chaand taaroN ka ban – azadi se pahle, baad or aage – maKhdoom mohiuddin

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.  Makhdoom was a direct, active participant in the independence movement. He is disappointed with the shape of independence and likens it to an appropriation of power by the cunning few. Compare this poem to Faiz’s – subah azadi.

mom¹ ki tarah jalte rahe ham shahidoN² ke tan
raat bhar jhilmilati rahi shama e subah vatan³
raat bhar jagmagata raha chaand taaroN ka ban⁴
tishnagi⁵ thi magar
tishnagi meN bhi sarshaar⁶ the
pyasi aankhoN ke Khaali kaTore liye
muntazir⁷ mard o zan⁸
kab chalegi naseem⁹-e bahaar¹⁰-e vatan1.wax 2.martyrs 3.dawn/independence 4.forest 5.thirst 6.satiated, fulfilled 7.waiting, hopeful 8.men and women 9.morning breeze 10.spring
Martyrs/comrades kept the light of hope alive offering their bodies like candle wax. The lamp of freedom’s dawn glowed all night long. A forest of stars and the moon shone in the night sky (like points of hope). Yes, there was thirst, but we were happy in our struggle. Eyes thirsty like empyt cups, men and women waiting to see when the breeze of dawn of spring would begin to blow.

mastiaN Khatm, madhoshiaN Khatm theeN
Khatm tha baaNkpan¹
raat ke jagmagate dahakte badan
subah dam² ek divar e Gham³ ban gaye
Khaarzaar⁴ e alam⁵ ban gaye
raat ki shahragoN⁶ ka uchhalta lahu
ju e KhuN⁷ ban gaya1.playfulness 2.at the time of dawn/independence 3.wall of grief 4.garden of thorns 5.grief, sorrow 6.jugular vein 7.river of blood
Forsaking all pleasure, shunning playfulness/ego, their bodies afire all night (night of oppression) long, they suddenly faced a wall of sorrows at dawn. It was as if what emerged was a garden of thorns, their jugular slashed and their throbbing veins became a river of blood.

kuchh imaman¹ e sad² makr o fun³
unki saaNsoN meN afii⁴,e ki phunkaar thi
un ke seene meN nifrat ka kaala dhuaN
ek kamiN gah⁵ se
phaiNk kar apni nok e zabaN⁶
Khoon e noor e sahar⁷ pi gaye 1.owners, experts 2.hundred 3.art of deception 4.poisonous snake 5.hideout for ambush 6.point of tongue, forked tongue like a snake’s 7.light of dawn
Those expert at a hundred arts of deceit, whose breath was like the hissing of a poisonous viper, with dark clouds of hatred in their bosom, from their hideout flicking the tip of their tongue, swallowed up the very light of dawn. Independence was won by the masses and appropriated by the haves who simply replaced the British overlords. The imagery of deception of a snake throwing out its forked (pointed) tongue to “drink the light of dawn” is very powerful. Leaders/owners of a hundred arts of deception were in their hideout, biding their time and ambushed at the right moment to appropriate the fruits of independence for themselves.

raat ki talchhaTeN¹ haiN andhera bhi hai
subah ka kuch ujaala ujaala bhi hai
hamdamo² hath meN hath do, soo³ e manzil⁴ chalo
manzileN pyaar ki, manzileN daar⁵ ki
koo e dildar⁶ ki manzileN
dosh⁷ par apni apni salebeN⁸ uThaaye chalo
1.agonies 2.friends 3.towards 4.goal 5.gallows 6.street of the beloved 7.shoulder 8.cross, burden
Yes, there is much darkness, much agony in the night, but yet, there are hints of the light of dawn. Friends, hold your hands together, move forward towards your goal – the goal of love, even if leading to the gallows, or to the beloved’s door. Bear your cross to the goal of love. Here is a call for comrades to keep moving forward much like Faiz calling for “chale chalo ke vo manzil abhi nahiN aaii”. Also worth noting is using “dildar”, beloved as a metaphor for nation – so common with Faiz.