aurat ne janam diya- sahir ludhianavi

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

عورت نے جنم دیا –  ساحر لدھیانوی

 

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

جب جی چاہا مسلا کچلا، جب جی چاہا دھتکا ر دیا

 

تلتیُ ہیں کہیں دیناروں میں، بکتی ہیں کہیں بازاروں میں

ننگی نچوائی جاتی ہیں عیاشوں کے درباروں میں

یہ وہ بےعزّت چیز ہے جو بٹ جاتی ہے عزّت داروں میں

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

 

مردوں کے لئے ہرظلم روا، عورت کے لئے رونا بھی خطا

مردوں کے لئے ہرعیش کا حق، عورت کے لئے جینا بھی سزا

مردوں کے لئے لاکھوں سیجیں، عورت کے لئے بس ایک چتا

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

 

جن سینوں نے اُن کو دودھ دیا، اُن سینوں کا بیوپار کیا

جس کوکھ میں اِنکا جنم ڈھلا، اُس کوکھ کا کاروبار کیا

جس تن سے آ ئے کونپل بن کراُس تن کو ذلیل و خوار کیا

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

 

سنسارکی ہر اک بیشرمی غربت کی گود میں پلتی ہے

چکلوں میں ہی آکررکتی ہے فاقوں سے جو راہ نکلتی  ہے

مردوں کی ہوس ہے جو اکثر عورت کے پاپ میں ڈھلتی ہے

عورت نے جنم  دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

 

عورت سنسار کی قسمت ہے  پھر بھی تقدیر کی ہیٹی ہے

اوتار پیمبر جنتی ہے، پھر بھی شیطان کی بیٹی ہے

یہ وہ بدقسمت ماں ہے جو بیٹوں کی سیج پہ لیٹی ہے

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

औरत ने जनम दिया – साहिर लुधियानवी

 

औरत ने जनम दिया मरदौं को, मरदौं ने उसे बाज़ार दिया
जब जी चाहा मसला कुचला, जब जी चाहा धुत्कार दिया

 

तुल्ती हैं कहीं दीनारों में, बिकती हैं कहीं बाज़ारों में
नंगी नच्वाई जाती हैं, अय्याशों के दरबारों में
ये वो बे इज़्ज़त चीज़ है जो, बट जाती है इज़्ज़त दारों में
औरत ने जनम दिया मरदौं को, मरदौं ने उसे बाज़ार दिया

 

मरदौं के लिए हर ज़ुल्म रवा, औरत के लिए रोना भी ख़ता
मरदौं के लिए हर ऐश का हक़, औरत के लिए जीना भी सज़ा
मरदौं के लिए लाखों सेजें, औरत के लिए बस एक चिता
औरत ने जनम दिया मरदौं को, मरदौं ने उसे बाज़ार दिया

 

जिन सीनों ने उनको दूध दिया, उन सीनों का बेउपार किया
जिस कोख में इनका जन्म ढला, उस कोख का कारोबार किया
जिस तन से आए कोंपल बन कर, उस तन को ज़लील ओ ख़्वार किया
औरत ने जनम दिया मरदौं को, मरदौं ने उसे बाज़ार दिया

 

संसार की हर एक बेशर्मी, ग़ुरबत की गोद में पलती है
चक्लों में ही आकार रूकती है, फ़ाक़ौं से जो राह निकलती है
मरदौं की हवस है जो अक्सर औरत के पाप में ढलती है
औरत ने जनम दिया मरदौं को, मरदौं ने उसे बाज़ार दिया

 

औरत संसार की क़िस्मत है, फिर भी तक़दीर की हेटी है
अवतार पैअम्बर जनती है, फिर फी शैतान की बेटी है
ये वो बदक़िस्मत मां है जो बेटों की सेज पे लेटी है
औरत ने जनम दिया मरदौं को, मरदौं ने उसे बाज़ार दिया

aurat ne janam diya – sahir ludhianavi

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.The composition is beautiful and powerful, all the more so because of its simplicity, but I do have some issues. There is a strong element of conventionality still lingering in an otherwise progressive view. Sahir plays up the act of birthing as if it is the most important (the only?) contribution that woman makes. He does identify the most important phenomenon … the sale of female bodies, a consequence of economic exploitation, but his refrain “aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko” is a problem. There are other progressive poets (Kaifi Azmi-aurat) who have gone beyond this position but it remains for feminist poets to claim the rightful place of woman e.g. Fahmida Riaz (chaadar aur chaardivaari) “the drops of sweat on the brow of Earth sparkle with the lustre of my labour”.

aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya
jab ji chaaha masla kuchla1, jab ji chaaha dhutkaar2 diya
1. caress and squeeze 2. shoo away
Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazaar, caressed and squeezed at whim and fancy but shooed away at any pretext.

tulti3 haiN kahiN dinaroN4 meN, bikti haiN kahiN bazaroN meN
naNgi nachvai jaati haiN, ayyashoN5 ke darbaroN meN
ye vo be-izzat6 cheez hai jo, baT jati hai izzat-daaroN7 meN
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya
3. gets weighed 4. gold coin, money 5. lecher 6. disreputable 7. respected
Weighed in coins here, sold off in the bazar there. She is made to dance naked in the palaces of lewd debauchery. She is the object of disrepute that is shared among the respectable. Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

mardoN ke liye har zulm8 rava9, aurat ke liye rona bhi Khata9
mardoN ke liye har aish10 ka haq11, aurat ke liye jeena bhi saza
mardoN ke liye lakhoN sejeN12, aurat ke liye bas ek chita13
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya
8. abuse, tyranny, excess 8. allowed, permissible 9. mistake, crime 10. luxury 11. Right 12. lakhs of beds 13. funeral pyre
Every excess is permitted to man, for woman even sobbing is a crime. Man has the right to lechery, but even trying to make a livelihood is a crime for woman. Thousands of beds for men, only the funeral pyre for woman. Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

jin seenoN ne unko doodh diya, un seenoN ka beopaar kiya
jis kokh14 meN inka janm Dhala, us kokh ka kaarobar kiya
jis tan se aaye konpal15 ban kar, us tan ko zalil16 o Khwaar17 kiya
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya
14. womb 15. tender shoot (branch) 16. disgraced 17. maligned, put into disrepute
The bosom that fed him, is a commodity for sale. The womb that gave him birth, is now traded in the bazar. The body that nurtured him, is now disgraced and maligned. Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

sansar ki har ek besharmi, Ghurbat18 ki god meN palti hai
chakloN19 meN hi aa kar rukti hai, faaqoN20 se jo raah nikalti hai
mardoN ki havas21 hai jo aksar22 aurat ke paap meN Dhalti hai
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya
18. poverty 19. grinding wheels 20. starvation 21. lecherous desire 22. often
Every shameful act on this earth is nurtured in the lap of deprivation. The pathway that starts with hunger leads to the grinding wheel from which there is no escape. Sahir comes back strongly to the role of economic necessity with a beautiful play on words … grain is ground in grinding wheel for basic bread (juxtaposed with faaqa-hunger) and the poor are “ground in grinding wheels of poverty”. It is the lecherous desire of man that often is cast as the sin of woman. Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

aurat sansar ki qismat23 hai, phir bhi taqdeer24 ki heTi25 hai
avatar26 paiamber27 janti hai, phir phi shaitan ki beTi hai
ye vo badqismat maaN hai jo beToN ki sej pe leTi hai
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya
23. fate, future 24. fate 25. disgrace, blame 26. manifestation (of god) 27. prophet
Woman is the future of the world, yet is blamed for all ills. She gives birth to avatars and prophets, still is the daughter of Satan. She is the unfortunate mother destined to sleep in the bed of her son. Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar. I come back to the possibly controversial thought that I had raised earlier. By putting Woman on the pedestal as in “sansar ki qismat” and by making such a big deal about “motherhood” (and apple pie is not far behind), I think that Sahir does her a disservice. This composition is a great step forward for the times but not quite there. There is more to woman than motherhood. Why is she restricted to giving birth to great ones rather than becoming great herself. See Fahmida Riyaz’s “Aqleema”.

aurat ne janam diya – sahir ludhianavi

Overall Comments
The composition is beautiful and powerful, all the more so because of its simplicity, but I do have some issues.  There is a strong element of conventionality still lingering in an otherwise progressive view.  Sahir plays up the act of birthing as if it is the most important (the only?) contribution that woman makes.  He does identify the most important phenomenon … the sale of female bodies, a consequence of economic exploitation, but his refrain “aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko” is a problem.  There are other progressive poets (Kaifi Azmi-aurat) who have gone beyond this position but it remains for feminist poets to claim the rightful place of woman e.g. Fahmida Riaz (chaadar aur chaardivaari) “the drops of sweat on the brow of Earth sparkle with the lustre of my labour”.

aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya
jab ji chaaha masla kuchla1, jab ji chaaha dhutkaar2 diya

1. caress and squeeze 2. shoo away
Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazaar, caressed and squeezed at whim and fancy but shooed away at any pretext.

tulti3 haiN kahiN dinaroN4 meN, bikti haiN kahiN bazaroN meN
naNgi nachvai jaati haiN, ayyashoN5 ke darbaroN meN
ye vo be-izzat6 cheez hai jo, baT jati hai izzat-daaroN7 meN
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya

3. gets weighed 4. gold coin, money 5. lecher 6. disreputable 7. respected
Weighed in coins here, sold off in the bazar there.  She is made to dance naked in the palaces of lewd debauchery.  She is the object of disrepute that is shared among the respectable.  Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

mardoN ke liye har zulm8 rava9, aurat ke liye rona bhi Khata9
mardoN ke liye har aish10 ka haq11, aurat ke liye jeena bhi saza
mardoN ke liye lakhoN sejeN12, aurat ke liye bas ek chita13
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya

8. abuse, tyranny, excess 8. allowed, permissible 9. mistake, crime 10. luxury 11. Right 12. lakhs of beds 13. funeral pyre
Every excess is permitted to man, for woman even sobbing is a crime.  Man has the right to lechery, but even trying to make a livelihood is a crime for woman.  Thousands of beds for men, only the funeral pyre for woman.  Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

jin seenoN ne unko doodh diya, un seenoN ka beopaar kiya
jis kokh14 meN inka janm Dhala, us kokh ka kaarobar kiya
jis tan se aaye konpal15 ban kar, us tan ko zalil16 o Khwaar17 kiya
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya

14. womb 15. tender shoot (branch) 16. disgraced 17. maligned, put into disrepute
The bosom that fed him, is a commodity for sale.  The womb that gave him birth, is now traded in the bazar.  The body that nurtured him, is now disgraced and maligned.  Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

sansar ki har ek besharmi, Ghurbat18 ki god meN palti hai
chakloN19 meN hi aa kar rukti hai, faaqoN20 se jo raah nikalti hai
mardoN ki havas21 hai jo aksar22 aurat ke paap meN Dhalti hai
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya

18. poverty 19. grinding wheels 20. starvation 21. lecherous desire 22. often
Every shameful act on this earth is nurtured in the lap of deprivation.  The pathway that starts with hunger leads to the grinding wheel from which there is no escape.  Sahir comes back strongly to the role of economic necessity with a beautiful play on words … grain is ground in grinding wheel for basic bread (juxtaposed with faaqa-hunger) and the poor are “ground in grinding wheels of poverty”.  It is the lecherous desire of man that often is cast as the sin of woman.  Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.

aurat sansar ki qismat23 hai, phir bhi taqdeer24 ki heTi25 hai
avatar26 paiamber27 janti hai, phir phi shaitan ki beTi hai
ye vo badqismat maaN hai jo beToN ki sej pe leTi hai
aurat ne janam diya mardoN ko, mardoN ne use bazar diya

23. fate, future 24. fate 25. disgrace, blame 26. manifestation (of god) 27. prophet
Woman is the future of the world, yet is blamed for all ills.  She gives birth to avatars and prophets, still is the daughter of Satan.  She is the unfortunate mother destined to sleep in the bed of her son.  Woman gives birth to man, man puts her in the bazar.  I come back to the possibly controversial thought that I had raised earlier.  By putting Woman on the pedestal as in “sansar ki qismat” and by making such a big deal about “motherhood” (and apple pie is not far behind), I think that Sahir does her a disservice.  This composition is a great step forward for the times but not quite there.  There is more to woman than motherhood.  Why is she restricted to giving birth to great ones rather than becoming great herself.  See Fahmida Riyaz’s “Aqleema”.