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Recitation
ائے ارضِ وطن – فہمیدہ ریاض
اۓ ا رضِ وطن ، ائے ارضِ وطن!
کیوں تیرے زخمی تن پہ اُگی
یہ فصل فقط سنگینوں کی
جن کی نوکوں پر جھول رہی ہے
مٹیالے مکڑی جالوں سی
زور آور جلادوں کی ہنسی
مستور ہیں کیوں مہتاب تیرے
پھانسی كے سیاہ نقابوں میں
کیوں رونقِ صحنِ مقتل میں
غنچے تیرے سرخ گلابوں كے
سولی پہ سجائیں کس نے تیری
آوازوں کی کچی کلیاں
یہ کن مستوں كے نعرے ہیں
کس لہو كے گاتے دھارے ہیں
ائے رب دو عالم تو ہی بتا
جو میرے دیس پہ چھائی ہے
وہ کیا شے ہے ، وہ کیا ہے بلا
تاریکی تو تخلیق تیری
تاریکی میں اسرار بھی ہے
لیکن یہ گھمستا اندھا پن
یہ نابینائی کا موسم
یہ گلو شکستہ مجلس دم
کیا تو نے اسے بھی خلق کیا ؟
کیوں میری فضاؤں میں گونجی
نابینائی کی فحش ہنسی
ائے ارضِ وطن ، ائے ارضِ وطن
ارفع ہے مقام شہادت کا
کمسن ہیں تیرے نورستہ جواں
نعروں کی کمند بناتے ہیں
اور اِن کے سہارے قدم قدم
یوں رفعتِ دار تک آتے ہیں
یوں موت كے آگے جینے كے
سارے پیماں دہراتے ہیں
تھرّا جاتی ہے سخت زمیں
دِل تیرا بھی لرزا كہ نہیں!
کیوں میری فضاوں میں گونجی
نا بینائی کی فحُشُ ہنسی
अए अर्ज़-ए वतन – फ़हमीदा रियाज़
अए अर्ज़-ए वतन, अए अर्ज़-ए वतन!
क्यूं तेरे ज़ख़्मी तन पे उगी
ये फ़स्ल फ़क़त संगीनौं की
जिन की नोकौं पर झूल रही है
मिटियाले मकड़ी जालौं सी
ज़ोर आवर जल्लादों कि हंसी
मस्तूर हैं क्यूं महताब तेरे
फांसी के सियाह नक़ाबौं में
क्यूं रौना-ए सहन-ए मक़तल में
ग़ुन्चे तेरे सुर्ख़ गुलाबौं के
सूली पे सजाईं किस ने तेरी
आवाज़ों की कच्ची कलियां
ये किन मस्तों के नारे हैं
किस लहू के गाते धारे हैं
आए रब्ब-ए दो आलम तू ही बता
जो मेरे देस पे छाई है
वो क्या श’ए है, वो क्या है बला
तारीकी तो तख़्लीक़ तेरी
तारीकी में अस्रार भी है
लैकिन ये घुमस्ता अँधा पन
ये नाबीनाई का मोसम
ये गुलू शिकस्ता मज्लिस-ए दम
क्या तू ने इसे भी क़ल्क़ किया?
क्यूं मेरी फ़िज़ाओं में गूंजी
नाबीनाई की फ़ुहुश हंसी
अए अर्ज़-ए वतन, अए अर्ज़-ए वतन
अरफ़ा है मक़ाम शहादत का
कमसिन हैं तेरे नौरस्ता जवां
नारौं की कमन्द बनाते हैं
और उनके सहारे क़दम क़दम
यूं रा’अत-ए दार तक आते हैं
यूं मौत के आगे जीने के
सारे पैमां दोहराते हैं
थर्रा जाती है सख़्त ज़मीं
दिल तेरा भी लरज़ा के नहीं!
क्यूं मेरी फ़िज़ाओं में गूंजी
नाबीनाई की फ़ुहुश हंसी
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. fahmida riaz (1946-2018) is generally known as a ‘feminist’ poet. She is that. But her repertoire is much wider. In addition to women’s rights, she has written about peace, justice, militarism and much more. For a few years she had to leave pakistan. She sought refuge in India, was welcomed there and wrote a beautiful nazm ‘naya bharat’. This is a powerful and beautiful protest against militaristic culture, in the spirit of sahir ludhianawi’s sh’er
bahut dinauN se hai ye mashGhala siyasat ka
ke jab javaan hoN bachche to qatl ho jaa’eN
For long it has been the past-time of politics
That when children come of age, they be killed
Also see faiz ahmed faiz, ‘kitnauN ka lahu’
aye arz-e vatan1, aye arz-e vatan!
kyuN tere zaKhmi tan pe ugi
ye fasl2 faqat3 saNgeenauN4 ki
jin ki nokauN par jhool rahi hai
miTiyaale makRi jaalauN si
zor aavar5 jalladauN6 ki haNsi1. homeland 2. harvest 3. only 4. bayonets 5. forceful 6. executioner
O my homeland, on your wounded breast, why does only a harvest of bayonets grow. Hanging from the points of bayonets is the forceful (loud and mocking) laughter of executioners. It hangs from the bayonets like spider webs ready to entrap any that come near.
mastoor1 haiN kyuN mahtaab2 tere
phaaNsi ke siyah naqaabauN3 meN
kyuN raunaq4-e sahn5-e maqtal6 meN
Ghunche7 tere surKh8 gulaabauN ke1. hidden 2. bright moon 3. black hoods (put on the heads of people to be executed) 4. brilliance, beauty 5. field 6. slaughter house 7. unopened buds 8. red
The young men of the homeland are like the full moon or like unopened buds (still young) of red roses. Why are they covered with executioner’s black hoods. Why are they the pride of the yards of slaughter-houses.
sooli1 pe sajaaiiN kis ne teri
aavaazauN ki kachchi kaliyaaN
ye kin mastauN2 ke naare3 haiN
kis lahu ke gaate dhaare haiN
aye rabb-e do aalam4 tu hi bata
jo mere des pe chhaaii hai
vo kya sha’e5 hai, vo kya hai balaa61. cross, gallows 2. carefree 3. martial call 4. lord of both worlds 5. thing 6. calamity, curse
Who is it that has decorated your (homeland’s) cross with the voices of young (men). Who are these carefree young men whose martial call reverberates like the song of flowing blood. O lord of both worlds, tell me what curse has befallen my homeland.
tareeki1 to taKhleeq2 teri
tareeki meN asraar3 bhi hai
laikin ye ghumasta4 andha pan
ye nabeenaaii5 ka mosam
ye guloo shikasta6 majlis-e dam7
kya tu ne ise bhi Khalq8 kiya?1. darkness 2. creation 3. mysteries 4. suffocating 5. blindness 6. throat slashing 7. assembly of life 8. create
Darkness is your creation (O lord of both worlds) but there are redeeming mysteries in darkness. But this suffocating blindness, this refusal to see, this gathering of Life that slashes throats, did you create this too?
kyuN meri fizaauN1 meN gooNji
nabeenaaii ki fuhush2 haNsi1. atmosphere, surroundings 2. obscene, shameful
Why does the obscene laughter of ignorance echo in my surroundings?
aye arz-e vatan, aye arz-e vatan
arfa’1 hai maqaam2 shahaadat3 ka
kamsin haiN tere naurasta4 javaaN
naarauN5 ki kamand6 banaate haiN
aur unke sahaare qadam qadam
yuN raf’at7-e daar8 tak aate haiN
yuN maut ke aage9 jeene ke
saare paimaaN10 dohraate11 haiN
thharra jaati hai saKht zamiN
dil tera bhi larza12 ke nahiN!1. high, exalted 2. position 3. martyrdom 4. fresh, still growing 5. challenging cry 6. hook used to scale fort walls, throw down the gauntlet 7. height 8. gallows 9. after 10. plan, promise 11. repeat 12. shiver
O, my homeland, the position of martyrdom is exalted. The young and still growing youth shout challenges, throw down the gauntlet and in this madness, step by step, scale the heights of the gallows. They repeat the promise of life after death making the earth tremble with fear. Did your heart shiver too?
kyuN meri fizaauN meN goonji
naabeenaaii ki fuhush haNsi
fahmida riaz (1946-2018) is generally known as a ‘feminist’ poet. She is that. But her repertoire is much wider. In addition to women’s rights, she has written about peace, justice, militarism and much more. For a few years she had to leave pakistan. She sought refuge in India, was welcomed there and wrote a beautiful nazm ‘naya bharat’. This is a powerful and beautiful protest against militaristic culture, in the spirit of sahir ludhianawi’s sh’er
bahut dinauN se hai ye mashGhala siyasat ka
ke jab javaan hoN bachche to qatl ho jaa’eN
For long it has been the past-time of politics
That when children come of age, they be killed
aye arz-e vatan1, aye arz-e vatan!
kyuN tere zaKhmi tan pe ugi
ye fasl2 faqat3 saNgeenauN4 ki
jin ki nokauN par jhool rahi hai
miTiyaale makRi jaalauN si
zor aavar5 jalladauN6 ki haNsi
1. homeland 2. harvest 3. only 4. bayonets 5. forceful 6. executioner
O my homeland, on your wounded breast, why does only a harvest of bayonets grow. Hanging from the points of bayonets is the forceful (loud and mocking) laughter of executioners. It hangs from the bayonets like spider webs ready to entrap any that come near.
mastoor1 haiN kyuN mahtaab2 tere
phaaNsi ke siyah naqaabauN3 meN
kyuN raunaq4-e sahn5-e maqtal6 meN
Ghunche7 tere surKh8 gulaabauN ke
1. hidden 2. bright moon 3. black hoods (put on the heads of people to be executed) 4. brilliance, beauty 5. field 6. slaughter house 7. unopened buds 8. red
The young men of the homeland are like the full moon or like unopened buds (still young) of red roses. Why are they covered with executioner’s black hoods. Why are they the pride of the yards of slaughter-houses.
sooli1 pe sajaaiiN kis ne teri
aavaazauN ki kachchi kaliyaaN
ye kin mastauN2 ke naare3 haiN
kis lahu ke gaate dhaare haiN
aye rabb-e do aalam4 tu hi bata
jo mere des pe chhaaii hai
vo kya sha’e5 hai, vo kya hai balaa6
1. cross, gallows 2. carefree 3. martial call 4. lord of both worlds 5. thing 6. calamity, curse
Who is it that has decorated your (homeland’s) cross with the voices of young (men). Who are these carefree young men whose martial call reverberates like the song of flowing blood. O lord of both worlds, tell me what curse has befallen my homeland.
tareeki1 to taKhleeq2 teri
tareeki meN asraar3 bhi hai
laikin ye ghumasta4 andha pan
ye nabeenaaii5 ka mosam
ye guloo shikasta6 majlis-e dam7
kya tu ne ise bhi Khalq8 kiya?
1. darkness 2. creation 3. mysteries 4. suffocating 5. blindness 6. throat slashing 7. assembly of life 8. create
Darkness is your creation (O lord of both worlds) but there are redeeming mysteries in darkness. But this suffocating blindness, this refusal to see, this gathering of Life that slashes throats, did you create this too?
kyuN meri fizaauN1 meN gooNji
nabeenaaii ki fuhush2 haNsi
1. atmosphere, surroundings 2. obscene, shameful
Why does the obscene laughter of ignorance echo in my surroundings?
aye arz-e vatan, aye arz-e vatan
arfa’1 hai maqaam2 shahaadat3 ka
kamsin haiN tere naurasta4 javaaN
naarauN5 ki kamand6 banaate haiN
aur unke sahaare qadam qadam
yuN raf’at7-e daar8 tak aate haiN
yuN maut ke aage9 jeene ke
saare paimaaN10 dohraate11 haiN
thharra jaati hai saKht zamiN
dil tera bhi larza12 ke nahiN!
1. high, exalted 2. position 3. martyrdom 4. fresh, still growing 5. challenging cry 6. hook used to scale fort walls, throw down the gauntlet 7. height 8. gallows 9. after 10. plan, promise 11. repeat 12. shiver
O, my homeland, the position of martyrdom is exalted. The young and still growing youth shout challenges, throw down the gauntlet and in this madness, step by step, scale the heights of the gallows. They repeat the promise of life after death making the earth tremble with fear. Did your heart shiver too?
kyuN meri fizaauN meN goonji
nabeenaaii ki fuhush haNsi
