Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mir himayat ali shaa’er (1926-2019) poet, writer, lyricist, actor, radio drama artist. Contemporary of habib jalib. Both wrote with much feeling about people’s issues. This short nazm may not specifically be about independence but it sure sounds like a description of governments that came with it.
1
meray badan par baiThe hue gidh¹
meray gosht ki boTi boTi noch rahe haiN   1.vultures
The vultures sitting on my body are tearing off my flesh, bite by bite.
2
meri aaNkheN mere hasiN KhvaaboN ke nasheman¹
meri zabaaN moti jaise alfaaz² kaa darpan³     1.nest, home, refuge 2.words 3.mirror
My eyes, the home of my dreams. My tongue the mirror of pearly words.
3
meray baazu¹ KhwaaboN ki taabir² ke zaamin³
mera dil jis meN har naa-mumkin⁴ bhi mumkin⁵     1.arms 2.fulfillment 3.guarantor 4.impossible 5.possible
My arms, the guarators of the fulfilment of my dreams. My heart that makes the impossible, possible.
4
meri ruuh¹ ye saaraa manzar² dekh rahi hai
soch rahi hai   1.soul 2.scene
My soul, looks at this scene and thinks …
5
kya ye saara khel-tamaasha
KhuN-KhwaaroN¹ ke dastar-Khwaan² pe mera laasha³
lazzat⁴-e kaam⁵-o-dahan⁶ ke liye tha     1.blood thirsty 2.dinner serving 3.corpse, body 4.pleasure 5.throat 6.mouth
… is this whole game and play just for the dinner table of the blood thirsty, my body laid out for the pleasure of their throat and mouth.