This nazm, one of my all time favourites, was written by Faiz Sahab against the policies of the hardline Islamist dictator of his country, Zia-ul-Haq. It was immortalised by the great Iqbal Bano, who defied orders from the regime and sang it in public, which then became the anthem of the people! Find the link below to a great performance by Iqbal Bano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDXUD1-8bo
In the present time of religious bigotry and fundamentalism, such poetry evokes a sense of humanist pride in the reader/listener. Being an anthem of the oppressed, it would always make sense till the ideals of egalitarianism and democracy are effectively realised. I've tried my best to translate in a manner so as to maintain the rhyming scheme and also ensure that the strong message is not diluted beyond a certain limit, which cannot be fully avoided in translating thoughts from one language to another. Let's see how I fare with this almost impossible task!
Original Urdu (English Transliteration)
Hum dekhenge,
Laazim hai ki hum bhi dekhenge,
Wo din ke jiska wa'ada hai,
Jo loh-e-azal mein likha hai,
Jab zulm-o-sitam ke koh-e-giraan,
Ruii ki tarah ud jaayenge,
Hum mahkoomoon ke paanv tale,
Dharti dhad dhad dhadkegi,
Aur ahl-e-hakam ke sar upar,
Jab bijli kad kad kadkegi,
Jab arz-e-Khuda ke ka'abe se,
Sab but uthwaaye jaayenge,
Hum ahl-e-safa, mardood-e-haram,
Masnad pe bithaaye jaayenge,
Sab taaj uchaale jaayenge,
Sab takht giraaye jaayenge,
Bas naam rahega Allah ka,
Jo gaayab bhi hai haazir bhi,
Jo manzar bhi hai naazir bhi,
Uthega anal-haq ka na'ara,
Jo mein bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho,
Aur raaj karegi khalq-e-Khuda,
Jo mein bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho!
English Translation
We'll see,
We're destined to see,
The day that has been promised, look!
The pages of the eternal book,
When the mountains of cruelty and pain,
Would fly away like cotton wool,
Mother Earth, beneath our shackled feet,
Would lub dub dub dub beat,
And on the heads of the oppressors would,
Rain showers of defeat,
And from the land of God would,
The idols soon be cast away,
We pure at heart, outcasts of now,
Would hold the sceptre, pray!
Tossed would be the crowns, no longer,
Shall the thrones hold sway!
And only would His name remain,
At once present and evanescent,
The observed, and so observant,
Vaporous, the cries of 'Truth Prevail',
Which means you and I!
Would rule the Earth, the lambs of God,
Which means you and I!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDXUD1-8bo
In the present time of religious bigotry and fundamentalism, such poetry evokes a sense of humanist pride in the reader/listener. Being an anthem of the oppressed, it would always make sense till the ideals of egalitarianism and democracy are effectively realised. I've tried my best to translate in a manner so as to maintain the rhyming scheme and also ensure that the strong message is not diluted beyond a certain limit, which cannot be fully avoided in translating thoughts from one language to another. Let's see how I fare with this almost impossible task!
Original Urdu (English Transliteration)
Hum dekhenge,
Laazim hai ki hum bhi dekhenge,
Wo din ke jiska wa'ada hai,
Jo loh-e-azal mein likha hai,
Jab zulm-o-sitam ke koh-e-giraan,
Ruii ki tarah ud jaayenge,
Hum mahkoomoon ke paanv tale,
Dharti dhad dhad dhadkegi,
Aur ahl-e-hakam ke sar upar,
Jab bijli kad kad kadkegi,
Jab arz-e-Khuda ke ka'abe se,
Sab but uthwaaye jaayenge,
Hum ahl-e-safa, mardood-e-haram,
Masnad pe bithaaye jaayenge,
Sab taaj uchaale jaayenge,
Sab takht giraaye jaayenge,
Bas naam rahega Allah ka,
Jo gaayab bhi hai haazir bhi,
Jo manzar bhi hai naazir bhi,
Uthega anal-haq ka na'ara,
Jo mein bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho,
Aur raaj karegi khalq-e-Khuda,
Jo mein bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho!
English Translation
We'll see,
We're destined to see,
The day that has been promised, look!
The pages of the eternal book,
When the mountains of cruelty and pain,
Would fly away like cotton wool,
Mother Earth, beneath our shackled feet,
Would lub dub dub dub beat,
And on the heads of the oppressors would,
Rain showers of defeat,
And from the land of God would,
The idols soon be cast away,
We pure at heart, outcasts of now,
Would hold the sceptre, pray!
Tossed would be the crowns, no longer,
Shall the thrones hold sway!
And only would His name remain,
At once present and evanescent,
The observed, and so observant,
Vaporous, the cries of 'Truth Prevail',
Which means you and I!
Would rule the Earth, the lambs of God,
Which means you and I!
