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Recitation
دیوارِ زنداں دیکھتے رہنا ۔ مصطفےٰ زیدی
۱
سحر جیتے گی یا شامِ غریباں دیکھتے رہنا
یہ سر جھکتے ہیں یا دیوارِ زنداں دیکھتے رہنا
۲
ہر اک اہل لہو نے بازیٔ ایماں لگا دی ہے
جو اب کی بار ہوگا وہ چراغاں دیکھتے رہنا
۳
ادھر سے مدعی گزریں گے ایقان شریعت کے
نظر آ جائے شاید کوئی انساں دیکھتے رہنا
۴
اسے تم لوگ کیا سمجھو گے جیسا ہم سمجھتے ہیں
مگر پھر بھی کریں گے اس سے پیماں دیکھتے رہنا
۵
سمجھ میں آ گیا تیری نگاہوں کے الجھنے پر
بھری محفل میں سب کا ہم کو حیراں دیکھتے رہنا
۶
ہزاروں مہرباں اس راستے پر ساتھ آئیں گے
میاں یہ دل ہے یہ جیب و گریباں دیکھتے رہنا
۷
دبا رکھو یہ لہریں ایک دن آہستہ آہستہ
یہی بن جائیں گی تمہیدِ طوفاں دیکھتے رہنا
दीवार-ए-ज़िंदाँ देखते रहना – मुस्तफ़ा ज़ैदी
१
सहर जीतेगी या शाम-ए-ग़रीबाँ देखते रहना
ये सर झुकते हैं या दीवार-ए-ज़िंदाँ देखते रहना
२
हर इक अहल-ए-लहू ने बाज़ी-ए-ईमाँ लगा दी है
जो अब की बार होगा वो चराग़ाँ देखते रहना
३
इधर से मुद्दई’ गुज़़रेंगे ईक़ान-ए-शरीअत के
नज़र आ जाए शायद कोई इंसाँ देखते रहना
४
उसे तुम लोग क्या समझोगे जैसा हम समझते हैं
मगर फिर भी करेंगे उस से पैमाँ देखते रहना
५
समझ में आ गया तेरी निगाहों के उलझने पर
भरी महफ़िल में सब का हम को हैराँ देखते रहना
६
हज़ारों मेहरबाँ इस रास्ते पर साथ आएँगे
मियाँ ये दिल है ये जेब ओ गरेबाँ देखते रहना
७
दबा रक्खो ये लहरें एक दिन आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
यही बन जाएँगी तम्हीद-ए-तूफ़ाँ देखते रहना
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mustafa zaidi (1929-1970) was a great poet with a controversial personal life and death. He was a progressive and wrote very subtly about orthodoxy and restrictive conventional mores. Here he is expressing strong resistance against the ruling power.
1
sahar1 jeetegi ya shaam-e-GharibaaN2 dekhte rahna
ye sar jhukte haiN ya divaar-e zindaaN3 dekhte rahna 1.dawn 2.evening of mourning 3.prison
The imagery is that of a lot of prisoners confined behind the walls of the prison. It remains to be seen if they will bow down or the walls of the prison will break apart. It remains to be seen if dawn (symbolic of new thinking/freedom) will triumph or the night of sorrows.
2
har ek ahl-e-lahu1 ne baazi2-e imaaN3 laga di hai
jo ab ki baar hoga vo charaGhaaN4 dekhte rahna 1.person with blood i.e. person with any life/courage/daring 2.bet, wager 3.faith, conviction 4.lighting, illumination, festivities
Every daring person has put their convictions on the line. It remains to be seen who wins and celebrates. Will it be the rebellious person or the ruling power.
3
idhar se muddai1 guzreNge2 eeqaan3-e shariat4 ke
nazar5 aa jaaye shaa’ed6 koi insaaN dekhte rahna 1.claimant, partisan 2.pass through 3.certainty 4.islamic code of conduct 5.see, sight 6.perhaps
Through here will pass partisans/claimants of the certainty (sanctity) of (the narrowly defined) code of conduct. Keep looking, perhaps you might be able to see a human being among them. The implication is that such partisans are devoid of humanity.
4
use tum log1 kya samjhoge jaisa hum2 samajhte haiN
magar phir bhi kareNge us se paimaaN3 dekhte rahna 1.you people (conservative/narrow minded) 2.we (poets, thinkers) 3.keep faith
How can you understand “it” as we can understand it. “you, we and it” are not defined. Readers are left to make their own interpretation. I interpret to mean we=liberal and it=new social order and you=conservative. Even if you (conservatives) do not understand it (do not give it space), we will keep faith with it.
5
samajh meN aa gaya teri nigaahauN ke ulajhne1 par
bhari mahfil2 meN sab ka hum ko hairaaN3 dekhte rahna 1.tangled, crossed 2.gathering 3.surprised
It is a gathering at the beloved’s place and is full of rivals. Everyone has been looking with surprised/puzzled looks at the poet/lover as if wondering why he is there. The poet/lover does not know what is going on until his eyes meet the beloved’s. Their eyes don’t so much as meet but get crossed/tangled (meaning she is annoyed with him). It is then the poet lover understands why everyone has been looking at him with puzzled looks.
6
hazaarauN mehrbaaN1 is raaste2 par saath aayeNge
miyaaN ye dil3 hai ye jeb4 o garebaaN5 dekhte rahna 1.sympathisers, like minded 2.pathway (of love) 3. heart (love) 4.collar (in farsi) 5.collar
The poet/lover is on the path of love. There will be thousands of others too. Because this is a trial of love, there will be many torn collars (sign of distress/disappointment), keep looking.
7
daba rakkho ye lahreN1 ek din aahista aahista
yahi bun jaayeNgi tamhid2-e toofaaN3 dekhte rahna 1.waves 2.harbinger, opening, preamble 3.storm
There have been waves of discontent and the powerful have been suppressing them. Keep doing it, but be mindful that slowly, one day these will become the preamble of a storm/revolution.
mustafa zaidi (1929-1970) was a great poet with a controversial personal life and death. He was a progressive and wrote very subtly about orthodoxy and restrictive conventional mores. Here he is expressing strong resistance against the ruling power.
1
sahar1 jeetegi ya shaam-e-GharibaaN2 dekhte rahna
ye sar jhukte haiN ya divaar-e zindaaN3 dekhte rahna
1.dawn 2.evening of mourning 3.prison
The imagery is that of a lot of prisoners confined behind the walls of the prison. It remains to be seen if they will bow down or the walls of the prison will break apart. It remains to be seen if dawn (symbolic of new thinking/freedom) will triumph or the night of sorrows.
2
har ek ahl-e-lahu1 ne baazi2-e imaaN3 laga di hai
jo ab ki baar hoga vo charaGhaaN4 dekhte rahna
1.person with blood i.e. person with any life/courage/daring 2.bet, wager 3.faith, conviction 4.lighting, illumination, festivities
Every daring person has put their convictions on the line. It remains to be seen who wins and celebrates. Will it be the rebellious person or the ruling power.
3
idhar se muddai1 guzreNge2 eeqaan3-e shariat4 ke
nazar5 aa jaaye shaa’ed6 koi insaaN dekhte rahna
1.claimant, partisan 2.pass through 3.certainty 4.islamic code of conduct 5.see, sight 6.perhaps
Through here will pass partisans/claimants of the certainty (sanctity) of (the narrowly defined) code of conduct. Keep looking, perhaps you might be able to see a human being among them. The implication is that such partisans are devoid of humanity.
4
use tum log1 kya samjhoge jaisa hum2 samajhte haiN
magar phir bhi kareNge us se paimaaN3 dekhte rahna
1.you people (conservative/narrow minded) 2.we (poets, thinkers) 3.keep faith
How can you understand “it” as we can understand it. “you, we and it” are not defined. Readers are left to make their own interpretation. I interpret to mean we=liberal and it=new social order and you=conservative. Even if you (conservatives) do not understand it (do not give it space), we will keep faith with it.
5
samajh meN aa gaya teri nigaahauN ke ulajhne1 par
bhari mahfil2 meN sab ka hum ko hairaaN3 dekhte rahna
1.tangled, crossed 2.gathering 3.surprised
It is a gathering at the beloved’s place and is full of rivals. Everyone has been looking with surprised/puzzled looks at the poet/lover as if wondering why he is there. The poet/lover does not know what is going on until his eyes meet the beloved’s. Their eyes don’t so much as meet but get crossed/tangled (meaning she is annoyed with him). It is then the poet lover understands why everyone has been looking at him with puzzled looks.
6
hazaarauN mehrbaaN1 is raaste2 par saath aayeNge
miyaaN ye dil3 hai ye jeb4 o garebaaN5 dekhte rahna
1.sympathisers, like minded 2.pathway (of love) 3. heart (love) 4.collar (in farsi) 5.collar
The poet/lover is on the path of love. There will be thousands of others too. Because this is a trial of love, there will be many torn collars (sign of distress/disappointment), keep looking.
7
daba rakkho ye lahreN1 ek din aahista aahista
yahi bun jaayeNgi tamhid2-e toofaaN3 dekhte rahna
1.waves 2.harbinger, opening, preamble 3.storm
There have been waves of discontent and the powerful have been suppressing them. Keep doing it, but be mindful that slowly, one day these will become the preamble of a storm/revolution.
