Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. maKhdoom mohiuddin (1908-1969), progressive, communist, freedom fighter, labour union leader/organizer, beloved of the city of hyderabad. He 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 “sub’h azadi” and many others linked to ‘Indepence-Partition’ on the Theme Index page.
1
mom¹ ki tarah jalte rahe ham shahiidoN² ke tan
raat bhar jhilmilaati rahi sham’a-e sub’h-e vatan³
raat bhar jagmagaata raha chaand taaroN ka ban⁴ 1.wax 2.martyrs 3.dawn/independence 4.forest
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).
2
tishnagi⁵ thi magar
tishnagi meN bhi sarshaar⁶ the
pyaasi aankhoN ke Khaali kaTore liye
muntazir⁷ mard o zan⁸
kab chalegi naseem⁹-e bahaar¹⁰-e vatan 5.thirst 6.satiated, fulfilled 7.waiting, hopeful 8.men and women 9.morning breeze 10.spring
Yes, there was thirst (difficulties, other needs of life), but we were happy in our struggle. Eyes thirsty like empty cups, men and women waiting to see when the breeze of dawn of spring would begin to blow.
3
mastiaaN¹ Khatm, madhoshiaaN² Khatm thiiN
Khatm tha baaNkpan³ 1.intoxication, pleasures, enjoyment 2.drunk, senseless 3.daring, playfulness
Comrades, freedom fighters had forsaken all pleasures, given up losing their minds in imagining their personal pleasures. All fun and games stopped.
4
raat ke jagmagaate dahakte badan
sub’h dam² ek divaar-e Gham³ ban gaye
Khaarzaar⁴-e alam⁵ ban gaye
raat ki shahragoN⁶ ka uchhalta lahu
juu-e KhuN⁷ ban gaya 1.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
The shining points of light/hope in the sky, suddenly turned into 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.
5
kuchh imaamaan¹-e sad² makr-o-fun³
un ki saaNsoN meN af’ii⁴ ki phunkaar thi
un ke siine meN nafrat ka kaala dhuaaN
ek kamiiN-gah⁵ se
phaiNk kar apni nok-e zabaaN⁶
Khoon-e noor-e sahar⁶ pii gaye   1.owners, lords 2.hundred 3.art of deception 4.poisonous snake 5.hideout for ambush 6.point of tongue, forked tongue like a snake’s 6.light of dawn
Those masters of 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.
6
raat ki talchhaTeN¹ haiN andhera bhi hai
sub’h ka kuch ujaala ujaala bhi hai
hamdamo² haath meN haath do, soo³-e manzil⁴ chalo
manzileN pyaar ki, manzileN daar⁵ ki
koo-e dildaar⁶ ki manzileN
dosh⁷ par apni apni saliibeN⁸ 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 “dildaar”, beloved as a metaphor for nation – so common with faiz.