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Recitation
اِنسان پیدا ہو گیا ۔ مصطفےٰ زیدی
۱
سیّالِ ماہ تابِ زر افشاں کی دھوم ہے
بدلے ہوئے تصوّرِ ایماں کی دھوم ہے
اخلاق سے لطیف تر عِصیاں کی دھوم ہے
اعلانِ سرفروشیٔ رِنداں کی دھوم ہے
باراں کے تذکرے ہیں بہاراں کی دھوم
۲
اب سر نگوں ہے کتنے بزرگانِ فن کی بات
اب پیشِ محکمات گریزاں ہیں ظنّیات
اب محض سنگِ میل ہیں کل کے تبّرکات
مُدّت سے اب نہ کوئی عجوبہ نہ معجزات
دنداں شِکن حقیقتِ عریاں کی دھوم ہے
۳
اِک بات آگہی کے لبوں سے نکل گئی
اوہام کی قدیم حکومت بدل گئی
فولاد کے بتوں کی روایت پگھل گئی
اِک جنبشِ نگاہ سے زنجیر گَل گئی
زنداں میں طمطراقِ اسیراں کی دھوم ہے
۴
آسماں گیر ہے زلفوں کا دھواں کہتے ہیں
جشن بردوش ہے فردوسِ رواں کہتے ہیں
آج اِنسان ہے میرِ دوجہاں کہتے ہیں
۵
اب لچکتی نہیں کوشش سے بھی غلماں کی کمر
جل گئے جدّتِ تحقیق سے اوہام کے پر
ابدی ہے یہ جہانِ گزراں کہتے ہیں
۶
رہروو آ ہی گئی منزلِ عصرِ مسعود
جن کو کل لوگ سمجھتے تھے بُتانِ معبود
اب اُنہیں ذہن کی آورگیاں کہتے ہیں
इन्सान पैदा हो गया – मुस्तफ़ा ज़ैदी
१
सय्याल-ए माहताब-ए ज़र-अफ़्शां कि धूम है
बदले हुए तसव्वुर-ए ईमां कि धूम है
अख़्लाक़ से लतीफ़-तर इस्यां कि धूम है
एलान-ए सरफ़रोशी-ए रिन्दां कि धूम है
बारां के तज़्केरे हैं बहारां कि धूम है
२
अब सर निगूं है कितने बुज़ुर्गान-ए फ़न कि बात
अब पेश-ए मोहकेमात गुरेज़ां हैं ज़न्नियात
अब महज़ संग-ए मील हैं कल के तबर्रुकात
मुद्दत से अब न कोई अजूबा न मोजेज़ात
दन्दां शिकन हक़ीक़त-ए उर्यां कि धूम है
३
एक बात आगही के लबौं से निकल गई
औहाम कि क़दीम हुकूमत बदल गई
फ़ौलाद के बुतौं कि रिवायत पिघल गई
एक जुम्बिश-ए निगाह से ज़ंजीर गल गई
ज़िन्दां में तम्तराक़-ए असीरां कि धूम है
४
आस्मां-गीर है ज़ुल्फ़ौं का धुआं कहते हैं
जश्न बर-दोश है फ़िर्दौस-ए रवां कहते हैं
आज इन्सान है मीर-ए दो-जहां कहते हैं
५
अब लचकती नहीं कोशिश से भि ग़िल्मां कि कमर
जल गए जिद्दत-ए तहक़ीक़ से औहाम के पर
अबदी है ये जहान-ए गुज़रां कहते हैं
६
रहरवो आ हि गई मंज़िल-ए असर-ए मस’ऊद
जिन को कल लोग समझते थे बुतान-ए मआबूद
अब उन्हें ज़हन की आवरगियां कहते हैं
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mustafa zaidi (1929-1970) was a great poet with a controversial personal life and death. He was a progressive poet and wrote very subtly about orthodoxy and restrictive conventional mores. Here he celebrates the spirit of inquiry, the demolition of ancient beliefs and the arrival of the age of rationalism. The ‘birth’ of the human being is conflated with the ‘birth’ of rationalism.
1
sayyaal1-e maahtaab2-e zar-afshaaN3 ki dhoom hai
badle4 hue tasavvur5-e eemaaN ki dhoom hai
aKhlaaq6 se lateef-tar7 isyaaN8 ki dhoom hai
e’laan9-e sarfaroshi10-e rindaaN11 ki dhoom hai
baaraaN12 ke tazkere13 haiN, bahaaraaN ki dhoom hai 1.flowing, spreading 2.bright moon 3.gold showering 4.changing 5.concept 6.ethics 7.more pleasant 8.transgression, sin 9.declaration 10.rebellion 11.patrons of the tavern, rebels 12.rain of blessings 13.stories
The poet/rebel is welcoming the changing atmosphere. It appears that everyone is celebrating the changes spreading like pleasant/gentle moonlight. The concept of religion, the concepts of transgressions (not permitted) are changing into ways more pleasant than the narrow-minded confines of outmoded ethics. There is celebration of the declaration of rebellion and stories of the coming spring and blessed rains.
2
ab sar-niguN1 hai kitne buzurgaan2-e fun3 ki baat
ab pesh4-e mohkemaat5 gurezaaN6 haiN zanniyaat7
ab mahz8 saNg-e-meel9 haiN kal ke tabarrukaat10
muddat11 se ab na koii ajooba12 na mojizaat13
dandaaN-shikan14 haqeeqat-e-uriyaaN15 ki dhoom hai 1.downcast looks, shamefaced 2.elders 3.expertise 4.in front of 5.unambiguities (of knowledge) 6.fleeing 7.speculations (of faith) 8.merely 9.milestones 10.blessings 11.for a long time 12.unusual 13.miracle 14.jaw-breaking 15.naked truth
The words of elder experts have been put to shame. Faced with the clarifications of science, the speculations of faith are fleeing. Yesterday’s blessings are mere historical markers of today. For a long time now we have had no mind-boggling miracles. We celebrate the power of jaw-breaking, naked (unadorned) Truth.
3
ek baat aagahi1 ki laboN se nikal ga’ii
auhaam2 ki qadeem3 hukoomat badal ga’ii
faulaad4 ke butoN ki rivaa’et5 pighal6 ga’ii
ek jumbish-e-nigaah7 se zanjiir gal8 ga’ii
zindaaN10 meN tamtaraaq11-e asiiraaN12 ki dhoom hai 1.knowledge 2.superstitions 3.ancient 4.steel 5.stories, traditions 6.melt 7.movement of the eye, commanding look 8.dissolved 10.prison 11.boasting of pride 12.prisoners
As soon knowledge spoke the word of Truth, the order of ancient superstitions crumbled. The traditions of iron clad idols melted away. With one commanding look the chains binding humanity dissolved. There was raucous boasting among the prisoners (of mind) i.e., humanity was set free of confining superstitions/beliefs/traditions.
4
aasmaaN-giir1 hai, zulfoN2 ka dhuaaN3 kahte haiN
jashn4 bar-dosh5 hai firdaus6-e ravaaN7 kahte haiN
aaj insaan hai miir8-e do-jahaaN9 kahte haiN 1.covering/overpowering the sky/heaven 2.hair 3.smoke, fog 4.celebration 5.carried on shoulders 6.heaven 7.current 8.leader 9.both worlds
They say that the smoke and fog (deception) of imagined (not real) beauty covers up the the new concept of heaven (rationalism) The shaa’er is using ‘zulf’ as a symbol of imagined beauty. The current (concept of) heaven carries celebrations of joy (of knowledge) on its shoulders. Today, humanity is the leader/owner of both worlds, they say.
5
ab lachakti1 nahiN koshish2 se bhi GhilmaaN3 ki kamar
jal gaye jiddat4-e tahqeeq5 se auhaam6 ke par7
abadi8 hai ye jahaan-e-guzaraaN9 kahte haiN 1.sway 2.try 3.heavenly angels 4.invention, advent 5.search, inquiry 6.superstions 7.wings 8.forever, constant 9.moving/changing world
Even if they try, they cannot make the concept of heaven tempting. With advent of the spirit of inquiry/of questioning, the flight of supersitions was stopped. They say that the character of this changing world (inquiry and questioning) will remain constant.
6
rahravo1 aa hi ga’ii manzil2-e asar3-e mas’ood4
jin ko kal log samajhte the butaan5-e m’aabood6
ab unheN zahn7 ki aavaragiyaaN8 kahte haiN 1.travellers, seekers 2.destination 3.times 4.lucky, happy 5.idols, received truths 6.to be worshipped 7.mind 8.wandering, incoherence
O my fellow seekers our destination of happy times is here. Received truths that people considered worthy of worshipping yesterday are now considered incoherence of the mind.
mustafa zaidi (1929-1970) was a great poet with a controversial personal life and death. He was a progressive poet and wrote very subtly about orthodoxy and restrictive conventional mores. Here he celebrates the spirit of inquiry, the demolition of ancient beliefs and the arrival of the age of rationalism. The ‘birth’ of the human being is conflated with the ‘birth’ of rationalism.
1
sayyaal1-e maahtaab2-e zar-afshaaN3 ki dhoom hai
badle4 hue tasavvur5-e eemaaN ki dhoom hai
aKhlaaq6 se lateef-tar7 isyaaN8 ki dhoom hai
e’laan9-e sarfaroshi10-e rindaaN11 ki dhoom hai
baaraaN12 ke tazkere13 haiN, bahaaraaN ki dhoom hai
1.flowing, spreading 2.bright moon 3.gold showering 4.changing 5.concept 6.ethics 7.more pleasant 8.transgression, sin 9.declaration 10.rebellion 11.patrons of the tavern, rebels 12.rain of blessings 13.stories
The poet/rebel is welcoming the changing atmosphere. It appears that everyone is celebrating the changes spreading like pleasant/gentle moonlight. The concept of religion, the concepts of transgressions (not permitted) are changing into ways more pleasant than the narrow-minded confines of outmoded ethics. There is celebration of the declaration of rebellion and stories of the coming spring and blessed rains.
2
ab sar-niguN1 hai kitne buzurgaan2-e fun3 ki baat
ab pesh4-e mohkemaat5 gurezaaN6 haiN zanniyaat7
ab mahz8 saNg-e-meel9 haiN kal ke tabarrukaat10
muddat11 se ab na koii ajooba12 na mojizaat13
dandaaN-shikan14 haqeeqat-e-uriyaaN15 ki dhoom hai
1.downcast looks, shamefaced 2.elders 3.expertise 4.in front of 5.unambiguities (of knowledge) 6.fleeing 7.speculations (of faith) 8.merely 9.milestones 10.blessings 11.for a long time 12.unusual 13.miracle 14.jaw-breaking 15.naked truth
The words of elder experts have been put to shame. Faced with the clarifications of science, the speculations of faith are fleeing. Yesterday’s blessings are mere historical markers of today. For a long time now we have had no mind-boggling miracles. We celebrate the power of jaw-breaking, naked (unadorned) Truth.
3
ek baat aagahi1 ki laboN se nikal ga’ii
auhaam2 ki qadeem3 hukoomat badal ga’ii
faulaad4 ke butoN ki rivaa’et5 pighal6 ga’ii
ek jumbish-e-nigaah7 se zanjiir gal8 ga’ii
zindaaN10 meN tamtaraaq11-e asiiraaN12 ki dhoom hai
1.knowledge 2.superstitions 3.ancient 4.steel 5.stories, traditions 6.melt 7.movement of the eye, commanding look 8.dissolved 10.prison 11.boasting of pride 12.prisoners
As soon knowledge spoke the word of Truth, the order of ancient superstitions crumbled. The traditions of iron clad idols melted away. With one commanding look the chains binding humanity dissolved. There was raucous boasting among the prisoners (of mind) i.e., humanity was set free of confining superstitions/beliefs/traditions.
4
aasmaaN-giir1 hai, zulfoN2 ka dhuaaN3 kahte haiN
jashn4 bar-dosh5 hai firdaus6-e ravaaN7 kahte haiN
aaj insaan hai miir8-e do-jahaaN9 kahte haiN
1.covering/overpowering the sky/heaven 2.hair 3.smoke, fog 4.celebration 5.carried on shoulders 6.heaven 7.current 8.leader 9.both worlds
They say that the smoke and fog (deception) of imagined (not real) beauty covers up the the new concept of heaven (rationalism) The shaa’er is using ‘zulf’ as a symbol of imagined beauty. The current (concept of) heaven carries celebrations of joy (of knowledge) on its shoulders. Today, humanity is the leader/owner of both worlds, they say.
5
ab lachakti1 nahiN koshish2 se bhi GhilmaaN3 ki kamar
jal gaye jiddat4-e tahqeeq5 se auhaam6 ke par7
abadi8 hai ye jahaan-e-guzaraaN9 kahte haiN
1.sway 2.try 3.heavenly angels 4.invention, advent 5.search, inquiry 6.superstions 7.wings 8.forever, constant 9.moving/changing world
Even if they try, they cannot make the concept of heaven tempting. With advent of the spirit of inquiry/of questioning, the flight of supersitions was stopped. They say that the character of this changing world (inquiry and questioning) will remain constant.
6
rahravo1 aa hi ga’ii manzil2-e asar3-e mas’ood4
jin ko kal log samajhte the butaan5-e m’aabood6
ab unheN zahn7 ki aavaragiyaaN8 kahte haiN
1.travellers, seekers 2.destination 3.times 4.lucky, happy 5.idols, received truths 6.to be worshipped 7.mind 8.wandering, incoherence
O my fellow seekers our destination of happy times is here. Received truths that people considered worthy of worshipping yesterday are now considered incoherence of the mind.
