Recitation
پوکھرن اور چاغی ۔ فہمیدہ ریاض
زمیں کی کوکھ کو اِنسان نے جلا ڈالا
اور اب خوشی سے خلاؤں میں رقص کرتا ہے
حسیں پہاڑ کو اِک آن میں مِٹا ڈالا
خدا کے سامنے طاقت پہ ناز کرتا ہے
بنایا تو نے جسے میں نے کر دیا برباد
چلے ہیں طائفے گاتے ہوئے مبارک باد
یہ کوہِ طور نہ تھا جل کے جو ہوا سُرمہ
تم اُس کو آنکھ میں اپنی لگا نہیں سکتے
تم اُس سے اپنی بصیرت بڑھا نہیں سکتے
وگرنہ جشن کا یہ اہتمام کرتے کیوں
مقامِ گریہ سے ہنستے ہوئے گزرتے کیوں
کلیم کوئی نہیں ہے کلام کیا کیجے
خدا کا جلوہ نہ تھا اُس کا نام کیوں لیجے
اِس آگ سے کوئی پیغمبری نہ پائے گا
یہاں ہواؤں میں اب گرم راکھ اُڑتی ہے
کوئی گڈریا یہاں اب کبھی نہ آئے گا
فرازِ کوہ پہ جو بکریاں چرائے گا
کوئی پرند بھی اِس سِمت اب نہ جائے گا
یہاں نہ پانی کسی کو کوئی پلائے گا
زمیں کے سینے میں جس شے نے ڈال دی ہے دراڑ
چِٹخ گئی ہیں ہوائیں، جلا دیا ہے پہاڑ
بس اِک ثبوت ہے اِنسان کی شقاوت کا
یہ بد نصیب زمیں تھی یہ تیرہ بخت پہاڑ
ہیں چند اشک ہی اِک درد مند کی سوغات
بہت طویل تھا یہ دِن، بہت اُداس ہے رات
पोखरन और चाग़ी – फ़हमीदा रियाज़
ज़मीं कि कोख को इंसान ने जला डाला
और अब ख़ुशी से ख़लाओं में रक़्स करता है
हसीं पहाड़ को एक आन में मिटा डाला
ख़ुदा के सामने ताक़त पे नाज़ करता है
बनाया तू ने जिसे मैं ने कर दिया बरबाद
चले हैं ता’एफ़े गाते हुए मुबारकबाद
ये कोह-ए तूर न था जल के जो हुआ सुरमा
तुम उसको आँख में अपनी लगा नहीं सकते
तुम उस से अपनी बसीरत बढ़ा नहीं सकते
वगरना जश्न के ये एहतेमाम करते क्यूं
मक़ाम-ए गिरिया से हँसते हुए गुज़रते क्यूं
कलीम कोई नहीं है कलाम क्या कीजे
ख़ुदा का जल्वा न था उस का नाम क्यूं लीजे
इस आग से कोई पैग़म्बरी न पाए गा
यहां हवाओं में अब गर्म राख उड़ती है
कोई गडरिया यहां अब कभी न आएगा
फ़राज़-ए कोह पे जो बकरियां चराएगा
कोई परिन्द भी इस सिम्त अब न जाएगा
यहां न पानी किसी को कोई पिलाएगा
ज़मीं के सीने में जिस शै ने डाल दी है दराड़
चिटख़ गईं हैं हवाएं, जला दिया है पहाड़
बस एक सुबूत है इंसान कि शक़ावत का
ये बद-नसीब ज़मीं थी ये तीरा-बख़्त पहाड़
हैं चन्द अश्क ही एक दर्दमन्द कि सौग़ात
बहुत तवील था ये दिन, बहुत उदास है रात
pokhran aur chaaGhi – fahmida riaz
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for word meanings and discussion. pokhran and chaaGhi were the sites where India and Pakistan conducted nuclear bomb tests.
zamiN ki kokh1 ko insaan ne jalaa Daala
aur ab Khushi se KhalaauN2 meN raqs3 karta hai
hasiN pahaaR ko ek aan meN miTa Daala
Khuda ke saamne taaqat4 pe naaz5 karta hai
banaaya tu ne jise, maiN ne kar diya barbaad6
chale haiN taa’efe7 gaate hue mubarkbaad1.womb 2.space, emptiness 3.dance 4.strength 5.boast, hubris, cockiness 6.destroy 7.processions
fahmida riaz expresses dismay at the nuclear weapons tests conducted by India and Pakistan. Earth’s womb has been burnt and now they dance with joy on the emptiness/meaninglessness of their achievement. They have obliterated a beautiful mountain and now they boast of their strength before god. We have destroyed that which you made, they say. And processions are taken out singing congratulations.
ye koh-e tuur1 na tha jal ke jo hua surma2
tum us ko aaNkh meN apni lagaa nahiN sakte
tum us se apni baseerat3 baRha nahiN sakte
vagarna4 jashn5 ka ye ehtemaam6 karte kyuN
maqaam7-e girya8 se haNste hue guzarte9 kyuN1.peak of tuur which Moses climbed, asking to see god 2.collyrium, eye-lash liner 3.ability to see (more than mere eyesight, used here to mean wisdom) 4.otherwise 5.celebration 6.arrangement 7.place/occasion 8.mourning 9.pass through
Moses is supposed to have gone up tuur asking to see god. He was told that he did not have the capacity to do so, but insisted. There was a lightning strike and the mountain was reduced to ashes. The implication is that Moses received enlightenment/wisdom from this incident. The powers that be of India and Pakistan will not be able to use these ashes as collyrium, will not receive any wisdom. Because their understanding is defective they are celebrating this event and passing smiling/laughing through an occasion which calls for mourning.
kaleem1 koii nahiN hai, kalaam2 kya keeje
Khuda ka jalva3 na tha, us ka naam kyuN leeje
is aag se koii paiGhambari4 na paayega
yahaaN havaauN meN ab garm raakh uRti hai1.another name of Moses 2.conversation 3.face, manifestation 4.messenger of god, prophethood – used here to mean wisdom
There is no kaleem/Moses here, what is the use of talking. This (the atomic explosion) was not a manifestation of god. Why bring his name into it. Nobody will receive wisdom from it. Only hot ashes blow here.
koii gaDarya1 yahaaN ab kabhi na aayega
faraaz2-e koh3 pe jo bakriyaaN charaayega
koii parind4 bhi is simt5 ab na jaayega
yahaaN na paani kisi ko koii pilaayega1.shephard 2.height, peak 3.mountain 4.bird 5.direction
No shepherd will ever come here on the mountain top to graze his goats. Not even any bird will fly in this direction. Nobody will drink water from here.
zamiN ke seene meN jis shai1 ne Daal di hai daraaR2
chiTaKh3 gayii haiN havaaeN, jalaa diya hai pahaaR
bus ek suboot4 hai insaan ki shaqaavat5 ka
ye bad-naseeb6 zamiN thi, ye teera-baKht7 pahaaR1.thing 2.crack, rift 3.cracking sound 4.proof 5.cruelty, hard heartedness 6.unfortunate 7.dark fated
This thing has created a rift in the bosom of the earth, caused the air to tremble and burnt the mountain to ashes. All to offer a proof of the hard heartedness of man. This earth was unfortunate, this mountain, ill-fated.
ye chand1 ashk2 hi ek dard-mand3 ki sauGhaat4
bahut taveel5 tha ye din, bahut udaas hai raat1.few 2.tears 3.sorrowful 4.offering 5.long
This sorrowful poet can only offer these few tears. This has been a long day, a sad night.
pokhran aur chaaGhi – fahmida riaz
pokhran and chaaGhi were the sites where India and Pakistan conducted nuclear bomb tests.
zamiN ki kokh1 ko insaan ne jalaa Daala
aur ab Khushi se KhalaauN2 meN raqs3 karta hai
hasiN pahaaR ko ek aan meN miTa Daala
Khuda ke saamne taaqat4 pe naaz5 karta hai
banaaya tu ne jise, maiN ne kar diya barbaad6
chale haiN taa’efe7 gaate hue mubarkbaad
1.womb 2.space, emptiness 3.dance 4.strength 5.boast, hubris, cockiness 6.destroy 7.processions
fahmida riaz expresses dismay at the nuclear weapons tests conducted by India and Pakistan. Earth’s womb has been burnt and now they dance with joy on the emptiness/meaninglessness of their achievement. They have obliterated a beautiful mountain and now they boast of their strength before god. We have destroyed that which you made, they say. And processions are taken out singing congratulations.
ye koh-e tuur1 na tha jal ke jo hua surma2
tum us ko aaNkh meN apni lagaa nahiN sakte
tum us se apni baseerat3 baRha nahiN sakte
vagarna4 jashn5 ka ye ehtemaam6 karte kyuN
maqaam7-e girya8 se haNste hue guzarte9 kyuN
1.peak of tuur which Moses climbed, asking to see god 2.collyrium, eye-lash liner 3.ability to see (more than mere eyesight, used here to mean wisdom) 4.otherwise 5.celebration 6.arrangement 7.place/occasion 8.mourning 9.pass through
Moses is supposed to have gone up tuur asking to see god. He was told that he did not have the capacity to do so, but insisted. There was a lightning strike and the mountain was reduced to ashes. The implication is that Moses received enlightenment/wisdom from this incident. The powers that be of India and Pakistan will not be able to use these ashes as collyrium, will not receive any wisdom. Because their understanding is defective they are celebrating this event and passing smiling/laughing through an occasion which calls for mourning.
kaleem1 koii nahiN hai, kalaam2 kya keeje
Khuda ka jalva3 na tha, us ka naam kyuN leeje
is aag se koii paiGhambari4 na paayega
yahaaN havaauN meN ab garm raakh uRti hai
1.another name of Moses 2.conversation 3.face, manifestation 4.messenger of god, prophethood – used here to mean wisdom
There is no kaleem/Moses here, what is the use of talking. This (the atomic explosion) was not a manifestation of god. Why bring his name into it. Nobody will receive wisdom from it. Only hot ashes blow here.
koii gaDarya1 yahaaN ab kabhi na aayega
faraaz2-e koh3 pe jo bakriyaaN charaayega
koii parind4 bhi is simt5 ab na jaayega
yahaaN na paani kisi ko koii pilaayega
1.shephard 2.height, peak 3.mountain 4.bird 5.direction
No shepherd will ever come here on the mountain top to graze his goats. Not even any bird will fly in this direction. Nobody will drink water from here.
zamiN ke seene meN jis shai1 ne Daal di hai daraaR2
chiTaKh3 gayii haiN havaaeN, jalaa diya hai pahaaR
bus ek suboot4 hai insaan ki shaqaavat5 ka
ye bad-naseeb6 zamiN thi, ye teera-baKht7 pahaaR
1.thing 2.crack, rift 3.cracking sound 4.proof 5.cruelty, hard heartedness 6.unfortunate 7.dark fated
This thing has created a rift in the bosom of the earth, caused the air to tremble and burnt the mountain to ashes. All to offer a proof of the hard heartedness of man. This earth was unfortunate, this mountain, ill-fated.
ye chand1 ashk2 hi ek dard-mand3 ki sauGhaat4
bahut taveel5 tha ye din, bahut udaas hai raat
1.few 2.tears 3.sorrowful 4.offering 5.long
This sorrowful poet can only offer these few tears. This has been a long day, a sad night.
Search Words: Indo-Pak Friendship, India Pakistan, Peace Now and Forever, Communal Harmony, Communal Riots, Hindu-Muslim Unity
