Recitation
اقلیمہ – فہمیدہ ریاض
اقلیما
جو ہابیل کی قابیل کی ماں جائی ہے
ماں جائی
مگر مختلف
مختلف، بیچ میں رانوں کے
اور پسِتانوں کے اُبھار میں
اور اپنے پیٹ کے اندر
اور کوکھ میں
اِن سب کی قسمت کیوں ہے
اک فربہ بھیڑ کے بچے کی قربانی
وہ اپنے بدن کی قیدی
تپتی ہوی دھوپ میں جلتے
ٹیلے پر کھڑی ہوئی ہے
پتھر پر نقش بنی ہے
اِس نقش کو غور سے دیکھو
لمبی رانوں سے اوپر
اُبھرے پسِتانوں سے اوپر
پیچیدہ کوکھ سے اوپر
اقلیما کا سر بھی ہے
اللہ کبھی اقلیما سے بھی کلام کرے
اور کچھ پوچھے
अक़्लीमा – फ़हमीदा रियाज़
अक़्लीमा
जो हाबील की क़ाबील की माँ जाई है
माँ जाई
मगर मुख़्तलिफ़
मुख़्तलिफ़ बीच में रानों के
और पिस्तानों के उभार में
और अपने पेट के अन्दर
और कोख में
इन सब की क़िस्मत क्यूँ है
एक फ़रबा भेड़ के बच्चे की क़ुर्बानी
वो अपने बदन की क़ैदी
तपती हुई धूप में जलते
टीले पर खड़ी हुई है
पत्थर पर नक़्श बनी है
इस नक़्श को ग़ौर से देखो
लम्बी रानों से ऊपर
उभरे पिस्तानों से ऊपर
पेचीदा कोख से ऊपर
अक़्लीमा का सर भी है
अल्लाह कभी अक़्लीमा से भी कलाम करे
और कुछ पूछे!
aqleema – fahmida riaz
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meaning and discussionThe daughter of Adam and Eve, Aqleema was promised to Abel but Cain in a fit of jealousy killed his brother and took Aqleema as his wife. In all these stories Aqleema has passive roles – an object of beauty, willed (by god) to be the wife of Abel, acquired by force by his (and her) brother Cain. Fahmida Riaz uses this story to illustrate the feminist point of view.
aqleema1
jo haabeel2 ki qaabeel3 ki ma-jaayi4 hai
ma-jaayi
magar muKhtalif51. legendary daughter of Adam and Eve 2. Abel 3. Cain 4. born of the same mother 5. different
Aqleema (used as a stand-in for all women, womanhood), who was born of the same mother as Abel and Cain. Born of the same mother, but different.
muKhtalif beech meN raanoN ke
aur pistaanoN6 ke ubhaar7 meN
aur apne peT ke andar
aur kokh8 meN6. breasts 7. rise, swelling 8. womb
Different between her thighs, and in the rise of her breasts, and inside her belly, and in her womb.
in sab ki qismat kyun hai
ek farba bheR9 ke bachche ki qurbaani9. fattened calf
Why is the fate of all these differences, to be like a fattened calf for sacrifice.
vo apne badan ki qaidi10
tapti huwi dhoop meN jalte
Teelay par khaRi hui hai
patthar par naqsh11 bani hai10. prisoner 11. etching, sketch
She is imprisoned in her own body, under the merciless sun, standing on the burning hill. She is like an etching on the rock (passive observer). The picture brings to mind, “women are to be seen, not heard”.
is naqsh ko Ghaur se dekho
lambi raanon se oopar
ubhre pistaanon se oopar
pecheeda12 kokh se oopar12. curved
Look at this etching carefully, above the long legs, above the prominent breasts, above the curvacious womb.
aqleema ka sar bhi hai
allah kabhi aqleema se bhi kalaam13 kare
aur kuchh poochhe13. converse, talk to
Aqleema has a head (brains) too. Why doesn’t god talk to Aqleema some time. And ask her something. What does Aqleema want???
aqleema – fahmida riaz
Overall Comments
The daughter of Adam and Eve, Aqleema was promised to Abel but Cain in a fit of jealousy killed his brother and took Aqleema as his wife. In all these stories Aqleema has passive roles – an object of beauty, willed (by god) to be the wife of Abel, acquired by force by his (and her) brother Cain. Fahmida Riaz uses this story to illustrate the feminist point of view.
aqleema1
jo haabeel2 ki qaabeel3 ki ma-jaayi4 hai
ma-jaayi
magar muKhtalif5
1. legendary daughter of Adam and Eve 2. Abel 3. Cain 4. born of the same mother 5. different
Aqleema (used as a stand-in for all women, womanhood), who was born of the same mother as Abel and Cain. Born of the same mother, but different.
muKhtalif beech meN raanoN ke
aur pistaanoN6 ke ubhaar7 meN
aur apne peT ke andar
aur kokh8 meN
6. breasts 7. rise, swelling 8. womb
Different between her thighs, and in the rise of her breasts, and inside her belly, and in her womb.
in sab ki qismat kyun hai
ek farba bheR9 ke bachche ki qurbaani
9. fattened calf
Why is the fate of all these differences, to be like a fattened calf for sacrifice.
vo apne badan ki qaidi10
tapti huwi dhoop meN jalte
Teelay par khaRi hui hai
patthar par naqsh11 bani hai
10. prisoner 11. etching, sketch
She is imprisoned in her own body, under the merciless sun, standing on the burning hill. She is like an etching on the rock (passive observer). The picture brings to mind, “women are to be seen, not heard”.
is naqsh ko Ghaur se dekho
lambi raanon se oopar
ubhre pistaanon se oopar
pecheeda12 kokh se oopar
12. curved
Look at this etching carefully, above the long legs, above the prominent breasts, above the curvacious womb.
aqleema ka sar bhi hai
allah kabhi aqleema se bhi kalaam13 kare
aur kuchh poochhe
13. converse, talk to
Aqleema has a head (brains) too. Why doesn’t god talk to Aqleema some time. And ask her something. What does Aqleema want???
