Another one of Faiz Sahab's nazms that kills me each time I read it! This was written during tumultuous times in his country (From Dast-e-Saba). I've tried to maintain the rhyming scheme and hence I've taken a lot of liberties with the translation. It's a poetic translation, that is, the idioms and phrases have not been literally translated, and I've tried to use phrases in English that is closest to the ones in Urdu (Disclaimer: That's merely my humble opinion!). I know that translations can never do justice to the original, but even if in parts it makes enough sense, that would be a thumbs up for me!
Original Urdu (English Transliteration):
Nisaar mein teri galiyon ke ai watan ke jahan,
Chali hai rasm ke koi na sar utha ke chale,
Jo koi chahne waala tawaaf ko nikle,
Nazar chura ke chale, jism-o-jaan bacha ke chale,
Hai ahl-e-dil ke liye ab ye nazm-e-bast-o-kushaad,
Ke sang-o-khisht muqayyad hain aur sag aazaad,
Bahut hai zulm ke dast-e-bahaana-joo ke liye,
Jo chand ahl-e-junoon tere naam lewa hain,
Bane hain ahl-e-hawas mudd'ai bhi, munsif bhi,
Kise wakeel karein, kisse munsifi chahein,
Magar guzaarne waalon ke din guzarte hain,
Tere firaaq mein yoon subh-o-shaam karte hain,
Bujha jo rozan-e-zindaan to dil ye samjha hai,
Ke teri maang sitaaron se bhar gayi hogi,
Chamak uthe hain salaasil to hum ne jaana hai,
Ke ab seher tere rukh par bikhar gayi hogi,
Gharaz tasavvur-e-shaam-o-seher mein jeete hain,
Giraft-e-saaya-e-deewaar-o-dar mein jeete hain,
Yoon hi hamesha ulajhti rahi hai zulm se khalq,
Na unki rasm nayi hai, na apni reet nayi,
Yoon hi hamesha khilaaye hain hum ne aag mein phool,
Na unki haar nayi hai, na apni jeet nayi,
Isi sabab se falak ka gila nahi karte,
Tere firaaq mein hum dil bura nahi karte,
Gar aaj tujh se juda hain to kal behem honge,
Ye raat bhar ki judaai to koi baat nahi,
Gar aaj auj pe hai taala'-e-raqeeb to kya,
Ye chaar din ki khudai to koi baat nahi,
Jo tujh se ehd-e-wafa ustuwaar rakhte hain,
Ilaaj-e-gardish-e-lail-o-nihaar rakhte hain!
English Translation:
To thy streets O Nation! I pledge my life,
Where the lawless vagabonds abound,
And the romantics who wander deeply in love,
In constant fear don't utter a sound,
Such is the order for hearts, the sanctuary,
As the stones are captive, the dogs run free,
Many are the reasons the oppressors deem,
As they passionately evoke thy name,
As they greedily plead and render justice,
Who shall be our judge, who the case shall frame,
But the days shall crawl for those who persist,
Divorced from thee the souls of ones who exist,
As darkness engulfs my gaol I know,
The glitter of stars would shower thy tresses,
And with a glint on my fetters I feel,
Thy gentle face the dawn caresses,
And in assumed days and nights we live,
Under the shadows of these walls we live,
And as always under oppression we reel,
Neither their customs nor our traditions are new,
And as always in scorching heat we've bloomed,
Neither their defeat nor our triumph are new,
Precisely why the sky we don't blame,
Or mourn endlessly this drought, thy name,
Today you're faraway but tomorrow would be ours,
Of no significance this lonely night,
If the lucky ones today are the oppressors, love!
Our dawn is not too far in sight,
Those who only in your thoughts dwell,
Hold the key to endure death's knell!
Original Urdu (English Transliteration):
Nisaar mein teri galiyon ke ai watan ke jahan,
Chali hai rasm ke koi na sar utha ke chale,
Jo koi chahne waala tawaaf ko nikle,
Nazar chura ke chale, jism-o-jaan bacha ke chale,
Hai ahl-e-dil ke liye ab ye nazm-e-bast-o-kushaad,
Ke sang-o-khisht muqayyad hain aur sag aazaad,
Bahut hai zulm ke dast-e-bahaana-joo ke liye,
Jo chand ahl-e-junoon tere naam lewa hain,
Bane hain ahl-e-hawas mudd'ai bhi, munsif bhi,
Kise wakeel karein, kisse munsifi chahein,
Magar guzaarne waalon ke din guzarte hain,
Tere firaaq mein yoon subh-o-shaam karte hain,
Bujha jo rozan-e-zindaan to dil ye samjha hai,
Ke teri maang sitaaron se bhar gayi hogi,
Chamak uthe hain salaasil to hum ne jaana hai,
Ke ab seher tere rukh par bikhar gayi hogi,
Gharaz tasavvur-e-shaam-o-seher mein jeete hain,
Giraft-e-saaya-e-deewaar-o-dar mein jeete hain,
Yoon hi hamesha ulajhti rahi hai zulm se khalq,
Na unki rasm nayi hai, na apni reet nayi,
Yoon hi hamesha khilaaye hain hum ne aag mein phool,
Na unki haar nayi hai, na apni jeet nayi,
Isi sabab se falak ka gila nahi karte,
Tere firaaq mein hum dil bura nahi karte,
Gar aaj tujh se juda hain to kal behem honge,
Ye raat bhar ki judaai to koi baat nahi,
Gar aaj auj pe hai taala'-e-raqeeb to kya,
Ye chaar din ki khudai to koi baat nahi,
Jo tujh se ehd-e-wafa ustuwaar rakhte hain,
Ilaaj-e-gardish-e-lail-o-nihaar rakhte hain!
English Translation:
To thy streets O Nation! I pledge my life,
Where the lawless vagabonds abound,
And the romantics who wander deeply in love,
In constant fear don't utter a sound,
Such is the order for hearts, the sanctuary,
As the stones are captive, the dogs run free,
Many are the reasons the oppressors deem,
As they passionately evoke thy name,
As they greedily plead and render justice,
Who shall be our judge, who the case shall frame,
But the days shall crawl for those who persist,
Divorced from thee the souls of ones who exist,
As darkness engulfs my gaol I know,
The glitter of stars would shower thy tresses,
And with a glint on my fetters I feel,
Thy gentle face the dawn caresses,
And in assumed days and nights we live,
Under the shadows of these walls we live,
And as always under oppression we reel,
Neither their customs nor our traditions are new,
And as always in scorching heat we've bloomed,
Neither their defeat nor our triumph are new,
Precisely why the sky we don't blame,
Or mourn endlessly this drought, thy name,
Today you're faraway but tomorrow would be ours,
Of no significance this lonely night,
If the lucky ones today are the oppressors, love!
Our dawn is not too far in sight,
Those who only in your thoughts dwell,
Hold the key to endure death's knell!
1 comment:
This poem is a revolution and tempest. And your translation is great.
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