Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. faiz ahmed faiz (1911-1984) a poet of romance and resistance, labour leader, journalist, political activist, Lenin Peace Prize awardee writes with great finesse and delicacy using the beloved as a metaphor for the homeland and/or the socialist revolution. This stirring call written for a previous filistiini-Zionist conflict applies in full force today. In print versions these appear as two separate nazm but I found a recited version on youtube that was a seemless combination in faiz’s voice. I felt it was even more powerful and am posting them as a single nazm.
1
phir barq¹ farozaaN² hai sar³-e vaadi⁴-e siina⁵
phir raNg peh hai sho’ala⁶-e ruKhsaar⁷-e haqiiqat⁸
paiGhaam⁹-e ajal¹⁰ daavat¹¹-e diidaar¹²-e haqiiqat⁸
aye diida¹³-e biina¹⁴
ab vaqt hai diidaar ka dam¹⁵ hai keh nahiiN hai     1.lightning 2.shining 3.head, top 4.valley 5.Sinai 6.flame, redness 7.cheek 8.truth 9.message 10.death, destiny, sacrifice 11.invitation, call 12.to see 13.eye 14.discerning 15.power, courage
This has reference to when moosa went up mount sinai to ask to see god. He was told that he would not be able to see god, but he insisted. There was a flash of lightning and he fainted. Once again, lightning flashes and shines on the top of the valley of sinai. Once again the flaming face/cheeks of truth are on colourful display giving a message of death/sacrifice and invitation to see the truth. O discerning eye, now is the time; do you have the courage to see the truth or not.
2
ab dushman-e jaaN chaara-gar¹-e kulfat²-e Gham³ hai
gulzaar⁴-e iram⁵ partav⁶-e sahra⁷-e adam⁸ hai
pindaar⁹-e junooN¹⁰
hausla¹¹-e raah¹²-e adam⁸ hai keh nahiiN hai     1.healer 2.distress 3.sorrow, pain 4.garden 5.heaven 6.reflection 7.desert, barren-ness 8.non-existence, death 9.pride 10.passion 11.courage 12.path
Now the healer of the distress of pain has turned into a killer. It is like the garden of heaven has become a reflection of the barren-ness of the desert, devoid of beauty and hope. O pride of passion, do you have the courage to take the path of sacrifice or not.
3
phir barq¹ farozaaN² hai sar³-e vaadi⁴-e siina⁵
aye diida⁶-e biina⁷     1.lightning 2.shining 3.head, top 4.valley 5.Sinai 6.eye 7.seeing, discerning
Once again, lightning flashes and shines on the top of the valley of sinai. O discerning eye.
4
phir dil ko musaffa¹ karo
is lauh² pe shaa’ed³
maabain⁴-e man-o-tu⁵ naya paimaaN⁶ koi utre     1.purify 2.tablet 3.perhaps 4.between 5.you and me, god and human 6.promise
Once again, purify your heart. Perhaps on this tablet, between god and human a new promise, a new vision will come. This is a reference to the tablets with ten commandments that moosa is said to have brought down.
5
ab rasm¹-e sitam² hikmat³-e Khaasaan⁴-e zamiiN hai
taa’iid⁵-e sitam² maslehat⁶-e mufti⁷-e diiN⁸ hai     1.tradition, practice 2.oppression 3.cleverness, scheme 4.special, priveleged, chosen 5.support, ratify 6.convenience, hidden agenda 7.law-giver 8.faith, belief
The scheme of the priveleged/chosen of the land has become the practice of oppression. Connivance with the oppressor has become the agenda of the law-giver of the faithful.
6
ab sadiyoN¹ ke eqraar²-e itaa’at³ ko badalne
laazim⁴ hai keh inkaar⁵ ka farmaaN⁶ koi utre     1.centuries 2.agreement 3.obedience 4.required, essential 5.refusal, resistance 6.edict
It is essential that a new edict of resistance descend (from the top of mount sinai/from god) so that the centuries old agreement of blind obedience be changed.
7
suno keh shaa’ed¹ yeh noor²-e saiqal³
hai us sahiife⁴ ka harf⁵-e avval⁶
jo har-kas-o-naakas⁷-e zamiiN par
dil-e gadaayaan⁸-e ajma’iiN⁹ par
utar raha hai falak¹⁰ se ab ke   1.perhaps 2.light 3.polishing, rubbing, cleansing 4.book 5.word 6.first, beginning 7.all and sundry 8.beggars, destitute 9.crowd 10.sky, heaven
Listen, perhaps this cleansing light is but the first word of the book descending from the sky on all and sundry of this world, on the hearts of the crowd of the destitute.
8
suno keh is harf¹-e lam-yazal² ke
hamiiN tumhiiN bandagaan³-e be-bas⁴
aliim⁵ bhi haiN Khabiir⁶ bhi haiN    1.word 2.without end, eternal 3.slaves 4.helpless 5.knowledgable, scholars 6.aware
Listen, that of this eternal word, you and I, helpless slaves, are themselves scholars and experts, aware of its meaning.
9
suno keh ham be-zabaan¹-o-bekas²
bashiir³ bhi haiN naziir⁴ bhi haiN     1.voiceless 2.helpless 3.harbingers of joy 4.examplars
Listen, that we, the voiceless and the helpless maybe ourselves the harbingers/prophets of joy and exemplars of action.
10
har ek ulul-amr¹ ko sada² do
ki apni fard-e-amal³ sambhaale
uThega jab jamm⁴-e sarfaroshaaN⁵
paReNge daar-o-rasan⁶ ke laale⁷
koi na hoga keh jo bacha le   1.person of authority, powerful 2.call, inform 3.list of actions 4.crowd 5.those willing to offer their heads/lives, fearless 6.hanging platform and noose 7.dangers
Give a call to the powerful that they gather their list of deeds for when the crowd of the fearless will rise, the hanging platfrom and noose will not be far away, and there will be none to save you.
11
jaza¹ saza² sab yahiiN peh hogi
yahiiN se uTThega roz-e-mahshar³
yahiiN azaab-o-savaab⁴ hoga
yahiiN pe roz⁵-e hisaab⁶ hoga     1.reward 2.punishment 3.day of tumult/rebellion 4.curse and grace, punishment and forgiveness 5.day of 6.reckoning, judgement
Reward and punishment will be here and now. The day of rebellion will rise from here, punishment and forgiveness, reckoning and judgment will happen here and now.