Recitation
میں کون ہوں ۔ کشور ناہید
موزے بیچتی جوتے بیچتی عورت میرا نام نہیں
میں تو وہی ہوں جس کو تم دیوار میں چن کے
مثلِ صبابے خوف ہوئے
یہ نہیں جانا
پتھر سےآ واز کبھی بھی دب نہیں سکتی
میں تو وہی ہوں رسم و رواج کے بوجھ تلے
جسے تم نے چھپایا
یہ نہیں جانا
روشنی گھور اندھیروں میں کبھی ڈر نہیں سکتی
میں تو وہی ہوں گود سے جس کی پھول چنے
ا نگارے اور کانٹے ڈالے
یہ نہیں جانا
زنجیروں سے پھول کی خوشبو کبھی چھپ نہیں سکتی
میں تو وہی ہوں میری حیاکے نام پہ تم نے
مجھ کو خریدا مجھ کو بیچا
یہ نہیں جانا
کچےّ گھڑے پر تیر کر سوہنی مر نہیں سکتی
میں تو وہی ہوں جس کوتم نے ڈولی بٹھاکے
اپنے سر سے بوجھ اُٹھایا
یہ نہیں جانا
ذہن غلام اگر ہے تو قوم اُبھر نہیں سکتی
پہلے تم نے میری شرم و حیاکے نام پہ خوب تجارت کی تھی
میری ممتامیری وفاکے نام پہ خوب تجارت کی تھی
اب گودوں میں اور ذہنوں میں پھولوں کے کھلنے کا موسم ہے
پوسٹروں پر نیم برہنہ
موزے بیچتی جوتے بیچتی عورت میرا نام نہیں
मैं कौन हूं – किश्वर नाहीद
मोज़े बेचती जूते बेचती औरत मेरा नाम नहीं
मैं तो वही हूँ जिस को तुम दीवार में चुन के
मिस्ल ए सबा बे ख़ौफ़ हुए
ये नहीं जाना
पत्थर से आवाज़ कभी दब नहीं सकती
मैं तो वही हूँ रस्म ओ रिवाज के बोझ तले
जिसे तुम ने छुपाया
ये नहीं जाना
रौशनी घोर अंधेरों में कभी डर नहीं सकती
मैं तो वही हूँ गोद से जिस की फूल चुने
अंगारे और कांटे डाले
ये नहीं जाना
ज़ंजीरों से फूल की ख़ुशबू कभी छुप नहीं सकती
मैं तो वही हूँ मेरी हया के नाम पे तुम ने
मुझ को ख़रीदा मुझ को बेचा
ये नहीं जाना
कच्चे घड़े पर तैर कर सोहिनी मर नहीं सकती
मैं तो वही हूँ जिस को तुम ने डोली बिठा के
अपने सर से बोझ उठाया
ये नहीं जाना
ज़हन ग़ुलाम अगर है तो क़ौम उभर नहीं सकती
पहले तुम ने मेरी शर्म ओ हया के नाम पे ख़ूब तिजारत की थी
मेरी ममता मेरी वफ़ा के नाम पे ख़ूब तिजारत की थी
अब गोदों में और ज़हनों में फूलों के खिलने का मोसम है
पोस्टरों पर नीम बरहना
मोज़े बेचती जूते बेचती औरत मेरा नाम नहीं
maiN kaun huN – kishwar naheed
Click on any passage for meanings and discussion.
mozay1 bechti, joote bechti aurat mera naam nahiN
maiN to vahi huN jis ko tum divaar meN chun ke
misl2-e saba3 be-Khauf4 hue
ye nahiN jaana
pathhar se aavaz kabhi dab nahiN sakti1.socks 2.like, example 3.morning breeze 4.fearless, carefree
Kishwar Naheed is NOT talking about the woman on the street corner selling socks and shoes to make a living. She is talking about half naked images of women used on posters for marketing all products. I am not that woman, she asserts. I am the one you imprisoned behind walls and went free and fearless like the morning breeze, not knowing that stone walls cannot stop my voice.
maiN to vahi huN rasm o rivaj1 ke bojh tale
jise tum ne chhupaaya
ye nahiN jaana
raushni ghor andheroN2 meN kabhi Dar nahiN sakti1.rituals and traditions 2.pitch darkness
I am the one you burdened with rituals and traditions and you hid me in a corner, not knowing that Light is not afraid of darkness. Putting women up on a pedestal as paragons of virtue and caretakers of the values of the community is a very convenient position from which to burden her with responsibilities … see hafiz jalandhari.
maiN to vahi huN god se jis ki phool chune
aNgaare aur kaNTe Daale
ye nahiN jaana
zanjirauN se phool ki Khushboo kabhi chhup nahiN saktiI am the one from whose lap you picked off flowers giving me thorns and embers in return, not knowing that chains cannot confine my fragrance. “flowers picked from the lap” could be interpreted as “children”. That would be rather conventional. I would interpret it more in the spirit of Fahmida Raiz’s “zamiN ke ruKh par jo hai pasina to jhilmilaati hai meri mehnat”. Thus “you picked off the fruits of my labour and paid me poor wages” is more in keeping with a defiant interpretation.
maiN to vahi huN meri haya ke naam pe tum ne
mujh ko Kharida mujh ko becha
ye nahiN jaana
kachche ghaRey par tair kar sohni mar nahiN saktiI am the one whose chastity you bought and sold not knowing that true love survives drowning (the reference is to the legend of lovers – sohni-mahiwal, where sohni and her love is considered immortal).
maiN to vahi huN jis ko tum ne Doli biTha ke
apne sar se bojh uThaaya
ye nahiN jaana
zahn Ghulam agar hai to qaum ubhar nahiN saktiI am the one you married off, happy that you were relieved of the “burden”, not knowing that when minds are imprisoned/closed, society cannot be free. This could be a reference to the cultural habit of marrying daughters off without necessarily thinking of their education.
pahle tum ne meri sharm o haya ke naam pe Khoob tijaarat kee thhi
meri mamta meri vafa ke naam pe Khoob tijaarat kee thhi
ab godauN meN aur zahnoN meN phooloN ke khilne ka mosam haiFirst you traded (took full advantage of) in the name of my modesty and then in the name of my motherhood and my faithfulness. Now it is time for me to bloom to my full potential … where “zahn” of course is the woman’s mind all set to bloom because of educational opportunities. In the same way “godauN” should not interpreted as the conventional “lap” giving birth to children but the fertility of her labour/“mehnat”.
posTeroN par neem barhana
mozay bechti joote bechti aurat mera naam nahiN… I am not the half-naked woman on posters used to sell shoes and socks.
maiN kaun huN – kishwar naheed
mozay1 bechti, joote bechti aurat mera naam nahiN
maiN to vahi huN jis ko tum divaar meN chun ke
misl2-e saba3 be-Khauf4 hue
ye nahiN jaana
pathhar se aavaz kabhi dab nahiN sakti
1.socks 2.like, example 3.morning breeze 4.fearless
Kishwar Naheed is NOT talking about the woman on the street corner selling socks and shoes to make a living. She is talking about half naked images of women used on posters for marketing all products. I am not that woman, she asserts. I am the one you imprisoned behind walls and went free and fearless like the morning breeze, not knowing that stone walls cannot stop my voice.
maiN to vahi huN rasm o rivaj1 ke bojh tale
jise tum ne chhupaaya
ye nahiN jaana
raushni ghor andheroN2 meN kabhi Dar nahiN sakti
1.rituals and traditions 2.pitch darkness
I am the one you burdened with rituals and traditions and you hid me in a corner, not knowing that Light is not afraid of darkness. Putting women up on a pedestal as paragons of virtue and caretakers of the values of the community is a very convenient position from which to burden her with responsibilities … see hafiz jalandhari.
maiN to vahi huN god se jis ki phool chune
aNgaare aur kaNTe Daale
ye nahiN jaana
zanjirauN se phool ki Khushboo kabhi chhup nahiN sakti
I am the one from whose lap you picked off flowers giving me thorns and embers in return, not knowing that chains cannot confine my fragrance. “flowers picked from the lap” could be interpreted as “children”. That would be rather conventional. I would interpret it more in the spirit of Fahmida Raiz’s “zamiN ke ruKh par jo hai pasina to jhilmilaati hai meri mehnat”. Thus “you picked off the fruits of my labour and paid me poor wages” is more in keeping with a defiant interpretation.
maiN to vahi huN meri haya ke naam pe tum ne
mujh ko Kharida mujh ko becha
ye nahiN jaana
kachche ghaRey par tair kar sohni mar nahiN sakti
I am the one whose chastity you bought and sold not knowing that true love survives drowning (the reference is to the legend of lovers – sohni-mahiwal, where sohni and her love is considered immortal).
maiN to vahi huN jis ko tum ne Doli biTha ke
apne sar se bojh uThaaya
ye nahiN jaana
zahn Ghulam agar hai to qaum ubhar nahiN sakti
I am the one you married off, happy that you were relieved of the “burden”, not knowing that when minds are imprisoned/closed, society cannot be free. This could be a reference to the cultural habit of marrying daughters off without necessarily thinking of their education.
pahle tum ne meri sharm o haya ke naam pe Khoob tijaarat kee thhi
meri mamta meri vafa ke naam pe Khoob tijaarat kee thhi
ab godauN meN aur zahnoN meN phooloN ke khilne ka mosam hai
First you traded (took full advantage of) in the name of my modesty and then in the name of my motherhood and my faithfulness. Now it is time for me to bloom to my full potential … where “zahn” of course is the woman’s mind all set to bloom because of educational opportunities. In the same way “godauN” should not interpreted as the conventional “lap” giving birth to children but the fertility of her labour/“mehnat”.
posTeroN par neem barhana
mozay bechti joote bechti aurat mera naam nahiN
… I am not the half-naked woman on posters used to sell shoes and socks.
