For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
برتری – سید محمّد شاہد
۱
سچ کہہ دوں میرے ہمدم تو جانے یا نہ جانے
بن بیٹھے سب ہیں اعلیٰ تو مانے یا نہ مانے
ہے برہمن کا دعوا پچھلے جنم کی اسکو
ملتی جزا ہے یہ تو برتر اُسے بنانے
سید کا یہ ہے کہنا آل رسول ہے وہ
اشرف کہے ہے خود کو ہر ایک کو سنانے
محفل سے ایسی میں تو تنگ آکے اُٹھ چلاہوں
دعویٰ ہے برتری کا اپنی کسر چھپانے
۲
نکلا جو میں وہاں سے ڈھونڈوں خودی کہاں ہے
دیکھوں کسی نے ذِمہّ خامی کا خود لیا ہے
سمجھا ہے یہ مسیحی عیسا پہ کر بھروسہ
اقرار کر لیا جو عقوبت سے وہ بری ہے
یہودی ہے حق جتاتا اُمّت ہے خاص اُسکی
قابض ہے جس زمین پر یاہوے نے اُس کو دی ہے
مذہب ہے اُسکا برتر حبّ الوطن وہی ہے
اوروں کو کر کے بےگھر مظلوم خود بنا ہے
۳
میراث کا کرشمہ منطق کو بھی مٹایا
ملا ناگہاں جو ورثہ افضل اسے بنایا
گورے کو برتری کا احساس یوں قوی تھا
تعمیر کے بہانے ہر ملک کو اجاڑا
اب برتری کی صورت تھوڑی بدل گئی ہے
سازش میں کر کے شامل شاہ خفی بنایا
ہر قوم کی اسیری، ہر ملک کی تباہی
مل جل کے لوٹتے ہیں مزدور کا کمایا
۴
میراث کا تسلط جڑ سے پکڑ اکھا ڑیں
ورثے کی برتری کو ہموار کر کے چھوڑیں
مذہب کو دور رکھیں سیاسی مراہلوں سے
لا دینیت کا چرچا ہر قوم میں کرا دیں
کرتے ہیں جو یہ دعویٰ، سچ اُنکا خاص وِرثہ
حق کے بہت سے رُخ ہیں، ہم اُنکو یہ دکھا دیں
سازش میں جو جڑے ہیں سرمایادار سب ہی
پوشیدہ راز کھولیں مزدور کو دکھا دیں
۵
ہم سب ہیں اریزونا، وسکونسن بھی مصری
ٹنیسی و فلسطینی بحرینی یا ہوں یمنی, ہم ایک ہیں سنا دیں
تحریک ”آ کیوپائی “کی کچھ اِس طرح چلی ہے
کیونکر نہ ہم بھی اِنکو، بڑھ کر گلاے لگا لیں
سرمائے کا تسلّط سیاست کا اقتدار مذہب کا دعویدار
ایک راز کے ہی رخ ہیں یہ سب کو ہم دکھا دیں
دنیا ہو ایک اپنی کوئی جدا نہ کر دے
بکھرے ہوئے ہیں جو سب مظلوم کو ملا دیں
बरतरी – सय्यद मोहम्मद शाहेद
१
सच कह दूँ मेरे हमदम तू जाने या न जाने
बन बैठे सब हैं आ’ला तू माने या न माने
है बरहमन का दावा पिछले जनम की उसको
मिलती जज़ा है ये तो, बरतर उसे बनाने
सय्यद का है ये कहना, आल-ए रसूल है वो
अश्रफ़ कहे है ख़ुद को, हर एक को सुनाने
महफ़िल से ऐसी मैं तो तंग आके उठ चला हूँ
दावा है बरतरी का, अपनी कसर छुपाने
२
निक्ला जो मैं वहां से ढून्डूं ख़ुदी कहाँ है
देखूं किसी ने ज़िम्मा ख़ामी का ख़ुद लिया है
समझा है ये मसीही, ईसा पे कर भरोसा
इक़रार कर लिया जो, उक़ूबत से वो बरी है
यहूदी है हक़ जताता, उम्मत है ख़ास उसकी
क़ाबिज़ है जिस ज़मीं पर, याह्वेह ने उसको दी है
मज़हब है उसका बरतर हुब्ब-उल-वतन वही है
औरों को करके बेघर मज़्लूम ख़ुद बना है
३
मीरास का करिश्मा मंतक़ को भी मिटाया
मिला नागहाँ जो विरसा अफ़्ज़ल उसे बनाया
गोरे को बरतरी का, एहसास यूँ क़वी था
ता’अमीर के बहाने, हर मुल्क को उजाड़ा
अब बरतरी की सूरत, थोड़ी बदल गई है
साज़िश में कर के शामिल, शाह-ए ख़फ़ी बनाया
हर क़ौम की असीरी, हर मुल्क की तबाही
मिल जुल के लूटते हैं, मज़्दूर का कमाया
४
मीरास का तस्सलुत, जढ से पकड़ उखाढें
विरसे की बरतरी को, हमवार कर के छोढें
मज़्हब को दूर रक्खें सियासी मराहलों से
ला-दीनियत का चर्चा हर क़ौम में करा दें
करते हैं जो ये दावा, सच उनका ख़ास विरसा
हक़ के बहुत से रुख़ हैं, उनको ये हम दिखादें
साज़िश में जो जुढे हैं, सरमायादार सब ही
पोशीदा राज़ खोलें, मज़्दूर को बता दें
५
हम सब हैं एरिज़ोना, विस्कॉन्सिन भी मिसरी
तुनीसी ओ फ़िलस्तीनी, बहरैनी या हों यमनी, हम एक हैं सुना दें
तहरीक “ओक्युपई” की कुछ इस तरह चली है
क्यूँकर न हम भी इनको, बढ़कर गले लगा लें
सरमाये का तस्सलुत, सियासत का एक़्तेदार, मज़्हब का दावेदार
एक राज़ के ही रुख़ हैं, ये सब को हम दिखा दें
दुनिया हो एक अपनी, कोई जुदा न कर दे
बिखरे हुए हैं जो सब, मज़्लूम को मिला दें
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry, and unbelief. Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement and continuous learning. This nazm is modeled after Iqbal’s ‘naya shivala’. While in that poem (a relatively liberal view), Iqbal moves from sectarianism to nationalism. This reflects a move beyond that.
1
sach kah duN mere hamdam1 tu jaane ya na jaane
ban baiThe sab haiN aa’la2 tu maane ya na maane
hai barhaman ka daava3 pichhle janam ki usko
milti jaza4 hai yeh to, bartar5 use banaane
sayyed ka hai ye kahna, aal-e-rasool6 hai vo
ashraf7 kahe hai Khud ko, har ek ko sunaane
mehfil8 se aisi maiN to tang aake uTh chala huN
daava9 hai bartari ka, apni kasar10 chhupaan 1.friend 2.superior 3.claim 4.reward, recompense 5.superior 6.progeny of the prophet (of Islam) 7.superior 8.assembly 9.claim 10.shortcoming
I tell you the truth I see my friend, maybe you don’t know but we all claim superiority by birth, maybe you don’t believe me. The Brahman claims that because of his previous birth his superiority is a reward for good deeds. The sayyad says that he is the direct progeny of the prophet of Islam. He calls himself superior to show off before everyone. Disgusted with this assembly I got up to leave. Everyone claims superiority to hide their own failings.
2
nikla jo maiN vahaN se DhoonDuN Khudi1 kahaaN hai
dekhuN kisi ne zimma2 Khaami3 ka Khud liya hai
samjha hai ye masihi4, eesa5 pe kar bharosa6
iqraar7 kar liya jo, uqoobat8 se vo bari9 hai
yehudi10 hai haq jataata11, ummat12 hai Khaas13 uski
qaabiz14 hai jis zamiN par, yahve15 ne usko di hai
mazhab hai uska bartar16 hubb-ul-vatan vohi17 hai
auroN ko karke be-ghar mazloom18 Khud banaa hai 1.sense of self, self-respect 2.responsibility 3.shortcoming 4.Christian 5.Jesus 6.accept, confess 7.deliverance (from sin) 9.exempt 10.Jew 11.asserts rights 12.community 13.special 14.occupier 15.god 16.superior 17.he alone loves his homeland 18.victim
I stepped out to search for signs of self respect/responsibility, to see if anyone owns up to their failings. The Christian thinks that if he believes in Christ and declares his faith he is absolved from all sin. The Jew claims his community is special/chosen, and that the land which he has usurped was granted to him by Yahweh. His faith is superior, he alone has love for his homeland. He has displaced others, made them homeless and claims to be the victim.
3
miraas1 ka karishma2 mantaq3 ko bhi miTaaya
mila nagahaaN4 jo virsa5 afzal6 use banaaya
gorey ko bartari ka, ehsaas yuN qavi7 tha
ta’ameer8 ke bahaane, har mulk ko ujaaRa9
ab bartari ki surat, thoRi badal gayi hai
saazish10 meN kar ke shamil11, shah-e Khufi12 banaaya
har qaum ki asiri13, har mulk ki tabaahi14
mil jul ke looTte haiN, mazdoor ka kamaaya 1.inheritance 2.trick, magic 3.logic 4.by chance 5.legacy, inheritance 6.superior 7.strong 8.building, progress 9.destroyed 10.conspiracy 11.include 12.give kingship/power secretly 13.enslavement 14.destruction
A strange trick played by inheritance, all logic is wiped out. An accident of birth, becomes the basis of superiority (and faith). The white man and his belief in superiority, in the name of progress he destroyed every country.
Now the face of superiority has changed a little. Coopting the local lord in conspiracy, they create a façade, a hidden king. The slavery of every community, the destruction of every country, they conspire together and loot the product of labour.
4
miraas1 ka tassalut2, jaR se pakaR ukhaaReN
virse3 ki bartari ko, hamvaar4 kar ke chhoRen
mazhab ko duur rakkheN siyaasi maraahiloN5 se
laadiniat6 ka charcha har qaum7 meN karaa deN
karte haiN jo ye daava8, haq9 unka Khaas10 virsa3
haq9 ke bahut se ruKh11 haiN, unko ye hum dikha deN
sazish12 meN jo juRe haiN, sarmayadaar13 sab hi
poshida14 raaz15 kholeN, mazdoor ko bataa deN 1.inherited (faith) 2.dominance 3.inheritance (of faith) 4.level, even 5.problems 6.irreligion, secularism 7.community 8.claim 9.truth/faith 10.special, exclusive 11.faces 12.conspiracy 13.capitalists 14.hidden 15.secret
Let us root out the dominance of inherited privileges, level out the undue “superiority” of “birth”, keep faith out of political issues, spread secularism among all communities. Those who claim exclusive inheritance to Truth, let us show them that Truth has many faces, expose the conspiracy of Capital and show the worker the hidden machinations (of Capital).
5
ham sab haiN arizona1, wisconsin bhi misri
Tunisi o philastini, bahraini ya hoN yemani, hum ek haiN suna deN
tehrik2 “occupy” ki kuchh is tarah chali hai
kyuNkar na ham bhi inko, baRhkar galey lagaa leN
sarmaye ka tassalut3, siasat ka iqtedaar4, mazhab ka davedaar5
ek raaz6 ke hi ruKh7 haiN, ye sab ko ham dikha deN
duniya ho ek apni, koi juda8 na kar de
bikhre9 hue haiN jo sab, mazloom10 ko mila deN 1.we are all Arizona 2.movement 3.dominance 4.power 5.claimant (to righteousness) 6.secret, conspiracy 7.faces 8.separate 9.scattered 10.oppressed, victimized
This was written at the time of undocumented labor demonstrations in Arizona, labor union demonstrations in Wisconsin and liberation demonstrations in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Yaman. Palestine, of course is a perennial issue.
We are all Arizona, Wisconsin is Egypt too. Tunisian, Palestinian, Bahraini and Yamani, we are all one. The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement reflects our common needs. Why don’t we reach out and embrace them as our own. The dominance of capital, the power of politics, the claims of religion, let us expose the many faces of the same secret. Let our world be one, let no one divide us. We the scattered, the dispossessed, let us unite.
syed mohammed shahed (1944-living) came to urdu late in life, but early to skepticism, inquiry, and unbelief. Irreverent and rebellious, he enjoys retirement and continuous learning. This nazm is modeled after Iqbal’s ‘naya shivala’. While in that poem (a relatively liberal view), Iqbal moves from sectarianism to nationalism. This reflects a move beyond that.
1
sach kah duN mere hamdam1 tu jaane ya na jaane
ban baiThe sab haiN aa’la2 tu maane ya na maane
hai barhaman ka daava3 pichhle janam ki usko
milti jaza4 hai yeh to, bartar5 use banaane
sayyed ka hai ye kahna, aal-e-rasool6 hai vo
ashraf7 kahe hai Khud ko, har ek ko sunaane
mehfil8 se aisi maiN to tang aake uTh chala huN
daava9 hai bartari ka, apni kasar10 chhupaane
1.friend 2.superior 3.claim 4.reward, recompense 5.superior 6.progeny of the prophet (of Islam) 7.superior 8.assembly 9.claim 10.shortcoming
I tell you the truth I see my friend, maybe you don’t know but we all claim superiority by birth, maybe you don’t believe me. The Brahman claims that because of his previous birth his superiority is a reward for good deeds. The sayyad says that he is the direct progeny of the prophet of Islam. He calls himself superior to show off before everyone. Disgusted with this assembly I got up to leave. Everyone claims superiority to hide their own failings.
2
nikla jo maiN vahaN se DhoonDuN Khudi1 kahaaN hai
dekhuN kisi ne zimma2 Khaami3 ka Khud liya hai
samjha hai ye masihi4, eesa5 pe kar bharosa6
iqraar7 kar liya jo, uqoobat8 se vo bari9 hai
yehudi10 hai haq jataata11, ummat12 hai Khaas13 uski
qaabiz14 hai jis zamiN par, yahve15 ne usko di hai
mazhab hai uska bartar16 hubb-ul-vatan vohi17 hai
auroN ko karke be-ghar mazloom18 Khud banaa hai
1.sense of self, self-respect 2.responsibility 3.shortcoming 4.Christian 5.Jesus 6.accept, confess 7.deliverance (from sin) 9.exempt 10.Jew 11.asserts rights 12.community 13.special 14.occupier 15.god 16.superior 17.he alone loves his homeland 18.victim
I stepped out to search for signs of self respect/responsibility, to see if anyone owns up to their failings. The Christian thinks that if he believes in Christ and declares his faith he is absolved from all sin. The Jew claims his community is special/chosen, and that the land which he has usurped was granted to him by Yahweh. His faith is superior, he alone has love for his homeland. He has displaced others, made them homeless and claims to be the victim.
3
miraas1 ka karishma2 mantaq3 ko bhi miTaaya
mila nagahaaN4 jo virsa5 afzal6 use banaaya
gorey ko bartari ka, ehsaas yuN qavi7 tha
ta’ameer8 ke bahaane, har mulk ko ujaaRa9
ab bartari ki surat, thoRi badal gayi hai
saazish10 meN kar ke shamil11, shah-e Khufi12 banaaya
har qaum ki asiri13, har mulk ki tabaahi14
mil jul ke looTte haiN, mazdoor ka kamaaya
1.inheritance 2.trick, magic 3.logic 4.by chance 5.legacy, inheritance 6.superior 7.strong 8.building, progress 9.destroyed 10.conspiracy 11.include 12.give kingship/power secretly 13.enslavement 14.destruction
A strange trick played by inheritance, all logic is wiped out. An accident of birth, becomes the basis of superiority (and faith). The white man and his belief in superiority, in the name of progress he destroyed every country.
Now the face of superiority has changed a little. Coopting the local lord in conspiracy, they create a façade, a hidden king. The slavery of every community, the destruction of every country, they conspire together and loot the product of labour.
4
miraas1 ka tassalut2, jaR se pakaR ukhaaReN
virse3 ki bartari ko, hamvaar4 kar ke chhoRen
mazhab ko duur rakkheN siyaasi maraahiloN5 se
laadiniat6 ka charcha har qaum7 meN karaa deN
karte haiN jo ye daava8, haq9 unka Khaas10 virsa3
haq9 ke bahut se ruKh11 haiN, unko ye hum dikha deN
sazish12 meN jo juRe haiN, sarmayadaar13 sab hi
poshida14 raaz15 kholeN, mazdoor ko bataa deN
1.inherited (faith) 2.dominance 3.inheritance (of faith) 4.level, even 5.problems 6.irreligion, secularism 7.community 8.claim 9.truth/faith 10.special, exclusive 11.faces 12.conspiracy 13.capitalists 14.hidden 15.secret
Let us root out the dominance of inherited privileges, level out the undue “superiority” of “birth”, keep faith out of political issues, spread secularism among all communities. Those who claim exclusive inheritance to Truth, let us show them that Truth has many faces, expose the conspiracy of Capital and show the worker the hidden machinations (of Capital).
5
ham sab haiN arizona1, wisconsin bhi misri
Tunisi o philastini, bahraini ya hoN yemani, hum ek haiN suna deN
tehrik2 “occupy” ki kuchh is tarah chali hai
kyuNkar na ham bhi inko, baRhkar galey lagaa leN
sarmaye ka tassalut3, siasat ka iqtedaar4, mazhab ka davedaar5
ek raaz6 ke hi ruKh7 haiN, ye sab ko ham dikha deN
duniya ho ek apni, koi juda8 na kar de
bikhre9 hue haiN jo sab, mazloom10 ko mila deN
1.we are all Arizona 2.movement 3.dominance 4.power 5.claimant (to righteousness) 6.secret, conspiracy 7.faces 8.separate 9.scattered 10.oppressed, victimized
This was written at the time of undocumented labor demonstrations in Arizona, labor union demonstrations in Wisconsin and liberation demonstrations in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Yaman. Palestine, of course is a perennial issue.
We are all Arizona, Wisconsin is Egypt too. Tunisian, Palestinian, Bahraini and Yamani, we are all one. The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement reflects our common needs. Why don’t we reach out and embrace them as our own. The dominance of capital, the power of politics, the claims of religion, let us expose the many faces of the same secret. Let our world be one, let no one divide us. We the scattered, the dispossessed, let us unite.
