days more, my dear

A poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz translated by V.G. Kiernan



A few days more, my dear, only a few days.
We are compelled to draw breath in the shadows of tyranny;
For a while longer let us bear oppression, and quiver, and weep:
It is our ancestors` legacy, we are blameless;
On our body is the fetter, on our feelings are chains,
Our breaths are captive, on our speech are censorings;
It is our courage that evens then we go on living.
Is life some beggar`s gown, on which
Every hour patches of pain are fixed?
But now the days of the span of tyranny are few;
Patience one moment, for the days of complaining is few.
In the scorched desert of the space of this age
We must stay, but not stay like this;
The nameless, heavy oppression of foreign hands
Today must be borne, but not always borne.
The dust of tribulations enfolding your beauty,
Counting of the frustrations of our youth of two days,
Futile burning pain of moonlit nights,
The heart`s profitless throbbing, the body`s despairing cry
A few days more, my dear, only a few days.

nadia:

barai meh`rbaani! thank you so much for posting both of those poems. :)

Ashk Abad ki Shaam

Jab Sooraj nay Jatay Jatay
Ashkabad kay Neelay Ufq say
Apnay sunhairi jaam
mai.n Dhaali
Surkhi-e-Awwal-e-Shaam
Aur yeh Jaam
Tumharey Samnay rakh kar
Tum say kiya Kalam
kaha Purnam
Utho
Aur apnay Tan ki Saij say uth kar
ik Shiri.n paigham
Sabt karo is Shaam
kisi kay nam
Kinar-e-Jaam
Shayad tum yeh man gayi.n aur tum nay
apnay lab-e-gulfam
kiye enaam
kisi kay naam
kinar-e-jaam
ya shayad
tum apnay Tan ki saij peh suj kar
thi.n yu.n mehv-e-araam
keh rusta taktay taktay
bujh gayi shama-e-jaam
Ashk Abad kay neelay ufq par
Gharat ho gayi shaam
--1972

**For ana Ashk Abad ki Shaam

sheeshoo.n ka maseeha koi nahi

moti ho keh sheesha, jaam keh dur
jo toot gaya, so toot gaya
kab ashko.n say jur sakta hai
jo toot gaya, so choot gaya

tum nahaq tukray chun chun kar
daman mai.n chupaye baithay ho
sheesho.n ka maseeha koi nahi
kiya aas lagaye baithay ho

shayad keh inhi.n tukro.n mai.n kahi.n
woh saghir-e-dil hai jis mai.n kabhi
sad naz say utara karti thi
sehbay-e-gham-e-jana.n ki pari

phir duniya walo.n nay tum say
yeh saghar lay kar phor diya
jo maiy thi, baha di mitti mai.n
mehma.n ka shehpar tor diya

yeh rangeen rezay hai.n shayad
un shokh bilori.n sapno.n kay
tum mast jawani mai.n jin say
khalwat ko sajya kartay thay

nadari, daftar bhook aur gham
in sapno.n say takratey rahey
be reham tha chomukh pathrao
yeh kaanch kay dhanchay kiya kartay

ya shayad in zarro.n mai.n kahi.n
moti hai tumhari izzat ka
woh jis say tumharay ijz par
shamshad qadro.n nay raksh kiya

is mal ki dhun mai.n phirtay thay
tajir bhi buhat, rehzun bhi kai
hai chor nagar, yaa.n muflis ki
gar jan bachi tou aan gai

yeh saghar sheeshay laal-o-guhr
salim hoo to qeemat patay hai.n
yu.n tukray tukray hoo to faqt
chubtay hai.n, lahoo rulwatay hai.n

tum nahaq tukray chun chun kar
daman mai.n chupaye baithay ho
sheesho.n ka maseeha koi nahi
kia aas lagaye baithay ho

yadoo.n kay garebano.n kay rafo
par dil ki guzr kab hoti hai
ik bakhia udhaira, aik siya
yu.n umr basr kab hoti hai

is kar geh hasti mai.n jaha.n
yeh saghar sheeshay dhaltay hai.n
har shay ka badal mil sakta hai
sub daman pur ho saktay hai.n

jo hath barhay yawar hai yeha.n
jo aankh uthay, wo bakhtawar
ya.n dhan dolat ka ant nahi
ho.n ghat mai.n lakh daku magar

kab loot jhapat say hasti ki
dukanai.n khali hoti hai.n
ya.n parbat parbat heeray hai.n
ya.n sagar sagar moti hai.n

kuch log hai.n jo is daulat par
parday lutkaye phirtay hai.n
har parbat ko, har sagar ko
neelam charhaye phirtay hai.n

kuch wo bhi hai.n jo lar bhar kar
yeh parday noch giratay hai.n
hasti ki uthai geero.n ki
har chal uljhaye jatey hai.n

in dono.n mai.n run parta hai
nit basti basti, nagar nagar
har basti ghar kay seenay mai.n
har chalti rah kay mathay par

yeh kalak bhartay phirtay hai.n
woh jot lagatay phirtay hai.n
yeh aag lagatay phirtay hai.n
woh aag bujhatay phirtay hai.n

sab saghar sheeshy, laal-o-guhr
is bazi mai.n bid jatay hai.n
utho sab khali hatho.n
us ran say bulawey atay hai.n

* For everyone who admires Faiz`s poetry. I read in this board people wanted to read this nazm.I had submitted it before on UP as well. This is my favorite piece of poetry with superb lyrics and flow.

for us:

du`aa

aiyey haath uThaaiN hum bhi
hum jinhaiN ras`m-e-du`aa yaad nahiN
hum jinhaiN soz-e-mohabbat ke siwa
koi but, koi khuda yaad nahiN
aiyey `arz guzaaraiN ke nigaar-e-hasti
zehr-e-imroz maiN shirini-e-farda bhar dey
voh jinhaiN taab-e-giraaNbaari-e-aiyam nahiN
unki palkoN pe shab-o-roz ko halka kar dey
jin ki aankhoN ko rukh-e-subh ka yaara bhi nahiN
unki raatoN maiN koi sham`a munavvar kar dey
jin ke qadmoN ko kisi rah ka sahaara bhi nahiN
unki nazroN pe koi rah ujaagar kar dey
jin ka deen pairavi-e-kizb-o-riya hai, unko
himmat-e-kufr milay, jur`at-e-tehqiq milay
jin ke sar muntazir-e-tegh-e-jafa haiN, unko
dast-e-qaatil ko jhaTak denay ki taufiq milay.
`ishq ka sirr-e-nihaaN jaan-e-tapaan hai jis se
aaj iqraar karaiN aur tapish miT jaye
harf-e-haq, dil maiN khhaTakta hai jo kaanTay ki tarah
aaj iqraar karaiN, aur khalish miT jaye

siyana ji:

thank you for posting those websites. bohat kuch faiz saheb ka mila (i think it is the urdulife site which has zia mohyeddin reading certain poems). none of the poems that kachchi miTTi or i have referred to are on those sites, though. but i am glad for the number of websites for urdu poetry. i wish they wouldn`t post most of the same ghazlaiN/nazmaiN though.

kachchi miTTi:

i`m going to check out what the library here has. . . found a collection in the catalog which has both the urdu, and the translations. don`t know which ones, but somehow, your wish will be granted, `tis all good. :)

r.a.janjua:
besides Nabokov, Joyce and Pynchon were famously overlooked too. Though, Pynchon is alive, it seems that he has been counted out.

re: 74 ``Faiz should have received the Noble Prize just like Tagore``

yes!

people often talk about iqbal as someone who should have been given the nobel prize - but iqbal, although brilliant, brought nothing new to urdu potery in terms of the language - and in terms of subject matter, quite a bit is borrowed from western philosophy - e.g., iqbal`s mard-i-momin seems like nietzsche`s ubermensch in shalwar kameez.

faiz on the other hand was a true innovator - he used the language in a way that was inconcievable before - new expressions - new metaphors, new similies - and all of it crafted in a stunningly beautiful manner - the man was a true genius.

nobel prize in literature has sometimes been quite political - imagine they give it to that moron, naipaul - solzhenitsyn got one but they ignored nabakov.

ana:
siyana sahib has put up an offer. siyana sahib: could you post ashkabad ki aik shaam (it shouldnot be more than 8 lines), if you still feel like it. i cannot possibly request sheeshoan ka maseeha koi nahin, it is huge! unfortunately, i dont have his Nuskha with me and the library i have access to has three collections of his poems But all translations.

i just remember one stanza from that poem, off the top of my head.. here it goes..

Kyun Nahuqq Tukrray Chunn Chunn Ke, Daaman Main Chhupayay Baithay Ho
SheeshoaN Ka Masseha Koi NahiN , Kyaa Aaass LagaYay Baithay Ho


Ras:
Nobel Prize for Faiz? that seems like a bit of a stretch to me. :-)

peace.

As someone who has been ``Gulabi`` but not ``Red`` all his life I just wanted to add that

Faiz Sahib`s poetic documentation of the miseries and romances of my often voiceless

people and culture during the last century are a treasure that has to be passed on.

Even his jealous enemies could not help but appreciate his penned truths.

Faiz should have received the Noble Prize just like Tagore. But his continued

expression of these many truths that he witnessed including the plight of the Palestinian

people did not win him too many friends amidst the powers that be in this world.

The literary legacy of Faiz Ahmed Faiz is the crown jewel of Pakistani Culture and Indians

are welcome to claim it as theirs too since he was born before Partition.

In gratitude we should collectively remember him. His religious beliefs are

not important. His mastery of Urdu and his ability to feel for his people should put

him permanently in our prayers.

Ras H. Siddiqui

Ali strange as it seems this seemed like a letter from a long lost family member.
You see the root cause of my own `problems` is that I grew up with a heavy dose of of Iqbal and Faiz, not to mention my own `dehria` father. May Allah forgive all their sins.
Faiz is part of my own memories in an entirely different way in the sense that Mrs. Faiz was a regular visitor to PECHS school and Mrs Majeed Malik a great admirer and friend of his.
We celebrated his silver or golden jubilee in 1973 or 1975 at the school. Where we were immersed in his poetery. I did not, at that time, realize `Phir Barq Faroozan hai sari wadi-e-Sina`` had any connections with his being in Beirut with PLO. One day however, Mr. Faiz came to see the rehearsal. I was standing right behind him. I drew myself closer to his chair, so that I could have touched him and preserved the memory of the moment in my mind. To tell my grandchildren about. My grandchildren, unfortunately, may or may not ever know who Faiz was, but now I have told the whole world.

hashimi ji - thanks for sharing - your nana is not just pakistan`s national treasure - he belongs to all humanity - his ideals are the very essence of all that is decent and he had the gift to express them in such a magical way.

maqam faiz rah may koi jacha hi nahin
jo ku-i-yar say niklay to su-i-dar chalay

Re: # 51
just a correction. faiz and alys did not meet in london. they met in india where alys was visiting her sister who was by then married to dr taseer.

The first time I learnt that Faiz was a ``Pakistani,` I was quite taken aback. Such was the connection some members of my family felt with the man.

Dear Friends

I feel Islam has inherent issues with the intlectual query.

First thing the Muslim invaders did in India or for that reason in other places was kill the intlectuals. Then it becomes very easy to convert/control/terrorise a man in street.

That is exaclty what happened in Pakistan after 1947. The country appropriated in the name of Islam found it self in conflict with intelectuals of the time.

For exampl Qurra-Tulain Haider( I don`t know how to spell her name), the author of Aag Ka Dariya had to leave Pakistan and settle in India.

Sahir Ludhianvi migrated to Pakistan but had to leave and settle back in India.

What happened to Manto?

Faiz had to face the same mind set.

Faiz a man of beautiful poetry, a man of delicate sensibilities was not fit for the land for pures.

I can think of one stanza of his poem

Aaj phir husan-e-dil-aran ki vahi dhaj hogi
Vahi khwabeeda si ankhen, vahi kajal ki lakeer
rang-e-rukhsaar pe vo halak sa gazay ka gubaar
...... ( My memory is failing me).