Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. asrar-ul haq majaz (1911-1955) was progressive as well as romantic poet, a heartthrob. He received his BA from aligaRh after interruptions in earlier schooling. He developed close relationships with progressives and was a major force in the Progressive Writers’ Association. He lived in aligaRh, dehli and lucknow working for radio stations, editing magazines on and off but with no steady income. He met with a rather tragic end at the young age of 44. This geet/song composed in every day language and a folk tune illustrates the range of majaz’s compositions from chaste to conversational urdu.
1
bol! ari o dharti¹ bol!
raaj singhaasan² DaaNvaaDol³     1.earth, homeland 2.government and seat of power 3.unsteady, staggering
The poet/revolutionary demands answers from the powers that be … tell me, why is your administration so unsteady (forgetting its promises to the people).
2
baadal, bijli, reyn¹ aNdhyaari, dukh² ki maari parja³ saari
booRhe bachche sab dukhiya haiN, dukhiya nar⁴ haiN dukhiya naari⁵
basti⁶ basti luuT machi hai, sab baniye haiN sab byopaari    1.night 2.sorrow, problems 3.praja, people 4.men 5.women 6.neighbourhood
Clouds overhead, lightning strikes, the night is dark, all the people burdened by problems and sorrow, old and young, men and women, all of them. All the moneylenders and all the traders looting every neighbourhood.
3
bol! ari o dharti¹ bol!
raaj singhaasan² DaaNvaaDol³     1.earth, homeland 2.government and seat of power 3.unsteady, staggering
The poet/revolutionary demands answers from the powers that be … tell me, why is your administration so unsteady (forgetting its promises to the people).
4
kaljug¹ meN jag² ke rakhvaale³, chaaNdi vaale sone vaale
desi hoN ya pardesi hoN, niile piile gore kaale
makkhi bhiNge⁴ bhin bhin karte, DhooNDe haiN makRi ke jaale   1.evil times, age of oppression 2.world 3.guardians, protectors 4.bees
In this age of oppression the hoarders of gold and silver have become the (so called) guardians of the world whether be of the homeland or from other lands, yellow, black or white. They have all spread their webs like spiders and the populace like flies and bees gets caught in their webs.
5
bol! ari o dharti¹ bol!
raaj singhaasan² DaaNvaaDol³     1.earth, homeland 2.government and seat of power 3.unsteady, staggering
The poet/revolutionary demands answers from the powers that be … tell me, why is your administration so unsteady (forgetting its promises to the people).
6
kya afraNgi¹ kya taataari², aaNkh bachi aur barchhi³ maari
kab tak janta ki bechaini⁴, kab tak janta ki be-zaari⁵
kab tak sarmaaye⁶ ke dhande⁷, kab tak ye sarmaaya-daari⁸   1.Europeans 2.Tatar raiders/looters 3.knife 4.discomfort, pain 5.helplessness 6.wealth, capital 7.wheeling and dealing 8.capitalism
Whether they be Europeans or Tartars (Timour and his followers), plunge a knife into us catching us by surprise. How long will the people be insecure, how long will they be helpless. How long will the wealthy be allowed to wheel and deal, how long will capitalism reign over us.
7
bol! ari o dharti¹ bol!
raaj singhaasan² DaaNvaaDol³     1.earth, homeland 2.government and seat of power 3.unsteady, staggering
The poet/revolutionary demands answers from the powers that be … tell me, why is your administration so unsteady (forgetting its promises to the people).
8
naami¹ aur mash’hoor² nahiN ham, lekin kya mazdoor nahiN ham
dhoka aur mazdooroN ko deN, aise to majboor³ nahiN ham
manzil⁴ apne paaNv ke niche, manzil se ab duur nahiN ham     1.reputed 2.famous 3.powerless, controlled 4.destination, goal
We are not famous or of any great reputation but are we not workers. Deception and even that against workers, we are not all that helpless. Our destination (social justice) is not too far away, it is right here at our feet.
9
bol! ari o dharti¹ bol!
raaj singhaasan² DaaNvaaDol³     1.earth, homeland 2.government and seat of power 3.unsteady, staggering
The poet/revolutionary demands answers from the powers that be … tell me, why is your administration so unsteady (forgetting its promises to the people).
10
bol keh teri Khidmat¹ ki hai, bol keh tera kaam kiya hai
bol keh tere phal khaa’e haiN, bol keh tera duudh piya hai
bol keh ham ne hashr² uThaaya, bol keh ham se hashr³ uTha hai
bol keh ham se jaagi duniya, bol keh ham se jaagi dharti   1.service, taking care of 2.calamities 3.used here to mean tumult/revolution
O homeland, speak that we have served you, speak that we have worked for you, we have eaten your fruit and drank of your milk. We have borne many calamities and now we are raising a tumult in protest. The whole world is waking up because of us, the homeland rises because of us.
11
bol! ari o dharti¹ bol!
raaj singhaasan² DaaNvaaDol³     1.earth, homeland 2.government and seat of power 3.unsteady, staggering
The poet/revolutionary demands answers from the powers that be … tell me, why is your administration so unsteady (forgetting its promises to the people).