aye des se aane vaale bata – ahmad faraz

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.  ahmad faraz was exiled from pakistan during military dictatorship. You can hear about it in faraz’s own voice in “muhaasira”. He wrote this nazm expressing his homesickness during exile. I found print and youtube versions that were considerably different from each other. Both are posted.

o des se aane vaale bata, kis haal meN haiN yaaraan-e vatan
vo baaGh-e vatan, firdaus¹-e vatan, o des se aane vaale bata1.heaven
The poet in exile has a visitor from home and inquires after his friends, the gardens and the heaven that he calls home.

kya ab bhi vahaaN ke baaGhauN meN mastaana¹ havaaeN aati haiN
kya ab bhi vahaaN ke parbat² par ghanghor ghaTaaeN chhaati haiN
kya ab bhi vahaaN ki barkhaaeN³ vaise hi dilauN ko bhaati⁴ haiN
o des se aane vaale bata, o des se aane vaale bata1.intoxicating 2.mountain, hill 3.rains 4.pleasing, joyful
Does the breeze still blow fragrant and intoxicating, do dark clouds still gather at the top of the mountain, do the (benevolent, lifegiving) rains still please hearts. Tell me, o visitor from home, tell me.

vo shahr¹ jo hum se chhooTa hai, vo shahr hamaara kaisa hai
sub log hameN pyaare haiN magar, vo jaan se pyaara kaisa hai
o des se aane vaale bata, o des se aane vaale bata1.city but used here to mean homeland
The homeland that was taken away from me, how fares that home. All are dear to me, but that which is dearer than life, how is it. Tell me, o visitor from home, tell me.

kya ab bhi vatan meN vaise hi sarmast¹ nazaare hote haiN
kya ab bhi sohaani² raatauN meN vo chaand sitaare hote haiN
hum khel jo khela karte thhe, ab bhi vo saare hote haiN
o des se aane vaale bata, o des se aane vaale bata1.intoxicating 2.pleasant
The poet continues to reminisce about intoxicating scenes, moon and stars in the clear skies of pleasant nights, the games that he and his friends used to play – is everything still the same. Tell me, o visitor from home, tell me.

shab bazm¹-e hareefaaN² sajti haiN, ya shaam Dhale so jaate haiN
yaarauN ki basar auqaat³ hai kya, har anjuman-aara⁴ kaisa hai1.gathering 2.rivals/competitors 3.past-time 4.host (of sessions)
The poet remembers gatherings and late night sessions of poetry recitation. All friends get together – they are friends and rivals too, to see who recites the best poem. Do they still get together in the evenings or go to bed early. How do my friends spend their time. How is the host of (poetry) sessions. Tell me, o visitor from home, tell me.

kya ab bhi mahakte¹ mandir se, naaqoos² ki aavaaz aati hai
kya ab bhi muqaddas³ masjid par mastaana⁴ az’aaN tharraati⁵ hai1.fragrant 2.shankh, conch shell 3.sacred 4.intoxicating/invigorating 5.vibrating/vibrant
Does the blowing of the conch shell still sound from the fragrant mandir/temple. Does the sacred masjid still vibrate with invigorating calls of the azaan.

kya ab bhi vahaaN ke panghaT¹ par, panhaariyaaN² paani bharti haiN
aNgRaaii ka naqsha³ ban ban kar, sub maathhe pe gaagar⁴ dharti haiN
aur apne gharauN ko jaate hue, haNsti hui chohleN⁵ karti haiN
o des se aane vaale bata, o des se aane vaale bata1.river bank/lake shore to fill water 2.girls/women out to fetch water 3.picture 4.clay pot for water 5.deception/playfulness
In urdu poetry rural scenes with dirt trails, watering shores, girls out to fetch water are all evocative and romantic scenes also associated with playfulness and boy meets girl places. Stretching/yawning or lifting the water pot to place it over the head are similarly evocative. Thus the poet remembers all these playful romantic pleasant scenes. Tell me, o visitor from home, tell me.

mahraan¹ lahu² ki dhaar hua, bolaan³ bhi kya gulnaar⁴ hua
kis raNg ka hai darya⁵-e aTak⁶, raavi⁷ ka kinaara kaisa hai1.old Arabic name for Sindh and/or for a river in Sindh 2.blood 3.Bolan Pass 4.red (like a rose) 5.river 6.River Attak, a tributary of the Indus 7.River Ravi, another tributary of the Indus
There has been so much bloodshed that rivers of Sindh flow with blood and the Bolan Pass is coloured red. Tell me what colour is the River Attak, how do the banks of the Ravi look

aye des se aane vaale magar, tum ne to na itna bhi poochha
vo kavi jise ban-baas¹ mila, vo dard ka maara kaisa hai
o des se aane vaale bata, o des se aane vaale bata1.forest dwelling, exile
O visitor from home, but you have not even asked about the poet who has been exiled, never inquired how this wretch is doing.

kya ab bhi kisi ke seene meN, baaqi¹ hai hamaari chaah² bata
kya yaad hameN bhi karta hai, ab yaarauN meN koii, aah bata
o des se aane vaale bata, o des se aane vaale bata
lillah bata, lillah bata, lillah bata, lillah bata, lillah bata1.remaining 2.love
Does anyone still nurture love for me in their hearts. Do any of our friends remember me, alas, tell me. Tell me, o visitor from home, tell me. For god’s sake, tell me.