Recitation
اندھیرا ۔ مخدوم محی الدین
رات کے ہاتھ میں اک کاسہٗ دریوزہ گری
یہ چمکتے ہوے تارے یہ دمکتا ہوا چاند
بھیک کے نور میں مانگے کے اُجالے میں مگن
یہی ملبوسِ عروسی ہے یہی اِن کا کفن
اِس اندھیرے میں وہ مرتے ہوئے جسموں کی کراہ
وہ عزازیل کےکتوں کی کمیں گاہ
وہ تہذیب کے زخم، باڑھ کے تار
باڑھ کے تاروں میں اُلجھے ہوے اِنسانوں کے جسم
اور اِنسانوں کے جسموں پہ وہ بیٹھے ہوئے گدھ
وہ تڑختے ہوے سر
میتیں ہاتھ کٹی، پاؤں کٹی
لاش کے ڈھانچے کے اِس پار سے اُس پار تلک
سرد ہوا، نوحہ و نالہ و فریاد کناں
شب کے سناٹے میں رونے کی صدا
کبھی بچوں کی، کبھی ماؤں کی
چاند کے تاروں کے ماتم کی صدا
رات کے ماتھے پہ آزردہ ستاروں کا ہجوم
صرف خورشیدِ درخشاں کے نکلنے تک ہے
رات کے پاس اندھیرے کے سوا کچھ بھی نہیں
رات کے پاس اندھیرے کے سوا کچھ بھی نہیں
अंधेरा – मख़दूम मोहिउद्दीन
रात के हाथ में एक कासा ए दरयूज़ा गिरि
ये चमकते हुए तारे ये दमकता हुआ चाँद
भीक के नूर में मांगे के उजाले में मगन
यही मलबूस ए उरूसी है यही इन का कफ़न
इस अंधेरे में वो मरते हुए जिस्मों की कराह
वो अज़ाज़ील के कुत्तों की कमीं गाह
वो तहज़ीब के ज़ख़्म, बाढ़ के तार
बाढ़ के तारों में उल्झे हुए इंसानों के जिस्म
और इंसानों के जिस्मों पे वो बैठे हुए गिध
वो तड़ख़ते हुए सर
मय्यतें हाथ कटी, पाओं कटी
लाश के ढांचे के इस पार से उस पार तलक
सर्द हवा, नौहा ओ नाला ओ फ़र्याद कुनआं
शब के सन्नाटे में रोने की सदा
कभी बच्चों की, कभी माओं की
चाँद के तारों के मातम की सदा
रात के माथे पे आज़ुर्दा सितारों का हुजूम
सिर्फ़ ख़ुर्शीद ए दरख़शां के निकलने तक है
रात के पास अंधेरे के सिवा कुच्छ भी नहीं
रात के पास अंधेरे के सिवा कुच्छ भी नहीं
andhera – maKhdoom mohiuddin
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. Makhdoom paints a dark picture of a combination of a post-riot or a post-war scene together with every day deprivation. The “manzarkashi” is evocative and full of pathos.
raat1 ke haath meN ek kaasa2 e daryooza gari3
ye chamakte hue taare ye damakta hua chaand
bheek ke noor meN maaNge ke ujaale meN magan
yahi malboos-e uroosi4 hai yahi in ka kafan51. night, oppressive regime 2. bowl 3. begging 4. wedding dress 5. burial shroud
The night holds naught, but a begging bowl. The twinkling stars, the glimmering moon content on begged or borrowed light. Even the twinkling of stars and the glimmering of the moon which might normally be described as beautiful are now melancholy in “borrowed” light (which they will soon lose). This is the only covering they have, using the same as a bridal gown or burial shroud.
is andhere meN vo marte hue jismoN ki karaah6
vo azazeel7 ke kuttoN8 ki kamiN gaah9
vo tahzeeb ke zaKhm10 baaRh ke taar11
baaRh ke taaroN meN uljhe hue insaanoN ke jism6. moan 7. satan 8. dogs, hired goons, mercenaries 9. hiding place for ambush 10. wounds of civilization 11. barbed wire
And in this darkness the moaning of dying souls, the ambush the mercenaries of Satan. “azazeel ke kutte” – dogs of Satan, are hired goons for a pre-meditated, manufactured “riot”. “tahzeeb ke zaKhm” is the tradition of communal harmony being broken – wounded civilzation, wounded traditions, barbed wire. Corpses, tangled in barbed wire. Barbed wire is evocative of divisions, separation, partition.
aur insaanoN ke jismoN pe vo baiThe hue gidh12
vo taRaKhte hue sar
mayyateN haath kaTi, paaoN kaTi
laash ke Dhaanche ke is paar se us paar talak
sard hava, nauha o naala13 o faryaad kunaaN1412. vultures 13. wailing and crying 14. begging for mercy
The evocative “manzar kashi” continues in a very powerful pictorialization. Vultures feasting on the corpses entangled on barbed wire. Those cracked skulls, arms cut, legs chopped, and through the skeleton and beyond, a chill wind blowing, as if mourning, pleading for mercy.
shab ke sannaaTe15 meN rone ki sada16
kabhi bachchoN ki, kabhi maaoN ki
chaand ke taaroN ke maatam ki sada1615. silence 16. sound
Helpless sound of wailing breaking the night’s stillness, now of children, of infants, now of mothers. The sound of beating of chests in mourning for their loved ones (loved ones colloquially referred to as chand taare or chand ke taare).
raat ke maathe pe aazurda17 sitaaroN ka hujoom
sirf Khursheed18 e daraKhshaaN19 ke niklane tak hai
raat ke paas andhere ke siva kuchh bhi nahiN
raat ke paas andhere ke siva kuchh bhi nahiN17. sorrowful, pale 18. sun 19. brilliant, shining
Pale, sorrowful stars clustered on the brow of the night, will all be gone when the dazzling new sun (the coming socialist order) rises. The oppressive night has nothing to offer but darkness. No, this night has nothing to offer but darkness.
andhera – maKhdoom
Overall Comments
Makhdoom paints a dark picture of a combination of a post-riot or a post-war scene together with every day deprivation. The “manzarkashi” is evocative and full of pathos.
raat1 ke haath meN ek kaasa2 e daryooza gari3
ye chamakte hue taare ye damakta hua chaand
bheek ke noor meN maaNge ke ujaale meN magan
yahi malboos-e uroosi4 hai yahi in ka kafan5
1. night, oppressive regime 2. bowl 3. begging 4. wedding dress 5. burial shroud
The night holds naught, but a begging bowl. The twinkling stars, the glimmering moon content on begged or borrowed light. Even the twinkling of stars and the glimmering of the moon which might normally be described as beautiful are now melancholy in “borrowed” light (which they will soon lose). This is the only covering they have, using the same as a bridal gown or burial shroud.
is andhere meN vo marte hue jismoN ki karaah6
vo azazeel7 ke kuttoN8 ki kamiN gaah9
vo tahzeeb ke zaKhm10 baaRh ke taar11
baaRh ke taaroN meN uljhe hue insaanoN ke jism
6. moan 7. satan 8. dogs, hired goons, mercenaries 9. hiding place for ambush 10. wounds of civilization 11. barbed wire
And in this darkness the moaning of dying souls, the ambush the mercenaries of Satan. “azazeel ke kutte” – dogs of Satan, are hired goons for a pre-meditated, manufactured “riot”. “tahzeeb ke zaKhm” is the tradition of communal harmony being broken – wounded civilzation, wounded traditions, barbed wire. Corpses, tangled in barbed wire. Barbed wire is evocative of divisions, separation, partition.
aur insaanoN ke jismoN pe vo baiThe hue gidh12
vo taRaKhte hue sar
mayyateN haath kaTi, paaoN kaTi
laash ke Dhaanche ke is paar se us paar talak
sard hava, nauha o naala13 o faryaad kunaaN14
12. vultures 13. wailing and crying 14. begging for mercy
The evocative “manzar kashi” continues in a very powerful pictorialization. Vultures feasting on the corpses entangled on barbed wire. Those cracked skulls, arms cut, legs chopped, and through the skeleton and beyond, a chill wind blowing, as if mourning, pleading for mercy.
shab ke sannaaTe15 meN rone ki sada16
kabhi bachchoN ki, kabhi maaoN ki
chaand ke taaroN ke maatam ki sada16
15. silence 16. sound
Helpless sound of wailing breaking the night’s stillness, now of children, of infants, now of mothers. The sound of beating of chests in mourning for their loved ones (loved ones colloquially referred to as chand taare or chand ke taare).
raat ke maathe pe aazurda17 sitaaroN ka hujoom
sirf Khursheed18 e daraKhshaaN19 ke niklane tak hai
raat ke paas andhere ke siva kuchh bhi nahiN
raat ke paas andhere ke siva kuchh bhi nahiN
17. sorrowful, pale 18. sun 19. brilliant, shining
Pale, sorrowful stars clustered on the brow of the night, will all be gone when the dazzling new sun (the coming socialist order) rises. The oppressive night has nothing to offer but darkness. No, this night has nothing to offer but darkness.
