Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. kishan bihari noor (1926 – 2003), was born and grew up in lucknow. In a lot of his work he gracefully reaches across communal lines. He also was a great lover of urdu. In this nazm he declares universal ownership of the story of husain.
1
aye markaz-e-eemaaN¹ zindabad aye sabr² ke parcham³ zindabad
har ashk⁴ Tapak kar kahta hai shabbir⁵ tera Gham zindabad     1.focus of faith 2.forbearance, fortitude 3.banner 4.tears 5.another name of husain
O, focus of faith, O, banner of fortitude, may you live long. Every drop of tear cries out, may mourning for you never stop.
2
insaan ka dil jhuk jaata hai karte haiN farishte¹ bhi sajde
aye faKhr-e-malaaek² zindabad aye naazish-e-aadam³ zindabad    1.angels 2.pride of angels 3.pride of humanity, (alternatively) if Adam is interpreted as representative of messengers of god rather than of humanity then, pride of messengers
Hearts bow down to you in love, angels prostrate themselves in admiration. O, pride of angles, pride of humanity (or messengers of god), may you live forever.
3
har dil pe tere Gham ka qaabu¹ kishti²-e aqeedat³ meN aaNsu
aye noor ke paikar⁴ zindabad aye sabr⁵-e mujassam⁶ zindabad    1.grip 2.tray 3.belief/faith 4.image, representation 5.fortitude 6.embodiment
Every heart is in the grip of your love offering a tray of tears. O, image of light, O, embodiment of fortitude, victory to you.
4
rauze¹ pe tere sar jhukte haiN har naqsh-e-qadam² par sijde³ haiN
aye jaada⁴-e azmat⁵ zindabad aye manzil⁶-e mohkam⁷ zindabad     1.mausoleum 2.foot-steps, prints 3.prostration 4.path 5.greatness 6.goal 7.steadfast
All heads bow at your mausoleum, prostrate at your feet (foot steps). O, path to greatness, O, unchangeable/steadfast/righteous destination, long life to you.
5
har qaum¹ meN maatam² hota hai shabbir ka Gham yaad aata hai
dil khiNchte³ haiN sub ke teri taraf⁴ aye maah-e-moharram⁵ zindabad    1.community 2.mourning 3.pulled 4.towards 5.month of moharram (battle of karbala)
During the month of moharram, every community mourns remembering the suffering of husain/shabbir. Hearts are pulled towards him.
6
hindu ho ke muslim ya momin jalvoN¹ se nazar² haTti hi nahiN
aye shama-e-haqeeqat³ zindabad aye noor-e-do-aalam⁴ zindabad    1.manifestations 2.sight 3.lamp of truth 4.light of both worlds
Be it hindu or muslim or any other believer, they cannot lose sight of your manifestations (steadfast resolve in the face of certain death). O, lamp of Truth, O, light of heaven and earth, long life to you.
7
har mulk meN Gham har dil meN alam¹ har bazm² meN zikr-o-fikr³-e vafa⁴
har qaum⁵ hai tere saaye⁶ meN mazloom⁷ ke parcham⁸ zindabad     1.sorrow, mourning 2.gathering 3.thinking and talking 4.being true to your word 5.community 6.shadow, domain 7.oppressed 8.banner
husain’s banner is now the banner of all oppressed people. Every country, every person mourns (the martyrdom of husain) and think and talk of his steadfast commitment to righteousness. Every community stands in the shadow of the banner of the oppressed.
8
be-noor¹ sitaare vaqt-e sahr² aur raat ko shabnam³ giria-kunaaN⁴
aye subah-e moharram zindabad aye shaam-e moharram zindabad    1.luster-less, dark 2.dawn 3.dew 4.weeping profusely
O, mornings and nights of moharram, may you last forever. Even stars go dark, dew mourns/weeps profusely at night.
9
shabbir, ho bharat ya kashmir, eeraaN ki zamiN ya pakistan
har mulk pe qabza¹ tera hai aye faateh-e-aazam² zindabad    1.control, grip 2.great victor
O, shabbir, be it bharat, kashmir, the land of iran or pakistan, you have grip on (the hearts of people of) every country. O, great victor, may you live forever.
10
kalama¹ to hai nana ka laikin bajta hai navaase ka DaNka²
aye maqsad³-e Khaleq⁴ zindabad aye raaz⁵-e do-aalam⁶ zindabad     1.islamic declaration of faith 2.celebratory drum 3.purpose 4.creator 5.secret 6.two worlds
‘maqsad-e Khaleq’ is perhaps used to mean chosen of god (to re-inforce his message) and ‘raaz-e do-aalam’ is used to mean the meaning/purpose of life and afterlife. Thus, the grandfather declared articles of faith, but the life (and death) of the grandson is celebrated. O, chosen of god, O, exemplar of the meaning/purpose of life, may you live forever.
11
bhai ki tarah se tum bhi to eemaaN ka sahaara ho zainab¹
ismat² ki rida³ ke saaye meN aye doosri mariam zindabad     1.husain’s sister who supported his mission in the aftermath of his death 2.dignity 3.shawl/covering
‘doosri mariam’ – the second mariam (Mary) is used as an honour in being a prominent/central figure of the faith. zainab is admired for her role in the aftermath of the battle of karbala (see fahmida riaz’s ‘Khutba-e zainab’ and channulal dilgir’s ‘ghabraaegi zainab’). Also, she was paraded bearheaded as a prisoner of war, hence the significance of ‘ismat ki rida’. Thus, krishn bihari noor specifically recognizes the status/contribution of zainab. He has done so in several other compositions (not included on this site).
12
shabbir teri ulfat¹ ke liye islam ki koii shart² nahiN
jhukti hai jabin³-e noor⁴ aksar⁵ aye qibla-e-aalam⁶ zindabad      1.love 2.condition, necessity 3.forehead 4.pen-name of the poet 5.often 6.focus/centre of the universe
Thus, says krishn bihari noor … I am not muslim, but islam is not a necessary condition for loving/admiring husain. The forehead of noor too often bows to husain (the qibla/focus/centre of the world).