For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
فیضان اور فلائیڈ ۔ شاہد
۱
گھُٹنے سے گھُٹا دم تیرا، دھرتی کی تڑپ بن کے اُٹھا
ٹوٹتی سانس سے تو ماں کو پکارا تو ہر اِک ماں نے سُنا
۲
ہے درد سے بھرپور ترے قتل کا منظر بے شک
تیرے جیسے تھے کئی اور بھی جِن کو کہ ملی موت بھیانک
۳
قابلِ قتل جب اِس ملک میں بس دوڑ لگانا ہو جائے
جب تیرا رنگ و نسب فیصلہ کُن تیری خطا کا ہو جائے
۴
تھے کتنے ہی بے جرم جو ہاتھوں سے نگہباں کے مرے
اور نفرت بھرے تعصُّب سے پڑوسی ہی نے کتنے مارے
۵
میں جو پرواسی ہوں تو لوَٹی ہے نظر میری وہاں
توڑتی دم تھی کِسی باپ کی عشرت کسی ماں کا جہاں
۶
قاتل کو یقیں تھا کہ نہیں کوئی بھی ایسا کہ جو وڈیو لیتا
بعد مرنے کے رکھی بازو میں بندوق شہادت دیتا
۷
ٹریوون بھی تھا مظلوم، مظلوم تھا انساری بھی
مارا اخلاق کو، تہذیب مِٹائی، مرے اکبر و اسلم بھی
۸
ریشارڈ کو مارا کہ بیٹی کا جنم دِن تھا تو بھاگا وہ بیچارا
بندوق اُٹھانے پہ بھی نہ مارا جنہیں، ڈھال بنا رنگ تھا گورا
۹
گولی مارو سالوں کو، ملی جو چھوٹ، طلبا پہ بندوق چلائی
پولس بھی کھلے عام کھڑی دیکھتی رہی، ٹھاکر نے جو تھی ڈھال بنائی
۱۰
مائیکل براؤن، ایرک گارنر، فرڈی گرے، ٹامر رائیس اور احماد
پہلو خاں، قاسم، عبّاس، جنید، یاسین، نعیم اور اِرشاد
۱۱
ایسے کتنے ہیں کہ گنواؤں تو گنوا نہ سکوں
آنسو نہیں اِتنے کہ چاہوں بھی تو میں رو نہ سکوں
۱۲
جارج گُونجی تری آواز ہے دنیا کے ہر اِک کونے میں
گہری ہے دل کی چوٹ، پہنچی نہ وطن کے وہ کسی کونے میں
۱۳
دم توڑتے فیضان نے بھارت ماں کی کری جئے جئے کار
ہے آج اُسی ماں کا کوئی لال جو سُن لے یہ پکار
फ़ैज़ान और फ़्लॉइड – शाहद
१
घुटने से घुटा दम तेरा, घर्ती की तढप बन के उठा
टूटती सांस से तू मां को पुकारा तो हर एक मां ने सुना
२
है दर्द से भरपूर तेरे क़त्ल का मंज़र बे-शक
तेरे जैसे थे कई और भी जिन को के मिली मौत भयानक
३
क़ाबिल-ए क़त्ल जब इस मुल्क में बस दौढ लगाना हो जाए
जब तेरा रंग ओ नसब फ़ैस्ला कुन तेरी ख़ता का हो जाए
४
थे कितने ही बे-जुर्म जो हाथौं से निगहबां के मरे
और नफ़्रत भरे ता’अस्सुब से पढोसी हि ने कितने मारे
५
मैं जो प्रवासी हुं तो लौटी है नज़र मेरी वहां
तोढती दम थी किसी बाप की ईश्रत, किसी मां का जहां
६
क़ातिल को यक़ीं था के नहीं भी ऐसा के जो विडियो लेता
बाद मरने के रखी बाज़ु में बन्दूक़ शहादत देता
७
ट्रेवॉन भी था मज़्लूम, मज़्लूम था अंसारी भी
मारा अख़्लाक़ को तहज़ीब मिटाई, मरे अक्बर ओ अस्लम भी
८
रिशार्ड को मारा के बेटी का जनम दिन था तो भागा वो बेचारा
बन्दूक़ उठाने पे भी न मारा जिन्हें, ढाल बना रंग था गोरा
९
गोली मारो सालौं को, मिली जो छूट, तुलबा पे बन्दूक़ चलाई
पोलिस भी खुले आम खड़ी देखती रही, ठाकुर ने थी ढाल बनाई
१०
माईकल ब्राउन, एरिक गार्नर, फ़्रेड्डी ग्रे, टामिर राइस और अहमाद
पहलू ख़ां, क़ासिम, अब्बास, जुनैद, यासीन, नईम और इर्शाद
११
ऐसे कितने हैं के गिन्वाऊं तो गिन्वा न सकूं
आंसू नही इतने के चाहूं भी तो मैं रो न सकूं
१२
जॉर्ज, गूंजी तेरी आवाज़ है दुनिया के हर एक कोने में
गहरी है दिल पे चोट, पहुंची न वतन के वो किसी कोने में
१३
दम तोढते फ़ैज़ान ने भारत मां कि करी जय जयकार
है आज उसी मां का कोई लाल जो सुन ले ये पुकार
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shahed (1944-living), retired engineer, maintains this site. Learning urdu and occasionally dares to write, but was forced to write this one struck by the similarities between bigotry and its devastating effect in his erstwhile and adopted homelands.
1
ghuTne se ghuTa1 dam2 tera, dharti ki taRap ban ke uTha
TooTti saaNs se tu maaN ko pukaara to har ek maaN ne suna 1.choked 2.breath
Your breath, choked by the knee, rose like the earth in pain
With breaking breath, “Mama” you called, every mother heard again and again
2
hai dard se bharpoor tere qatl1 ka manzar2 be-shak3
tere jaise the kaii aur bhi jin ko ke mili maut bhayanak4 1.murder 2.scene 3.without doubt 4.terrifying
Overflowing with pain, the scene of your murder, no doubt
How many others like you, did dreadful death scout
3
qaabil-e-qatl1 jab is mulk meN bus dauR lagaana ho jaaye
jab tera raNg2 o nasab3 faisla-kun4 teri Khata5 ka ho jaaye 1.justification to kill 2.(skin) colour 3.pedigree, race 4.deciding 5.fault, crime
When in the country, taking a run in the street, killing is justified
When skin and race both crime and guilt decide
4
the kitne hi be-jurm1 jo haathoN se nigahbaaN2 ke mare
aur nifrat3 bhare ta’assub4 se paRosi bhi ne kitne maare 1.without crime, innocent 2.guardian 3.hatred 4.bigotry
How many innocents die at the guardian’s hands
How many are killed by bigoted neighbourhood bands
5
maiN jo pravaasi1 huN to lauTi2 hai nazar meri vahaaN
toRti dum thi kisi baap ki ishrat3 kisi maaN ka jahaaN4 1.residing outside 2.turn, return 3.joy 4.world (ishrat jahaan was killed in a fake encounter and a gun was planted by the side of her body)
From the new homeland, towards the old, my sight I cast
A father’s joy, a mother’s love writhing in pain, breathing her last
6
qaatil1 ko yaqiN2 tha ke nahiN koii bhi aisa ke jo video leta
baad marne ke rakhi baazu3 meN bandooq shahaadat4 deta 1.killer 2.certainty 3.side 4.testimony, witness
The killer sure that none around to video-record the process
Placing a gun at her side, fake evidence, none to witness
7
Trayvon bhi thaa mazluum1 mazluum tha ansaari2 bhi
maara aKhlaaq3 ko, tahzib4 miTaayii, mare akbar5 o aslam5 bhi 1.oppressed 2.mazluum ansaari (his name used in double meaning) killed by cow protection vigilantes 3.aKhlaaq was killed on accusation of beef eating, his name used in double meaning, translates to considerate behaviour 4.culture 5.both victims of cow protection vigilantes
Trayvon oppressed, as was mazluum ansaari, their rights denied
They killed aKhlaaq, erased composite culture, aslam and akbar too, died
8
rayshard ko maara ke beTi ka janam din tha, jo bhaaga vo bechaara
bandooq uThaane pe bhi maara na jinheN, Dhaal bana raNg tha gora Rayshard was killed, his daughter’s birthday to celebrate he chose flight
Others who pulled a gun were not killed, a shield, their skin was white
There are officially recorded instances of several white men who pulled guns on black people and even on police officers. They were not shot. Police made the effort to calm them down and discharge them. In most cases they were charged with only a misdemeanour, their skin colour was their protective shield, while Rayschard, with black skin, was killed when he was running away.
9
goli maaro saaloN ko, mili jo chhooT, tulaba pe bandooq chalaaii
police bhi khule ‘aam khaRi dekhti rahi, Thakur ne jo thi Dhaal banaaii Shoot the bastards, given liberty he fired at students who protested
The police stood by for all to see, Thakur, a shield that protected
anurag Thakur, a BJP leader incited the crowd and led them into chants “goli maaro saaloN ko”. Two days later a young man walked up to students demonstrating against the Citizenship Amendment Act and shot them. The police stood by just looking at him. Political leadership provided a shield.
10
michael brown, eric garner, freddie gray, Tamir rice aur ahmaud
pahlu KhaaN, qasim, abbaas, junaid, yaseen, na’eem aur irshad All the names are those who were killed by bigotry by police or by mobs
Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice and Ahmaud
pahlu KhaaN, qasim, abbaas, junaid, yaseen, na’eem and irshaad
11
aise kitne haiN ke ginvaauN to ginva na sakuN
aaNsu nahiN itne ke chaahuN bhi to maiN ro na sakuN So many others that I cannot count, even if I try
There are not enough tears if I want to cry
12
George, goonji teri aavaaz hai duniya ke har ek kone meN
gahri hai dil ki choT, pahunNchi na vatan ke vo kisi kone meN George, your cry echoing through the world, reached every corner
It hurts deeply that in the land of my birth it failed to reach any corner
13
dam toRte faizaan ne bharat maaN ki kari jay jaykaar
hai aaj usi maaN ka koii laal jo sun le ye pukaar faizaan too sang of his mother bharat even as Death came to call
Even today, is there any son of that same mother who might hear his call
faizaan was one of four young men beaten up by the police, severely and weak, they were forced to recite the national anthem. faizaan died two days later. The Police kept him without medical attention for 24 hours and then falsified records to say that they took him to the hospital right away. Police records (doctored) and hospital records show different dates.
shahed (1944-living), retired engineer, maintains this site. Learning urdu and occasionally dares to write, but was forced to write this one struck by the similarities between bigotry and its devastating effect in his erstwhile and adopted homelands.
1
ghuTne se ghuTa1 dam2 tera, dharti ki taRap ban ke uTha
TooTti saaNs se tu maaN ko pukaara to har ek maaN ne suna
1.choked 2.breath
Your breath, choked by the knee, rose like the earth in pain
With breaking breath, “Mama” you called, every mother heard again and again
2
hai dard se bharpoor tere qatl1 ka manzar2 be-shak3
tere jaise the kaii aur bhi jin ko ke mili maut bhayanak4
1.murder 2.scene 3.without doubt 4.terrifying
Overflowing with pain, the scene of your murder, no doubt
How many others like you, did dreadful death scout
3
qaabil-e-qatl1 jab is mulk meN bus dauR lagaana ho jaaye
jab tera raNg2 o nasab3 faisla-kun4 teri Khata5 ka ho jaaye
1.justification to kill 2.(skin) colour 3.pedigree, race 4.deciding 5.fault, crime
When in the country, taking a run in the street, killing is justified
When skin and race both crime and guilt decide
4
the kitne hi be-jurm1 jo haathoN se nigahbaaN2 ke mare
aur nifrat3 bhare ta’assub4 se paRosi bhi ne kitne maare
1.without crime, innocent 2.guardian 3.hatred 4.bigotry
How many innocents die at the guardian’s hands
How many are killed by bigoted neighbourhood bands
5
maiN jo pravaasi1 huN to lauTi2 hai nazar meri vahaaN
toRti dum thi kisi baap ki ishrat3 kisi maaN ka jahaaN4
1.residing outside 2.turn, return 3.joy 4.world (ishrat jahaan was killed in a fake encounter and a gun was planted by the side of her body)
From the new homeland, towards the old, my sight I cast
A father’s joy, a mother’s love writhing in pain, breathing her last
6
qaatil1 ko yaqiN2 tha ke nahiN koii bhi aisa ke jo video leta
baad marne ke rakhi baazu3 meN bandooq shahaadat4 deta
1.killer 2.certainty 3.side 4.testimony, witness
The killer sure that none around to video-record the process
Placing a gun at her side, fake evidence, none to witness
7
Trayvon bhi thaa mazluum1 mazluum tha ansaari2 bhi
maara aKhlaaq3 ko, tahzib4 miTaayii, mare akbar5 o aslam5 bhi
1.oppressed 2.mazluum ansaari (his name used in double meaning) killed by cow protection vigilantes 3.aKhlaaq was killed on accusation of beef eating, his name used in double meaning, translates to considerate behaviour 4.culture 5.both victims of cow protection vigilantes
Trayvon oppressed, as was mazluum ansaari, their rights denied
They killed aKhlaaq, erased composite culture, aslam and akbar too, died
8
rayshard ko maara ke beTi ka janam din tha, jo bhaaga vo bechaara
bandooq uThaane pe bhi maara na jinheN, Dhaal bana raNg tha gora
Rayshard was killed, his daughter’s birthday to celebrate he chose flight
Others who pulled a gun were not killed, a shield, their skin was white
There are officially recorded instances of several white men who pulled guns on black people and even on police officers. They were not shot. Police made the effort to calm them down and discharge them. In most cases they were charged with only a misdemeanour, their skin colour was their protective shield, while Rayschard, with black skin, was killed when he was running away.
9
goli maaro saaloN ko, mili jo chhooT, tulaba pe bandooq chalaaii
police bhi khule ‘aam khaRi dekhti rahi, Thakur ne jo thi Dhaal banaaii
Shoot the bastards, given liberty he fired at students who protested
The police stood by for all to see, Thakur, a shield that protected
anurag Thakur, a BJP leader incited the crowd and led them into chants “goli maaro saaloN ko”. Two days later a young man walked up to students demonstrating against the Citizenship Amendment Act and shot them. The police stood by just looking at him. Political leadership provided a shield.
10
michael brown, eric garner, freddie gray, Tamir rice aur ahmaud
pahlu KhaaN, qasim, abbaas, junaid, yaseen, na’eem aur irshad
All the names are those who were killed by bigotry by police or by mobs
Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice and Ahmaud
pahlu KhaaN, qasim, abbaas, junaid, yaseen, na’eem and irshaad
11
aise kitne haiN ke ginvaauN to ginva na sakuN
aaNsu nahiN itne ke chaahuN bhi to maiN ro na sakuN
So many others that I cannot count, even if I try
There are not enough tears if I want to cry
12
George, goonji teri aavaaz hai duniya ke har ek kone meN
gahri hai dil ki choT, pahunNchi na vatan ke vo kisi kone meN
George, your cry echoing through the world, reached every corner
It hurts deeply that in the land of my birth it failed to reach any corner
13
dam toRte faizaan ne bharat maaN ki kari jay jaykaar
hai aaj usi maaN ka koii laal jo sun le ye pukaar
faizaan too sang of his mother bharat even as Death came to call
Even today, is there any son of that same mother who might hear his call
faizaan was one of four young men beaten up by the police, severely and weak, they were forced to recite the national anthem. faizaan died two days later. The Police kept him without medical attention for 24 hours and then falsified records to say that they took him to the hospital right away. Police records (doctored) and hospital records show different dates.
Thank you for that Shahed – it is really powerful. I didn’t realise that there had been little or no news about George Floyd’s death in India. Here in the UK, it has been a rallying/ wake-up call for our own issues of police brutality, racism generally, and how we look at the imperial past and its legacy today, such as in my own city of Oxford, calls for removing the statue of Cecil Rhodes.
There is plenty of news about George Floyd in India. It is all written with a smugness of superiority about how peaceful Indian people accept the orders of police. My pain is NOT that there is no coverage of George Floyd. It is that there is no self-reflection of how much the police is used as a tool of oppression by the political powers.
Have you seen riots in Delhi and Other places in India during Covid 19, attacking police and health providers with rocks and burning cars and buses and destrying public properties. How can sit here and criticize India and its police. Every country is different with different. history and past experiences of 100s or 1000s years. Their present is molded by those experiences. Comparing USA and India is like comparing Applles and Oranges. Present troubles in USA have different reasons than anything going on in India.
Thank you for your note. My criticism is NOT against the police. They are merely a TOOL of state power. My complaint is against the state and the PEOPLE of India who have not shown sensitivity to police brutality, quite unlike the people of the US of who have (only lately) shown much sensitivity. I have seen police brutality during protest movements. It is ferocious and selective.
Nos. 5 and 10 ring in my ears, hours after reading. I share your frustration at not finding any sympathetic echo in the former home of ahimsa. The barbarians at the helm won’t allow it.