Recitation
یہ ماتمِ وقت کی گھڑی ہے ۔ فیض احمد فیض
ٹھہر گئی آسماں کی ندیا
وہ جا لگی ہے اُفق کنارے
اُداس رنگوں کی چاند نیّا
اُتر گئے ساحلِ زمیں پر
سبھی کھِویّا
تمام تارے
اُکھڑ گئی سانس پتیّوں کی
چلی گئی اونگھ میں ہوائیں
گجر بجا حکمِ خامشی کا
تو چپ میں گُم ہو گئیں صدائیں
سحر کی گوری کی چھاتیوں سے
ڈھلک گئی تیرگی کی چادر
اور اُس بجائے
بکھر گئے اُس کے تن بدن پر
نِراس تنہائیوں کے سائے
اور اُس کو کچھ بھی خبر نہیں ہے
کِسی کو کچھ بھی خبر نہیں ہے
کہ دِن ڈھلے شہر سے نِکل کر
کِدھر کو جانے کا رُخ کیا تھا
نہ کوئی جادہ نہ کوئی منزل
کسی مسافر کو
اب دِماغِ سفر نہیں ہے
یہ وقت زنجیرِ روز و شب کی
کہیں سے ٹوٹی ہوئی کڑی ہے
یہ ماتمِ وقت کی گھڑی ہے
ये मातम-ए वक़्त की घड़ी है – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
ठहर गई आस्मां कि नदिया
वो जा लगी है उफ़क़ किनारे
उदास रंगों की चांद नय्या
उतर गए साहिल-ए ज़मीं पर
सभी खिवय्या
तमाम तारे
उखड़ गई सांस पत्तियों कि
चली गई ऊंघ में हवाएं
गजर बज हुक्म-ए ख़ामोशी का
तो चुप में गुम हो गईं सदाएं
सहर की गोरी की छातियों से
ढलक गई तीरगी की चादर
और उस बजाए
बिखर गए उस के तन बदन पर
निरास तन्हाइयों के साए
और उस को कुछ भी ख़बर नहीं है
किसी को कुछ भी ख़बर नहीं है
के दिन ढले शहर से निकल कर
किधर को जाने का रुख़ किया था
न कोई जड़ न कोई मंज़िल
किसी मुसाफिर को
अब दिमाग़-ए सफ़र नहीं है
ये वक़्त ज़न्जीर-ए रोज़ ओ शब कि
कहीं से टूटी हुई कड़ी है
ये मातम-ए वक़्त की घड़ी है
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for word meanings and discussion. faiz paints a picture of an extremely hopeless condition in the most delicate and beautiful language and imagery. The country has lost its original vision, nobody knows what they had set out to do originally, no clear concept of a destination or a pathway!
Thahr gayii aasmaaN ki nadiya
vo jaa lagi hai ufaq1 kinaare
udaas raNgauN ki chaand nayya2
utar gaye saahil3-e zamiN par
sabhi khivayya4
tamaam taare1.horizon 2.boat 3.shore 4.oarsmen
It is as if the flow of time has stopped. Nothing moves. No progress. The river of the sky has stopped flowing and the moon boat (the crescent moon is often likened to a boat sailing in the sky) has reached the shore on the horizon and all oarsmen (all stars) are getting off. This could also be a beautiful description of dawn … the moon sinking below the horizon and stars disappearing in the morning light.
ukhaR gayii saaNs pattiyauN ki
chali gayii ooNgh meN havaa’eN
gajar1 baja hukm2-e Khaamoshi ka
to chup meN gum3 ho gayiiN sadaa’eN4 1.gong, trumpet 2.order, command 3.lost 4.sounds
saaNs ukhaRna is being unable to breath. Leaves are unable to breath because there is no wind blowing because it has dozed off. The powers have announced with trumpets that all remain silent so all sounds are lost. It is often said that there is stillness and silence just moments before dawn. faiz may be using that to suggest the control on free speech exercized by the powers that be.
sahr1 ki gori2 ki chhatiyauN se
Dhalak gayi teeragi3 ki chaadar1.dawn 2.damsel 3.darkness
faiz likens Dawn to a damsel and the sheet/shawl of darkness has slipped of her bosom.
aur us bajaa’ye1
bikhar gaye us ke tan badan par
niraas2 tanhaaiyauN3 ke saa’ye1.in place of 2.hopelessness 3.loneliness
And in place of the sheet/shawl of darkness her body is covered with shadows of hopelessness and loneliness (helplessness). Thus, the damsel Dawn has exchanged the shawl of darkness for a shawl of hopelessness.
aur us ko kuchh bhi Khabar1 nahiN hai
kisi ko kuchh bhi Khabar nahiN hai
ke din Dhale shahr se nikal kar
kidhar ko jaane ka ruKh2 kiya tha1.awareness, knowledge 2.direction
And she (the damsel) does not know, nobody else knows the direction they had taken when they started on their journey.
na koii jaada1 na koii manzil2
kisi musaafir3 ko
ab dimaaGh4-e safar5 nahiN hai1.pathway 2.destination, goal 3.traveler 4.inclination/desire 5.journey
There is no clear path, no destination mind. No traveler has any inclination/desire to undertake the journey.
ye vaqt zanjeer1-e roz-o-shab2 ki
kahiN se TooTi hui kaRi3 hai
ye maatam4-e vaqt5 ki ghaRi6 hai1.chain, continuity 2.day and night 3.link (of a chain) 4.mourning 5.time, also can mean times, conditions 6.moment
Day and night have stopped as if the chain is broken, some link is missing. This is the time to mourn for the times we are in.
ye maatam-e vaqt ki ghaRi hai – faiz ahmed faiz
faiz paints a picture of an extremely hopeless condition in the most delicate and beautiful language and imagery. The country has lost its original vision, nobody knows what they had set out to do originally, no clear concept of a destination or a pathway!
Thahr gayii aasmaaN ki nadiya
vo jaa lagi hai ufaq1 kinaare
udaas raNgauN ki chaand nayya2
utar gaye saahil3-e zamiN par
sabhi khivayya4
tamaam taare
1.horizon 2.boat 3.shore 4.oarsmen
It is as if the flow of time has stopped. Nothing moves. No progress. The river of the sky has stopped flowing and the moon boat (the crescent moon is often likened to a boat sailing in the sky) has reached the shore on the horizon and all oarsmen (all stars) are getting off. This could also be a beautiful description of dawn … the moon sinking below the horizon and stars disappearing in the morning light.
ukhaR gayii saaNs pattiyauN ki
chali gayii ooNgh meN havaa’eN
gajar1 baja hukm2-e Khaamoshi ka
to chup meN gum3 ho gayiiN sadaa’eN4
1.gong, trumpet 2.order, command 3.lost 4.sounds
saaNs ukhaRna is being unable to breath. Leaves are unable to breath because there is no wind blowing because it has dozed off. The powers have announced with trumpets that all remain silent so all sounds are lost. It is often said that there is stillness and silence just moments before dawn. faiz may be using that to suggest the control on free speech exercized by the powers that be.
sahr1 ki gori2 ki chhatiyauN se
Dhalak gayi teeragi3 ki chaadar
1.dawn 2.damsel 3.darkness
faiz likens Dawn to a damsel and the sheet/shawl of darkness has slipped of her bosom.
aur us bajaa’ye1
bikhar gaye us ke tan badan par
niraas2 tanhaaiyauN3 ke saa’ye
1.in place of 2.hopelessness 3.loneliness
And in place of the sheet/shawl of darkness her body is covered with shadows of hopelessness and loneliness (helplessness). Thus, the damsel Dawn has exchanged the shawl of darkness for a shawl of hopelessness.
aur us ko kuchh bhi Khabar1 nahiN hai
kisi ko kuchh bhi Khabar nahiN hai
ke din Dhale shahr se nikal kar
kidhar ko jaane ka ruKh2 kiya tha
1.awareness, knowledge 2.direction
And she (the damsel) does not know, nobody else knows the direction they had taken when they started on their journey,.
na koii jaada1 na koii manzil2
kisi musaafir3 ko
ab dimaaGh4-e safar5 nahiN hai
1.pathway 2.destination, goal 3.traveler 4.inclination/desire 5.journey
There is no clear path, no destination mind. No traveler has any inclination/desire to undertake the journey.
ye vaqt zanjeer1-e roz-o-shab2 ki
kahiN se TooTi hui kaRi3 hai
ye maatam4-e vaqt5 ki ghaRi6 hai
1.chain, continuity 2.day and night 3.link (of a chain) 4.mourning 5.time, also can mean times, conditions 6.moment
Day and night have stopped as if the chain is broken, some link is missing. This is the time to mourn for the times we are in.
