faiz ke firaq meN – ahmad faraz
(satarveeN saalgirah par)

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for word meanings and discussion. The year was 1981. faiz was in exile in lebanon. Apparently, every year his admireres/well-wishers celebrated his birthday even in his absence.

aye maaTi ke laal tujhe sub yaad kareN
yaad kareN bheegi aaNkhauN
aur dukhte dilauN se yaad kareN
har saal
aye maaTi ke laal tujhe sub yaad kareNThe phrase ‘maaTi ke laal’ is evocative of faiz’s nazm, ‘siphai ka marsia’. O son of this land, we all miss you, remember you with tearful eyes, aching hearts. We remember you every year.

teri kavita¹ meri teri dharti ki sachchaaii
tere bol haiN saare gooNge² shahrauN ki goyaaii³
tere geet haiN amn⁴ ki nai aur aashti⁵ ki shahnaaii1.poetry, verse 2.voiceless 3.speech, voice 4.peace 5.harmony
Your verse speaks the truth about our homeland. Your words give voice to the voiceless of our cities and villages. Your songs are songs of peace and harmony.

aaNgan aur chaupaal tujhe sub yaad kareN
yaad kareN bheegi aaNkhauN
aur dukhte dilauN se yaad kareN
har saal
aye maaTi ke laalHomes and village squares all remember you, remember you with tearful eyes and aching hearts. Every year. O son of this land.

kavi tujhe duniya apna banaaye laikin apna shahr
apna shahr ke hadd¹-e nazar² tak jaise lahu³ ki nahr⁴
ya mansur⁵ o maseeh⁶ ki sooli⁷ ya suqraat⁸ ka zahr⁹  1.limits of 2.sight 3.blood 4.stream 5.mansoor al hallaj 6.Jesus 7.gallows 8.Socrates 9.poison
The whole world considers you their poet, except our own land. Our homeland which as far as the eye can see is a river of blood, the gallows of mansur or the poison draught of Socrates. mansur al hallaj, Jesus and Socrates … all three were killed at the gallows or given poison to swallow … because of what they taught and the influence they had. They are often used in urdu poetry as symbols. Here faraz suggests that faiz is receiving the same treatment.

hum aashufta¹ haal tujhe sub yaad kareN
yaad kareN har saal
aye maaTi ke laal1.mad, furious, passionate
We of passion, we all remember you, remember you every year, O son of this land.

hijr¹ ki rut² roz rahegi – aur faqat³ kuchh roz
vasl⁴ ki saa’at⁵ aa pahuNchegi – aur faqat kuchh roz
raah⁶ ki har deevaar giregi – aur faqat kuchh roz1.separation 2.season, time 3.only 4.union 5.time 6.pathway
This has echoes of faiz’s ‘chand roz aur, meri jaan, faqat chand hi roz’. The time of separation is everyday now, but only for a few more days. The time of union/meeting will arrive in just a few more days. Every wall/obstruction in our path will be removed, in only a few more days.

galey meN baaheN¹ Daal tujhe sub yaad kareN
aye maaTi ke laal
tujhe sub yaad kareN
tujhe sub yaad kareN1.arms
Putting arms around your neck, we remember you O son of the soil. We all remember you, we all do.