For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
mahmood piracha tarjuma
raf’at al’ariir English
اگر ہے لازم کہ میں مروں تو
غزّہ کے شہید شاعر رفعت العرعیر کی انگریزی نظم کا اُردو ترجمہ
محمود پراچہ
۱
اگر ہے لازم کہ میں مروں تو
تمہیں ہے جینا
۲
مری کہانی سنا سکو تم
مری سب اشیا فروخت کر کے
ذرا سا کپڑا ذرا سا دھاگا
خرید پاؤ
(سفید ہو ساتھ لمبی دُم ہو)
۳
کہ جب بھی غَزّہ میں کوئی بچّہ
فلک سے نظریں ملائے اپنی
جب اپنے بابا کا منتظر ہو
جو آگ میں یوں چلا گیا تھا
۴
(وداع بھی جو نہ کہہ سکا تھا
نہ تن کو اپنے نہ اپنے من کو)
۵
پتنگ میری وہ اُڑتی دیکھے
پتنگ جو تم نے ہو بنائی
۶
اور ایک پل کے لیے یہ سوچے
ہے اک فرشتہ جو کر رہا ہے
محبتوں کو بحال پھر سے
۷
اگر مری موت اب اٹل ہے
تو یہ امیدوں کو پھر جگاۓ
یہ اک کہانی کا روپ پاۓ
अगर है लाज़िम के मैं मरूं तो
ग़ज़्ज़ा के शहीद शा’एर रफ़’अत अल’अरीर की अंग्रेज़ी नज़्म का उर्दू तर्जुमा
महमूद पिराचा
१
अगर है लाज़िम के मैं मरूं तो
तुम्हें है जीना
२
मेरी कहानी सुना सको तुम
मेरी सब अशिया फ़रोख़्त कर के
ज़रा सा कपड़ा ज़रा सा धागा
ख़रीद पाओ
(सफ़ेद हो साथ लम्बी दुम हो)
३
के जब भी ग़ज़्ज़ा में कोई बच्चा
फ़लक से नज़रें मिलाए अपनी
जब अपने बाबा का मुंतज़िर हो
जो आग में यूं चला गया था
४
(विदा भी जो न कह सका था
न तन को अपने न अपने मन को)
५
पतंग मेरी वो उढती देखे
पतंग जो तुम ने हो बनाई
६
और एक पल के लिए ये सोचे
है एक फ़रिश्ता जो कर रहा है
मुहब्बतों को बहाल फिर से
७
अगर मेरी मौत अब अटल है
तो ये उम्मीदों को फिर जगाए
ये एक कहानी का रूप पाए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. agar hai laazim keh maiN maruN to
Ghazzah ke shahiid shaa’er raf’at al’areer ki aNgrezi nazm ka urdu tarjuma mahmood piracha
raf’at al’areer (1979-2023) poet, activist, writer. Professor, English literature and creative writing, Islamic University, Ghazzah. Killed in a targetted bombing attack by Israel.
mahmood piracha lives in Toronto, Canada. He has a deep appreciation for Urdu poetry and enjoys reading the works of ghalib, mir, faiz, noon miim rashid, ibn-e-insha, ahmed faraz, and other poets. He has a keen interest in Urdu meter as well. mahmood has made valuable contributions to interpretations of several posts on urdushahkar.
1
agar hai laazim keh maiN maruN to
tumheN hai jiina If I must die,
you must live
2
meri kahaani suna sako tum
meri sab ashya faroKht kar ke
zara sa kapRa zara sa dhaaga
Khariid paa’o
(safed ho saath lambi dum ho to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
3
keh jab bhi Ghazzah meN koi bachcha
falak se nazreN milaa’e apni
jab apne baaba ka muntazir ho
jo aag meN yuN chala gaya tha so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—
4
(vida’ bhi jo na kah saka tha
nah tan ko apne nah apne man ko) and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself—
5
pataNg meri vo uRti dekhe
pataNg jo tum ne ho banaai sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
6
aur ek pal ke liye yeh soche
hai ek farishta jo kar raha hai
mohabbatoN ko bahaal phir se and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
7
agar meri maut ab aTal hai
to yeh umiidoN ko phir jagaa’e
yeh ek kahaani ka roop paa’e If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
agar hai laazim keh maiN maruN to
Ghazzah ke shahiid shaa’er raf’at al’areer ki aNgrezi nazm ka urdu tarjuma mahmood piracha
raf’at al’areer (1979-2023) poet, activist, writer. Professor, English literature and creative writing, Islamic University, Ghazzah. Killed in a targetted bombing attack by Israel.
mahmood piracha lives in Toronto, Canada. He has a deep appreciation for Urdu poetry and enjoys reading the works of ghalib, mir, faiz, noon miim rashid, ibn-e-insha, ahmed faraz, and other poets. He has a keen interest in Urdu meter as well. mahmood has made valuable contributions to interpretations of several posts on urdushahkar.
1
agar hai laazim keh maiN maruN to
tumheN hai jiina
If I must die,
you must live
2
meri kahaani suna sako tum
meri sab ashya faroKht kar ke
zara sa kapRa zara sa dhaaga
Khariid paa’o
(safed ho saath lambi dum ho)
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
3
keh jab bhi Ghazzah meN koi bachcha
falak se nazreN milaa’e apni
jab apne baaba ka muntazir ho
jo aag meN yuN chala gaya tha
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—
4
(vida’ bhi jo na kah saka tha
nah tan ko apne nah apne man ko)
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself—
5
pataNg meri vo uRti dekhe
pataNg jo tum ne ho banaai
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
6
aur ek pal ke liye yeh soche
hai ek farishta jo kar raha hai
mohabbatoN ko bahaal phir se
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
7
agar meri maut ab aTal hai
to yeh umiidoN ko phir jagaa’e
yeh ek kahaani ka roop paa’e
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
If I must die
raf’at al’ariir
(1979-2023) poet, activist, writer. Professor, English literature and creative writing, Islamic University, Ghazzah. Killed in a targetted bombing attack by Israel.
If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself—
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
Sad, very sad! The tragedy, the torture, the persecution, the oppression to which innocent Palestinians are subjected to for months is beyond imagination. The poem of Palestinian poet Rifat Al-Areer translated by Mr. Mahmood Piracha succinctly portrays the sufferings of Palestinian men, women and children. How sad that the conscience of the world fails to condemn and take action against those inhuman barbaric people who have surpassed the Nazis in unleashing continuous genocide of Palestinians! The moving poem melts the heart and bring tears of the eyes of the reader. What can I say! The disappointment, sorrow and grief are beyond expression. May God Almighty help the oppressed and bring the oppressors to their senses. The history will always condemn those as it has condemned the Nazis.
Dear Editor, Salaam o Ta’zeem
I have been receiving the issues of Urdu Shahkar regularly for the last many years for which I am very obliged and grateful. I appreciate your commitment and dedication to Urdu language and literature. I am amazed to read the Urdu poetry of many Hindu poets who are new to me. Contribution of those great poets is beyond imagination. I have taken the liberty to forward these meritorious issues to my relatives and friends here in the US and abroad. You may recall that I had sent you the email addresses of a few dozen friends. All of them are very appreciative of the service that you are doing to keep promoting our cultural heritage in the western world. Members of the Urdu Academy, CA, Seattle Adabi Mehfil, Bazm-e-Adab, WA and many other literary associations across USA, Canada, Europe and Asia are on your mailing list and like me all of them are appreciative of your efforts in serving the cause of Urdu. Lately I received a “Thank you” note from Prof. Gilani of the Islamic International University, Malaysia, to whom I had forwarded your email. Thanks again. Remain blessed.
Ever appreciatively yours,
M. Owais Jafrey