Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I came across this one on a friend's blog. The last two lines mesmerize me completely.
Jo bachay hain sang samet lo, tan-e-dagh dagh luta dia
navak-e-neem kash = half drawn arrow (another usage is in 'ye na thi hamari kismet' by Ghalib - "koi mere dil se poochhe tere teer-e-neem kash ko...")
dil-e-reza = torn pieces of heart
Do not waste your half-drawn arrow(ready to be released) on me, I have already lost the torn pieces of my heart. (Do not waste and) save the left over stones because I have wasted my body already in wounds.
Woh jo qarz rakhtay thay jaan par, woh hisab aaj chuka dia
naved = good news
saf-e-dushmana = group of my enemies
Inform my foes and let my well-wishers know that the debt which bore on my(our) life and soul has been paid for.
Ke ghuroor-e-ishq ka baankpan, pas-e-marg hum ne bhula dia
Keep my kafan tilted at my forehead as a sign of defiance and pride. Let not my assassins have the misapprehension that they could crush the honor and self-pride of my love at my death (by killing me). That is to say that even if they have taken life out of me and I have sacrificed myself, my soul and honor is immortal.
Jo kaha toh sun ke ura dia, jo likha toh parh ke mita dia
kusht = kill (unconfirmed)
harf = syllable
uzr = excuse, apology
There was just one syllable on that side - "kill" ie the oppressors knew only how to oppress/kill. We had lakhs of reasons for what we did. But whatever we said, they did not heed to, whatever we wrote, they erased. This is a soulful description of how the independence-fighters tried every means to persuade the tyrants but they knew nothing except violence.
Rah-e-yaar hum ne qadam qadam, tujhay yadgaar bana dia
koh-e-garaan = difficult mountain (koh=mountain; garaan=tough)
These lines summarise the journey of the one who is fighting for a cause and his people. A journey consists of the 'travelling' part and the 'non-travelling' or resting part. Faiz says that when we stopped, we were as firm and unyielding as a difficult mountain; when we walked, we became larger than life, we gave the momentum to the cause ie we gave it the activity which signifies life. And with every step we progressed, we made this whole journey a testament of our struggle and sacrifices. It is an interesting viewpoint: its not the hard journey that gave us a recognition but the other way round.
Afterword: Faiz is known to have written some beautiful poems on political theme depicting the struggle for independence, the best known one being 'hum dekhenge'. This poem is in very much those lines. Faiz starts with a desolate note by saying that 'we are already wasted' and then slowly builds the strong theme. He masterfully etches the various emotions and perspectives of freedom struggles - sometimes disappointed, sometimes defiant, sometimes crushed etc. Its an extensive topic and would need more than few lines, so may be some other time in a new post :)
Bas jaane se pehle, let me thank Sohaib and Moz for posting this poem and giving me the opportunity to read it. Aur ab, khuda haafiz!
Labels: Faiz
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The poetry that I am sharing in this article is a friend's favorite and I could not agree more with such a taste. This one kind of grows upon you. The more you listen to it, the more beautiful it seems. This work of Faiz is beautifully rendered by Iqbal Bano and the best version I could find is here.
In the emptiness/deserts(dasht) of my solitude(tanhayi), the shadows/remains(saaye) of your voice and mirage/illusions(saraab) of your lips tremble(larzaan). It is known how one can see the mirages in desert amd there are illusions of water around. This is more so tragic for the wanderer who is thirsty. This is used as a metaphor for the lover who is lost in his solitude and sees the shadows of his beloved all around. The use of 'larzaan' for the illusions of missing lover is extremely beautiful.
In the deserts of my solitude, the dust(khas) and ashes(khaak) of this separation cause the jasmines(saman) and roses(gulaab) of your presence to flower. The poet has chosen the signs of decay and ruins (khas-o-khaak) to be the illusions and causes of something as lively as the flowers. This again shows the creativity and power of imagination. One can take this as a sign of derangement and illusion or a sign of romanticism as to how the separated lover is trying to keep his beloved close through his imagination.
From somewhere close(qurbat), the warmth of your breaths(and hence sign of your presence) is rising, smouldering slowly in its own sweet scent.
At the horizon(ufaq), the dew of your lovely glimpse falling, shimmers drop by drop. It is again, I suppose, to emphasize the deception that poet feels how the beloved is near in the last lines and close in these ones. He is feeling the beloved everywhere.
These last four lines are the mark of genius of Faiz and the reason why this poem is so prepossessing. The poet says that while in this solitude, as he indulges in recalling his beloved, (the hands of) her reminiscence has touched the rukhsar(cheeks) of his heart so lovingly that
even though its just the dawn (after) of the disunion (subah-e-firaaq), it seems as if the day of hijr(separation) is already over and the night of union is here.
The loneliness and longing of a separated lover is impeccably captured in the beautiful metaphors used throughout. The lover is desiring and being hopeful through his own hopelessness(illusions). He is either losing the sanity or creating these deceptions on purpose so as to feel his beloved.
Labels: Faiz