Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. This is one of a series of poems translated/recomposed by ahmad faraaz (1931-2008) from poems written originally in English or Xhosa by South Africa freedom fighters imprisoned by the apartheid regime. This poem was written by Ronnie Kasrils (1938-xxxx), a freedom fighter, under the pseudonym ANC Khumalo. Of Polish-Jewish descent, he was also known to be very critical of the Israeli government in support of Palestinians.
1
aao nazmeN likheN
Khoon ki maanind¹ tar² o taaza²
ghanTiyoN ki tarah khanakti hui   1.like, similar to 2.wet, flowing 3.fresh
Come let us write poems, flowing like fresh red blood, tinkling like caravan bells.
2
nazmeN
jo logoN ko jagaayeN
jin ka mauzu¹
zindagi ho maut nahiN
ummeed² ho maayusi³ nahiN
subah ho shaam nahiN
taazagi⁴ ho pazshmurdagi⁵ nahiN
jad-o-jahad⁶ ho hazeemat⁷ nahiN 1.theme, subject 2.hope 3.hopelessness 4.freshness 5.decay 6.struggle 7.sorrow
Poems that wake people up, whose theme is hope, not desperation, dawn not darkness, freshness not decay, struggle not hopelessness.
3
shaa’er!
logoN ko yaqeen¹ dilaao
ke Khwaab bhi haqiqat² ban saktay haiN  1.confidence 2.reality
Poet! Reassure people that dreams can become reality.
4
aazadi ki baat karo
aur dhanwaan¹ ko
uske mu’attar² Khilwat-Khaane³ ki deevaroN par
fun-paare⁴ sajaane⁵ do 1.rich 2.fragrant 3.private chambers, home 4.pieces of art 5.decorate
Talk of freedom and let the rich decorate the wall of their homes with sundry pieces of art (that are no meaningful for the needs to the times).
5
aazadi ki baat karo
aur logoN ki aaNkhoN ko chhoo kar
unheN ehsaas¹ dilaao
ke un meN be-shumaar² honay ki quvvat³ maujood⁴ hai   1.feeling, knowledge, confidence 2.many, innumerable, multitude 3.power 4.present
Talk of freedom and reassure people that they have the power of the multitude.
6
vo quvaat¹
jo qaid-Khaane² ki salaaKhoN³ ko
ghaas ki baaliyoN⁴ ki tarah maroR⁵ deti hai
jo saNg-e-Khaara⁵ ki deevaaroN ko
kaaNch ki tarah reza reza⁶ kar deti hai   1.power 2.prison 3.bars (as in window-bars) 4.reed 5.twist 6.hard stone, granite 6.crumble
Power, that can twist prison-bars like reeds of grass, that can crush granite walls.
7
shaa’er
un logoN ko DhoonDo
jo qufloN¹ ke dahaane² khol dete haiN
is se pahle
ke aane vaale das barsoN ko
guzre³ hue das baras khaa jaaeN 1.locks 2.mouths 3.past
Poet, find those who can open/unlock the mouths of locks before the past decade can swallow the coming decade.

Red our Colour – A.N.C. Khumalo

Let’s have poems
blood-red in colour
ringing like damn bells.

Poems
that tear at the oppressor’s face
and smash his grip.

Poems that awaken man:
Life not death
Hope not despair
Dawn not dusk
New not old
Struggle not submission.

Poet
let the people know
that dreams can become
reality.

Talk of freedom
and let the plutocrat
decorate his parlour walls
with perfumed scrawls of dilettantes.

Talk of freedom
and touch people’s eyes
with the knowledge of power
of multitudes
that twists prison bars like grass
and flattens granite walls like putty.

Poet
find the people
help forge the key
before the decade
eats the decade.