aao nazmeN likheN-ahmad faraaz-ANC Khumalo

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.

آؤ نظمیں لکھیں ۔ احمد فراز/کُھمالو

۱

آؤ نظمیں لکھیں

خون کی مانِند تر و تازہ

گھنٹیوں کی طرح کھنکتی ہوئی

۲

نظمیں

جو لوگوں کو جگائیں

جِن کا موضوع

زندگی ہو موت نہیں

اُمّید ہو مایوسی نہیں

صبح ہو شام نہیں

تازگی ہو پژمردگی نہیں

جد و جہد ہو ہزیمت نہیں

۳

شاعر!

لوگوں کو یقین دِلاؤ

کہ خواب بھی حقیقت بن سکتے ہیں

۴

آزادی کی بات کرو

اور دَھنوان کو

اُسکے معطّر خِلوت خانے کی دیواروں پر

فن پارے سجانے دو

۵

آزادی کی بات کرو

اور لوگوں کی آنکھوں کو چھو کر

اُنہیں احساس دِلاؤ

کہ اُن میں بے شمار ہونے کی قوّت موجود ہے

۶

وہ قوّت

جو قید خانے کی سلاخوں کو

گھاس کی بالیوں کی طرح مروڑ دیتی ہے

جو سںگِ خارا کی دیواروں کو

کاںچ کی طرح ریزہ ریزہ کر دیتی ہے

۷

شاعر

اُن لوگوں کو ڈھونڈو

جو قُفلوں کے دہانے کھول دیتے ہیں

اِس سے پہلے

کہ آنے والے دس برسوں کو

گزرے ہوئے دس برس کھا جائیں

 

आओ नज़्में लिखें – अहमद फ़राज़/खुमालो

आओ नज़्में लिखें

ख़ून कि मानिन्द तर ओ ताज़ा

घंटियों कि तरह खनकती हुई

नज़्में

जो लागौं को जगाएं

जिन का मौज़ू

ज़िन्दगी हो मौत नहीं

उम्मीद हो मायूसी नहीं

सुबह हो शाम नहीं

ताज़गी हो पज़्शमुर्दगी नहीं

जद्द ओ जहद हो हज़ीमत नहीं

शा’एर

लोगौं को यक़ीन दिलाओ

के ख़्वाब भी हक़ीक़त बन सकते हैं

आज़ादी कि बात करो

और धनवान को

उसके मो’अत्तर ख़िल्वत ख़ाने कि दीवारों पर

फ़न-पारे सजाने दो

आज़ादी कि बात करो

और लोगौं कि आंखौं को छू कर

उन्हें एहसास दिलाओ

के उन में बेशुमार होने कि क़ुव्वत मौजूद है

वो क़ुव्वत

जो क़ैद ख़ाने कि सलाख़ौं को

घास कि बालियों कि तरह मरोड़ देती है

जो संग-ख़ारा कि दीवारौं को

कांच कि तरह रेज़ा रेज़ा कर देती है

शा’एर उन लोगौं को ढूँढो

जो क़ुफ़्लौं के दहाने खोल देते हैं

इस से पहले

के आने वाले दस बरसों को

गुज़रे हुए दस बरस कहा जाएं

 

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.

This is one of a series of poems translated/recomposed by ahmad faraaz 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, 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.

2 comments:

  1. Is this poetry an expression of ANGER,
    In which perod was it written. The ANC Kumalho poem, i mean.
    Thanks

Comments are closed.