Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. josh malihabadi (1898-1982) is known as – shaa’er-e inqelaab – poet of revolution. His nazm are fiery, passionate, and full of energy. His Ghazal and rubaaii are equally good. He was a secular humanist writing sharply and irreverently against colonialism, abuse of power, injustice and orthodoxy. This challenge to orthodoxy is linked to ‘uloohiyat-ehtejaaj’ on the Theme Index page.
1
haif¹ daur-e bandagi² meN kis ko samjhaauN ke hai
sirf³ rooh-e aadmiyat⁴ hi ilaah ul a’alameeN⁵ 1.alas 2.age of slavery (of blind faith) 3.only 4.spirit of humanism 5.god of all worlds
Alas, how do I explain to everyone that this age of blind faith that the spirit of humanism is the true god of all worlds.
2
haif harf-e haq⁶ se abtak barsar-e paikaar⁷ hai
aalim⁸-e deen-e matin⁹ o mufti¹⁰-e shara’-e mubeeN¹¹ 6.word of truth 7.engaged in battle 8.scholar 9.strong faith 10.cleric 11.clear/evident jurisprudence (Islamic)
Alas, the scholar of faith and the jurist pronouncing fatwas are still fighting the word of Truth.
3
haif auhaam¹² o aqaa’ed¹³ ke siyah bazaar¹⁴ meN
aaj tak noor-e haqaa’eq¹⁵ ki koii qeemat nahiN 12.superstitions 13.beliefs 14.black (mysterious, evil) bazar 15.light of facts (truth)
Alas, in the dark trade of superstition and belief, even now the light of Truth has no value.
4
aql ki tauheen¹⁶ hai arsh-e bareeN¹⁷ ka ehteraam¹⁸
aa ke ab DaaleN binaa¹⁹-e sitvat²⁰-e farsh-e mubiN²¹ 16.insult 17.seventh heaven where god’s throne is supposed to be 18.respect 19.foundation 20.majesty 21.clear (good) floor (earth)
To believe in seventh heaven is to insult the intellect. Come that we may lay the foundation of the glory of intellect.
5
deen ke qadmoN pe qarnoN²² tak ye duniya jhuk chuki
aa ke ab duniya ke qadmoN pe jhuka deN farq²³ e deeN 22.millenia 23.head
The world has bowed its head at the feet of faith for millenia, let us us now make faith bow down to humanism.