For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
zehra nigaah
خورشیدِ محشر کی لَو ۔ فیض احمد فیضؔ
۱
آج کے دِن نہ پوچھو، مرے دوستو
دوُر کِتنے ہیں خوشیاں منانے کے دِن
کُھل کے ہںسنے کے دِن، گیت گانے کے دِن
پیار کرنے کے دِن، دِل لگانے کے دِن
۲
آج کے دِن نہ پوچھو، مرے دوستو
زخم کِتنے ابھی بختِ بِسمل میں ہیں
دشت کتنے ابھی راہِ منزل میں ہیں
تیر کتنے ابھی دستِ قاتل میں ہیں
۳
آج کا دِن زبُوں ہے مرے دوستو
آج کے دِن تو یوں ہے مرے دوستو
جیسے درد و الم کے پُرانے نشاں
سب چلے سُوئے دِل کارواں، کارواں
ہاتھ سینے پہ رکھو تو ہر اُستخواں
سے اُٹھے نالۂ الاماں، الاماں
۴
آج کے دِن نہ پوچھو، مرے دوستو
کب تمہارے لہو کے دریدہ علم
فرخِ خورشیدِ محشر پہ ہوں گے رقم
از کراں تا کراں کب تمہارے قدم
لے کے اُٹّھے گا وہ بحرِ خوں یم بہ یم
جس میں دُھل جائے گا آج کے دِن کا غم
سارے درد و الم، سارے جور و ستم
۵
دور کتنی ہے خورشیدِ محشر کی لو
آج کے دِن نہ پوچھو، مرے دوستو
ख़ुर्शीद-ए महशर की लौ – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
१
आज के दिन न पूछो मेरे दोस्तो
दूर कितने हैं ख़ुशियां मनाने के दिन
खुल के हंसने के दिन, गीत गाने के दिन
प्यार करने के दिन, दिल लगाने किए दिन
२
आज के दिन न पूछो मेरे दोस्तो
ज़ख़्म कितने अभी बख़्त-ए बिस्मिल में हैं
दश्त कितने अभी राह-ए मन्ज़िल में हैं
तीर कितने अभी दस्त-ए क़ातिल में हैं
३
आज का दिन ज़ुबूं है मेरे दोस्तो
आज के दिन तो यूं है मेरे दोस्तो
जैसे दर्द ओ अलम के पुराने निशां
सब चले सू-ए दिल कारवां, कारवां
हाथ सीने पे रक्खो तो हर उस्तख़्वां
से उठे नाला-ए अल-अमां अल-अमां
४
आज के दिन न पूछो मेरे दोस्तो
कब तुम्हारे लहू के दरीदा अलम
फ़र्ख़-ए ख़ुरशीद-ए महशर पे होंगे रक़म
अज़ करां ता करां कब तुम्हारे क़दम
ले के उट्ठेगा वो बहर-ए ख़ून, यम बा यम
जिस घुल जाएगा आज के दिन का ग़म
सारे दर्द ओ अलम, सारे जोर ओ सितम
५
दूर कितनी है ख़ुरशीद-ए महशर की लौ
आज के दिन न पूछो मेरे दोस्तो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. faiz ahmad faiz (1911-1984) nominated several times for the Nobel Prize. Awarded Lenin Peace Prize. Progressive, humanist, internationalist, rebel, free thinker. Jailed and exiled, he came back stronger every time. The rising sun has extensively been used as a metaphor for the coming socialist revolution. faiz could well be talking about that or about the end of military dictatorship.
1
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto
duur kitne haiN KhushiyaaN manaane ke din
khul ke haNsne ke din, geet gaane ke din
pyaar karne ke din, dil lagaane ke din Do not ask my friends, on this (sad) day, how far away are the days when we can be joyous, laugh, sing and love.
2
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto
zaKhm kitne abhi baKht1-e bismil2 meN haiN
dasht3 kitne abhi raah4-e manzil5 meN haiN
tiir kitne abhi dast6-e qaatil meN haiN 1.luck, fate 2.sacrificial/slaughtered animal 3.desert, wilderness, difficulties 4.pathway to 5.destination 6.hand
Do not ask today, my friends how many more cuts/wounds the slaughtered animal has in its fate; how many hurdles there are on the pathway to our destination; how many more arrows the killer has still left in his hand/quiver.
3
aaj ka din zubooN1 hai mere dosto
aaj ke din to yuN hai mere dosto
jaise dard o alam2 ke puraane nishaaN
sub chale soo3-e dil kaarvaaN, kaarvaaN
haath seene pe rakkho to har ustaKhwaaN4
se uThe naala5-e al-amaaN6 al-amaaN 1.useless, evil 2.pain and sorrow 3.towards 4.bone 5.wail 6.shelter/help
Today is an evil day my friends. Today is as if all the old pains and sorrows are headed towards the heart, caravan after caravan. It is as if every rib in the bosom is crying out for help.
4
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto
kab tumhaare lahu1 ke dareeda2 alam3
farKh4-e Khursheed5-e mahshar6 pe hoNge raqam7
az-karaaN-taa-karaaN8 kab tumhaare qadam9
le ke uTThega vo bahr10-e KhooN, yam11 ba yam
jis se dhul jaayega aaj ke din ka Gham
saare dard-o-alam12, saare jor-o-sitam13 1.blood 2.torn 3.flag 4.face, beauty 5.sun 6.day of judgement, day of revolution 7.spent, used 8.from beginning to end 9.steps, effort 10.ocean 11.river – used here in the sense of flood/wave 12.pain and sorrow 13.oppression and cruelty
Do not ask today, my friends, when your torn, blood stained flags will be useful in ushering in the beautiful face of the sun of the day of reckoning; when will the ocean of blood rise in a flood and wash away today’s sadness – all pain and sorrow, all cruelty and oppression.
5
duur kitni hai Khursheed1-e mahshar2 ki lau3
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto 1.sun 2.day of reckoning 3.brilliance
Do not ask today, my friends, how far away the brilliance/emergence of the sun of the day of reckoning is.
faiz ahmad faiz (1911-1984) nominated several times for the Nobel Prize. Awarded Lenin Peace Prize. Progressive, humanist, internationalist, rebel, free thinker. Jailed and exiled, he came back stronger every time. The rising sun has extensively been used as a metaphor for the coming socialist revolution. faiz could well be talking about that or about the end of military dictatorship.
1
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto
duur kitne haiN KhushiyaaN manaane ke din
khul ke haNsne ke din, geet gaane ke din
pyaar karne ke din, dil lagaane ke din
Do not ask my friends, on this (sad) day, how far away are the days when we can be joyous, laugh, sing and love.
2
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto
zaKhm kitne abhi baKht1-e bismil2 meN haiN
dasht3 kitne abhi raah4-e manzil5 meN haiN
tiir kitne abhi dast6-e qaatil meN haiN
1.luck, fate 2.sacrificial/slaughtered animal 3.desert, wilderness, difficulties 4.pathway to 5.destination 6.hand
Do not ask today, my friends how many more cuts/wounds the slaughtered animal has in its fate; how many hurdles there are on the pathway to our destination; how many more arrows the killer has still left in his hand/quiver.
3
aaj ka din zubooN1 hai mere dosto
aaj ke din to yuN hai mere dosto
jaise dard o alam2 ke puraane nishaaN
sub chale soo3-e dil kaarvaaN, kaarvaaN
haath seene pe rakkho to har ustaKhwaaN4
se uThe naala5-e al-amaaN6 al-amaaN
1.useless, evil 2.pain and sorrow 3.towards 4.bone 5.wail 6.shelter/help
Today is an evil day my friends. Today is as if all the old pains and sorrows are headed towards the heart, caravan after caravan. It is as if every rib in the bosom is crying out for help.
4
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto
kab tumhaare lahu1 ke dareeda2 alam3
farKh4-e Khursheed5-e mahshar6 pe hoNge raqam7
az-karaaN-taa-karaaN8 kab tumhaare qadam9
le ke uTThega vo bahr10-e KhooN, yam11 ba yam
jis se dhul jaayega aaj ke din ka Gham
saare dard-o-alam12, saare jor-o-sitam13
1.blood 2.torn 3.flag 4.face, beauty 5.sun 6.day of judgement, day of revolution 7.spent, used 8.from beginning to end 9.steps, effort 10.ocean 11.river – used here in the sense of flood/wave 12.pain and sorrow 13.oppression and cruelty
Do not ask today, my friends, when your torn, blood stained flags will be useful in ushering in the beautiful face of the sun of the day of reckoning; when will the ocean of blood rise in a flood and wash away today’s sadness – all pain and sorrow, all cruelty and oppression.
5
duur kitni hai Khursheed1-e mahshar2 ki lau3
aaj ke din na poochho mere dosto
1.sun 2.day of reckoning 3.brilliance
Do not ask today, my friends, how far away the brilliance/emergence of the sun of the day of reckoning is.
