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Recitation
دِلّی! تری چھاؤں ۔ فہمیدہ ریاض
۱
دِلّی! تری چھاؤں بڑی قہری
مری پوری کایا پگھل رہی
مجھے گلے لگا کر گلی گلی
دھیرے سے کہے” تو کون ہے ری؟”
۲
میں کون ہوں، ماں تری جائی ہوں
پر بھیس نئے سے آئی ہوں
میں رمتی پہنچی اپنوں تک
پر پریت پرائی لائی ہوں
۳
تاریخ کی گھور گپھاؤں میں
شاید پائے پہچان مری
تھا بیج میں دیس کا پیار گھلا
پردیس میں کیا کیا بیل چڑھی
۴
نس نس میں لہو تو تیرا ہے
پر آنسو میرے اپنے ہیں
ہونٹوں پر رہی تیری بولی
پر نین میں سندھ کے سپنے ہیں
۵
من ماٹی جمنا گھاٹ کی تھی
پر سمجھ ذرا اس کی دھڑکن
اس میں کارونجھر کی سِسکی
اس میں ہوکے ڈالتا چلتن!
۶
ترے آنگن میٹھا کنواں ہنسے
کیا پھل پائے مرا من روگی
اک ریت نگر سے موہ مرا
بستے ہیں جہاں پیاسے جوگی
۷
ترا مجھ سے کوکھ کا ناتہ ہے
مرے من کی پیڑا جان ذرا
وہ روپ دکھاؤں تجھے کیسے
جس پر سب تن من وار دیا
۸
کیا گیت ہیں وہ کوہیاروں کے
کیا گھائل ان کی بانی ہے
کیا لاج رنگی وہ پھٹی چادر
جو تھر کی تپت نے تانی ہے
۹
وہ گھاؤ گھاؤ تن ان کے
پر نس نس میں اگنی دہکی
وہ باٹ گھری سنگینوں سے
اور جھپٹ شکاری کتوں کی
۱۰
ہیں جن کے ہاتھ پر انگارے
میں ان بنجاروں کی چیری
ماں ان کے آگے کوس کڑے
اور سر پہ کڑکتی دوپہری
۱۱
میں بندی باندھوں کی باندی
وہ بندی خانے توڑیں گے
ہے جن ہاتھوں میں ہاتھ دیا
سو ساری سلاخیں موڑیں گے
۱۲
تو سدا سہاگن ہو ماں ری!
مجھے اپنی توڑ نبھانا ہے
ری دلی چھو کر چرن ترے
مجھ کو واپس مڑ جانا ہے
दिल्ली! तेरी छाँव – फ़हमीदा रियाज़
१
दिल्ली! तेरी छाँव बड़ी क़हरी
मेरी पूरी काया पिघल रही
मुझे गले लगा कर गली गली
धीरे से कहे “तू कौन है री?”
२
मैं कौन हूँ, माँ तेरी जाई हूँ
पर भेस नए से आई हूँ
मैं रमती पहुँची अपनों तक
पर प्रीत पराई लाई हूँ
३
तारीख़ की घोर गुफाओं में
शायद पाए पहचान मेरी
था बीज में देस का प्यार घुला
परदेस में क्या क्या बेल चढ़ी
४
नस नस में लहू तो तेरा है
पर आँसू मेरे अपने हैं
होंटों पर रही तेरी बोली
पर नैन में सिंध के सपने हैं
५
मन माटी जमुना घाट की थी
पर समझ ज़रा उस की धड़कन
इस में कारूंझर की सिस्की
इस में हो के डालता चलतन!
६
तेरे आँगन मीठा कुआँ हँसे
क्या फल पाए मेरा मन रोगी
एक रीत नगर से मोह मेरा
बसते हैं जहाँ प्यासे जोगी
७
तेरा मुझ से कोख का नाता है
मेरे मन की पीड़ा जान ज़रा
वो रूप दिखाऊँ तुझे कैसे
जिस पर सब तन मन वार दिया
८
क्या गीत हैं वो कोह-यारों के
क्या घाएल उन की बानी है
क्या लाज रंगी वो फटी चादर
जो थर्की तपत ने तानी है
९
वो घाव घाव तन उन के
पर नस नस में अग्नी दहकी
वो बाट घिरी संगीनों से
और झपट शिकारी कुत्तों की
१०
हैं जिन के हाथ पर अँगारे
मैं उन बंजारों की चेरी
माँ उन के आगे कोस कड़े
और सर पे कड़कती दो-पहरी
११
मैं बंदी बाँधौँ की बांदी
वो बंदी-ख़ाने तोड़ेंगे
है जिन हाथों में हाथ दिया
सो सारी सलाख़ें मोड़ेंगे
१२
तू सदा सुहागन हो माँ री!
मुझे अपनी तोड़ निभाना है
री दिल्ली छू कर चरण तेरे
मुझ को वापस मुड़ जाना है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. fahmida riaz (1946-2018) is generally known as a ‘feminist’ poet. She is that. But her repertoire is much wider. In addition to women’s rights, she has written about peace, justice, militarism and much more. For a few years she had to leave pakistan. She sought refuge in India, was welcomed there and wrote a beautiful nazm ‘naya bharat’. This is probably written expressing her gratitude and love as she was leaving India.
1
dilli! teri chhaauN baRi qahri1
meri puuri kaaya2 pighal rahi
mujhe gale lagaa kar gali gali
dhire se kahe” tu kaun hai ri?” 1.painful 2.body, person
She has been welcomed and embraced in every street and yet, she is asked, “who are you” and is considered “other”. Such mixed ‘protection’ is a painful and burns the body.
2
maiN kaun huN, maaN teri jaaii1 huN
par bhes2 naye se aaii huuN
maiN ramti3 pahuNchi apnoN tak
par priit paraaii laaii huuN 1.born of 2.disguise, appearance 3.playful, running
Who am I? O, mother, I am your daughter but have come in a new disguise. Running playfully, I came among my own people but I have love of a foreign land.
3
taariKh ki ghor1 guphaaoN2 meN
shaayad paaye pahchaan meri
thaa biij meN des ka pyaar ghulaa
pardes meN kya kya bel chaRhi 1.dark 2.caves
In the dark caves of history, you might find my identity. In my seed, love of the homeland was dissolved. But in another land, I blossomed. fahmida raiz’s forebears migrated to sindh in the 1930s. She herself was born and brought up in sindh.
4
nas1 nas meN lahu2 to tera hai
par aaNsu mere apne haiN
hoNToN par rahi teri boli
par nain3 meN sindh ke sapne4 haiN 1.vein 2.blood 3.eyes 4.dreams
It is your blood that flows in every vein, but my tears are my own. It is your language that I have on my lips (recognizing urdu as an Indian language) but I have dreams of sindh. What a beautiful expression of dual love. There is no conflict between the two!
5
man maaTi jamuna ghaaT ki thi
par samajh zaraa us ki dhaRkan
is meN kaaruNjhar1 ki siski
is meN hauke2 Daaltaa chaltan3! 1.mountain range in sindh 2.longing, urge 3.??????
The clay of my heart is of the banks of the jumna but hear is throb. It has the whisper/sigh/wind of the mountains of sindh. I don’t quite know what chaltan or chiltan is, but whatever it is, it pours a longing/urge (to return) into her heart.
6
tere aaNgan miThaa kuaaN haNse
kya phal paaye mera man rogi1
ek riit2 nagar se moh3 mera
baste haiN jahaaN pyaase jogi4 1.sick, sad 2.custom, tradition, ritual 3.attraction 4.saint/priest
May the well of sweet water be full in your home/yard. It has been good to me but, how can it bear fruit in my sorrowful heart. My heart has love for the land of my rituals/customs, the land of sufi saints/jogi.
7
tera mujh se kokh1 ka naata2 hai
mere man ki piiRaa3 jaan zara
vo ruup dikhaauN tujhe kaise
jis par sab tan4 man vaar5 diya 1.womb 2.relationship 3.pain, wound 4.body 5.sacrifice
My relationship with you is that of the womb, but do understand my pain. How can I show you the face on which I have bestowed my heart and soul i.e. I still love sindh and have to return.
8
kya giit haiN vo koh-yaaroN1 ke
kya ghaa’el2 un ki baani3 hai
kya laaj4 raNgi vo phaTi chaadar
jo thar5 ki tapat6 ne taani hai 1.hill people 2.wounded 3.speech, verse 4.shyness, dignity 5.desert in rajasthan and sindh 6.heat
(I miss) the songs of the hill people of sindh, their sorrowful sounds. Even though the shawl stretched over the hot thar desert is torn, it is coloured in dignity.
9
vo ghaav1 ghaav tan un ke
par nas2 nas meN agni3 dahki
vo baaT ghiri saNginoN4 se
aur jhapaT shikaari kuttoN ki 1.wound 2.vein 3.fire 4.bayonet
This is probably a pictorialization of refugees migrating across the desert to sindh – wounded bodies, fire burning in every vein, divided lines marked/surrounded by bayonets, attacked by hunting dogs.
10
haiN jin ke haath par aNgaare
maiN un banjaaroN1 ki cheri2
maaN un ke aage kos3 kaRe4
aur sar pe kaRakti do-pahri 1.gypsies, workers, labourers 2.girl, daughter 3.miles, distance 4.difficult
I am the child of wanderers/refugees/gypsies who bear hot coals in their hands (they are struggling). O mother, there is a long and difficult path ahead of them and the afternoon sun is hot.
11
maiN bandi1 baaNdhoN2 ki baaNdi3
vo bandi-Khaane4 toReNge
hai jin haathoN meN haath diyaa
so saari salaaKheN5 moReNge 1.sentenced/condemned 2.tied up 3.slave girl 4.prison 5.prison bars
I am the condemned slave girl of prisoners (she had fled pakistan during zia-ul-haq’s time fearing imprisonment and even life). They will break through prisons. The hands in which I have given my hand, will bend/open prison bars and bring freedom (for me to return).
12
tu sadaa suhaagan1 ho maaN rii!
mujhe apni toR2 nibhaanaa3 hai
ri dilli chhu kar charan4 tere
mujh ko vaapas muR jaana hai 1.married, prosperous 2.break 3.repair 4.feet
O, mother, may you always be prosperous. I have to repair the break in relationship that I have made. O dehli, touching your feet, I have to return.
fahmida riaz (1946-2018) is generally known as a ‘feminist’ poet. She is that. But her repertoire is much wider. In addition to women’s rights, she has written about peace, justice, militarism and much more. For a few years she had to leave pakistan. She sought refuge in India, was welcomed there and wrote a beautiful nazm ‘naya bharat’. This is probably written expressing her gratitude and love as she was leaving India.
1
dilli! teri chhaauN baRi qahri1
meri puuri kaaya2 pighal rahi
mujhe gale lagaa kar gali gali
dhire se kahe” tu kaun hai ri?”
1.painful 2.body, person
She has been welcomed and embraced in every street and yet, she is asked, “who are you” and is considered “other”. Such mixed ‘protection’ is a painful and burns the body.
2
maiN kaun huN, maaN teri jaaii1 huN
par bhes2 naye se aaii huuN
maiN ramti3 pahuNchi apnoN tak
par priit paraaii laaii huuN
1.born of 2.disguise, appearance 3.playful, running
Who am I? O, mother, I am your daughter but have come in a new disguise. Running playfully, I came among my own people but I have love of a foreign land.
3
taariKh ki ghor1 guphaaoN2 meN
shaayad paaye pahchaan meri
thaa biij meN des ka pyaar ghulaa
pardes meN kya kya bel chaRhi
1.dark 2.caves
In the dark caves of history, you might find my identity. In my seed, love of the homeland was dissolved. But in another land, I blossomed. fahmida raiz’s forebears migrated to sindh in the 1930s. She herself was born and brought up in sindh.
4
nas1 nas meN lahu2 to tera hai
par aaNsu mere apne haiN
hoNToN par rahi teri boli
par nain3 meN sindh ke sapne4 haiN
1.vein 2.blood 3.eyes 4.dreams
It is your blood that flows in every vein, but my tears are my own. It is your language that I have on my lips (recognizing urdu as an Indian language) but I have dreams of sindh. What a beautiful expression of dual love. There is no conflict between the two!
5
man maaTi jamuna ghaaT ki thi
par samajh zaraa us ki dhaRkan
is meN kaaruNjhar1 ki siski
is meN hauke2 Daaltaa chaltan3!
1.mountain range in sindh 2.longing, urge 3.??????
The clay of my heart is of the banks of the jumna but hear is throb. It has the whisper/sigh/wind of the mountains of sindh. I don’t quite know what chaltan or chiltan is, but whatever it is, it pours a longing/urge (to return) into her heart.
6
tere aaNgan miThaa kuaaN haNse
kya phal paaye mera man rogi1
ek riit2 nagar se moh3 mera
baste haiN jahaaN pyaase jogi4
1.sick, sad 2.custom, tradition, ritual 3.attraction 4.saint/priest
May the well of sweet water be full in your home/yard. It has been good to me but, how can it bear fruit in my sorrowful heart. My heart has love for the land of my rituals/customs, the land of sufi saints/jogi.
7
tera mujh se kokh1 ka naata2 hai
mere man ki piiRaa3 jaan zara
vo ruup dikhaauN tujhe kaise
jis par sab tan4 man vaar5 diya
1.womb 2.relationship 3.pain, wound 4.body 5.sacrifice
My relationship with you is that of the womb, but do understand my pain. How can I show you the face on which I have bestowed my heart and soul i.e. I still love sindh and have to return.
8
kya giit haiN vo koh-yaaroN1 ke
kya ghaa’el2 un ki baani3 hai
kya laaj4 raNgi vo phaTi chaadar
jo thar5 ki tapat6 ne taani hai
1.hill people 2.wounded 3.speech, verse 4.shyness, dignity 5.desert in rajasthan and sindh 6.heat
(I miss) the songs of the hill people of sindh, their sorrowful sounds. Even though the shawl stretched over the hot thar desert is torn, it is coloured in dignity.
9
vo ghaav1 ghaav tan un ke
par nas2 nas meN agni3 dahki
vo baaT ghiri saNginoN4 se
aur jhapaT shikaari kuttoN ki
1.wound 2.vein 3.fire 4.bayonet
This is probably a pictorialization of refugees migrating across the desert to sindh – wounded bodies, fire burning in every vein, divided lines marked/surrounded by bayonets, attacked by hunting dogs.
10
haiN jin ke haath par aNgaare
maiN un banjaaroN1 ki cheri2
maaN un ke aage kos3 kaRe4
aur sar pe kaRakti do-pahri
1.gypsies, workers, labourers 2.girl, daughter 3.miles, distance 4.difficult
I am the child of wanderers/refugees/gypsies who bear hot coals in their hands (they are struggling). O mother, there is a long and difficult path ahead of them and the afternoon sun is hot.
11
maiN bandi1 baaNdhoN2 ki baaNdi3
vo bandi-Khaane4 toReNge
hai jin haathoN meN haath diyaa
so saari salaaKheN5 moReNge
1.sentenced/condemned 2.tied up 3.slave girl 4.prison 5.prison bars
I am the condemned slave girl of prisoners (she had fled pakistan during zia-ul-haq’s time fearing imprisonment and even life). They will break through prisons. The hands in which I have given my hand, will bend/open prison bars and bring freedom (for me to return).
12
tu sadaa suhaagan1 ho maaN rii!
mujhe apni toR2 nibhaanaa3 hai
ri dilli chhu kar charan4 tere
mujh ko vaapas muR jaana hai
1.married, prosperous 2.break 3.repair 4.feet
O, mother, may you always be prosperous. I have to repair the break in relationship that I have made. O dehli, touching your feet, I have to return.
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