jism samajh lete haiN-sahir

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.

عورت ۔ ساحر لدھیانوی

 

لوگ عورت کو فقط جسم سمجھ لیتے ہیں

روح بھی ہوتی ہے اس میں یہ کہاں سوچتے ہیں

 

روح کیا ہوتی ہے اِس سے اُنہیں مطلب ہی نہیں

وہ تو بس تن کے تقاضوں کا کہا مانتے ہیں

روح مر جائے تو ہر جسم ہے چلتی ہوئی لاش

اِس حقیقت کو نہ سمجھتے ہیں نہ پہچانتے ہیں

 

کتنی صدیوں سے یہ وحشت کا چلن جاری ہے

کتنی صدیوں سے ہی قائم یہ گُناہوں کا رواج

لوگ عورت کی ہر اِک چیخ کو نغمہ سمجھیں

وہ قبیلوں کا زمانہ ہو کہ شہروں کا سماج

 

جبر سے نسل بڑھے ظلم سے تن میل کرے

یہ عمل ہم میں ہے بے علم پرندوں میں نہیں

ہم جو اِنسانوں کی تہذیب لئے پھرتے ہیں

ہم سا وحشی کوئی جنگل کے درندوں میں نہیں

 

اِک بُجھی روح لُٹے جسم کے ڈھانچے میں لئے

سوچتی ہوں میں کہاں جا کے مقدّر پھوڑوں

میں نہ رندہ ہوں کہ مرنے کا سہارا ڈھونڈوں

اور نہ مردہ ہوں کہ جینے کے غموں سے چھوٹوں

 

کون بتلائے گا مجھ کو، کسے جا کر پوچھوں

زندگی قہر کے سانچے میں ڈھلے گی کب تک

کب تلک آنکھ نہ کھولے گا زمانے کا ضمیر

ظلم اور جبر کی یہ ریت چلے گی کب تک

औरत की रूह – साहिर लुधियानवी

 

लोग औरत को फ़क़त जिस्म समझ लेते हैं

रूह भी होती है उस में ये कहाँ सोचते हैं

 

रूह क्या होती है इस से उन्हें मतलब ही नहीं

वो तो बस तन के तक़ाज़ों का कहा मानते हैं

रूह मर जाए तो हर जिस्म है चलती हुई लाश

इस हक़ीक़त को न समझते हैं न पहचानते हैं

 

कितनी सदियौं से ये वहशत का चलन जारी है

कितनी सदियौं से है क़ा’एम ये गुनाहों का रिवाज

लोग औरत की हर एक चीख़ को नग़मा समझें

वो क़बीलों का ज़माना हो के शहरौं का समाज

 

जब्र से नस्ल बढ़े ज़ुल्म से तन मैल करे

ये अमल हम में है बे-इल्म परिंदों में नहीं

हम जो इन्सानों की तहज़ीब लिए फिरते हैं

हम सा वहशी कोई जंगल के दरिंदों में नहीं

 

एक बुझी रूह लुटे जिस्म के ढाँचे में लिए

सोचती हूँ मैं कहाँ जा के मुक़द्दर फोड़ूं

मैं न ज़िंदा हुं के मरने का सहारा ढूँडूं

और न मुर्दा हुं के जीने के ग़मों से छूटूं

 

कौन बतलाए गा मुझ को, किसे जा कर पूछूँ

ज़िन्दगी क़हर के सांचे में ढले गी कब तक

कब तलक आँख न खोले गा ज़माने का ज़मीर

ज़ुल्म और जब्र की ये रीत चले गी कब तक

aurat – sahir ludhianavi

Click here for overall comments and on any post for word meanings and discussion.  In ‘aurat ne janam diya’ sahir treats the act of giving birth as a major accomplishment … she gives birth to great thinkers, but there is no mention of her being a thinker herself. A step improvement but still near conventional thinking. This nazm offers a more nuanced thinking.

log aurat ko faqat1 jism2 samajh lete haiN
rooh3 bhi hoti hai us meN ye kahaaN sochte haiN
1.only 2.body 3.soul/mind
People (men) think that woman is only her body. She has a mind and soul, do they ever think of that!

rooh kya hoti hai is se unheN matlab1 hi nahiN
vo to bus tan2 ke taqaazauN3 ka kaha maante haiN
rooh mar jaaye to har jism hai chalti hui laash4
is haqeeqat5 ko na samajhte haiN na pahchaante haiN
1.concern 2.body 3.demands 4.corpse 5.reality They are not concerned about the meaning of soul/spirit. They only think of carnal desires. The do not understand the reality that if the soul is extinguished then the body is but a walking corpse. Compare this with the beautiful and bold statement of fahmida riaz
ke is zamiN par vujood mera nahiN faqat ek nishaan-e shahwat
hayaat ki shaahraah par jagmaga rahi hai meri zehaanat
zamiN ke ruKh par jo hai paseena to jhilmilaati hai meri mehnat
see fahmida riaz – chaadar aur chaardivaari

kitni sadiyauN1 se ye vahshat2 ka chalan jaari3 hai
kitni sadiyauN se hi qaa’em4 ye gunaahuaN ka rivaaj5
log aurat ki har ek cheeKh ko naGhma samjheN
vo qabeelauN6 ka zamaana ho ke shahrauN7 ka samaaj
1.centuries 2.savagery 3.extant, underway 4.established 5.tradition 6.tribes – tribal/misogynistic culture 7.cities – used to mean urban/modern civilization
For how many centuries this savagery is underway. For how many centuries this sinful tradition is established. People (men) relish woman’s cry of pain as music, from tribal days of yore to present-day civilization.

jabr1 se nasl2 baRhe zulm3 se tan4 mayl5 kare
ye amal6 hum meN hai be-ilm7 parindauN8 meN nahiN
hum jo insaanauN ki tahzeeb9 liye phirte haiN
hum sa vahshi10 koi jangal ke darindauN11 meN nahiN
1.force 2.generation, progeny 3.oppression 4.body 5.make dirty 6.act 7.not intelligent 8.birds 9.culture 10.savage 11.animals
Making children by force, trash the body under duress. This is not the act of dumb birds. We who strut about calling ourselves civilized/cultured, there is no savage such as us among the brute animals of the jungle.

ek bujhi1 rooh2 luTe-jism3 ke DhaaNche4 meN liye
sochti huN maiN kahaaN jaa ke muqaddar5 phoRuN6
maiN na zinda huN ke marne ka sahaara DhoonDuN
aur na murda huN ke jeene ke GhamauN se chhooTuN
1.extinguished 2.spirit 3.robbed body 4.skeleton 5.fate 6.used in the sense ‘sar phoRna’ – banging the head against a wall
I am like a mere skeleton with body that has been robbed and spirit extinguished. Where can I go to try my fate. I am neither living that I may seek ways to end life, nor am I dead that I may be released from the pain of living.

kaun batlaaye ga mujh ko, kise jaa kar poochhuN
zindagi qahr1 ke saaNche2 meN Dhale3 gi kab tak
kab talak aaNkh na khole ga zamaane ka zamir4
zulm5 aur jabr6 ki ye reet7 chale gi kab tak
1.rage 2.mould, pattern 3.cast 4.conscience 5.oppression 6.force 7.tradition
Who will tell me, who can I go and ask – how long will life be cast in the mould of rage. How long will the conscience of man not open its eyes. How long will this tradition of oppression and force last.

aurat – sahir ludhianavi

In ‘aurat ne janam diya’ sahir treats the act of giving birth as a major accomplishment … she gives birth to great thinkers, but there is no mention of her being a thinker herself.  A step improvement but still near conventional thinking.  This nazm offers a more nuanced thinking.

log aurat ko faqat1 jism2 samajh lete haiN
rooh3 bhi hoti hai us meN ye kahaaN sochte haiN

1.only 2.body 3.soul/mind

People (men) think that woman is only her body.  She has a mind and soul, do they ever think of that!

rooh kya hoti hai is se unheN matlab1 hi nahiN
vo to bus tan2 ke taqaazauN3 ka kaha maante haiN
rooh mar jaaye to har jism hai chalti hui laash4
is haqeeqat5 ko na samajhte haiN na pahchaante haiN

1.concern 2.body 3.demands 4.corpse 5.reality

They are not concerned about the meaning of soul/spirit.  They only think of carnal desires.  The do not understand the reality that if the soul is extinguished then the body is but a walking corpse.  Compare this with the beautiful and bold statement of fahmida riaz
ke is zamiN par vujood mera nahiN faqat ek nishaan-e shahwat
hayaat ki shaahraah par jagmaga rahi hai meri zehaanat
zamiN ke ruKh par jo hai paseena to jhilmilaati hai meri mehnat
see – https://urdushahkar.org/chaadar-aur-chaardivari-fahmida-riaz/

kitni sadiyauN1 se ye vahshat2 ka chalan jaari3 hai
kitni sadiyauN se hi qaa’em4 ye gunaahuaN ka rivaaj5
log aurat ki har ek cheeKh ko naGhma samjheN
vo qabeelauN6 ka zamaana ho ke shahrauN7 ka samaaj

1.centuries 2.savagery 3.extant, underway 4.established 5.tradition 6.tribes – tribal/misogynistic culture 7.cities – used to mean urban/modern civilization

For how many centuries this savagery is underway.  For how many centuries this sinful tradition is established.  People (men) relish woman’s cry of pain as music, from tribal days of yore to present-day civilization.

jabr1 se nasl2 baRhe zulm3 se tan4 mayl5 kare
ye amal6 hum meN hai be-ilm7 parindauN8 meN nahiN
hum jo insaanauN ki tahzeeb9 liye phirte haiN
hum sa vahshi10 koi jangal ke darindauN11 meN nahiN

1.force 2.generation, progeny 3.oppression 4.body 5.make dirty 6.act 7.not intelligent 8.birds 9.culture 10.savage 11.animals

Making children by force, trash the body under duress.  This is not the act of dumb birds.  We who strut about calling ourselves civilized/cultured, there is no savage such as us among the brute animals of the jungle.

ek bujhi1 rooh2 luTe-jism3 ke DhaaNche4 meN liye
sochti huN maiN kahaaN jaa ke muqaddar5 phoRuN6
maiN na zinda huN ke marne ka sahaara DhoonDuN
aur na murda huN ke jeene ke GhamauN se chhooTuN

1.extinguished 2.spirit 3.robbed body 4.skeleton 5.fate 6.used in the sense ‘sar phoRna’ – banging the head against a wall

I am like a mere skeleton with body that has been robbed and spirit extinguished.  Where can I go to try my fate.  I am neither living that I may seek ways to end life, nor am I dead that I may be released from the pain of living.

kaun batlaaye ga mujh ko, kise jaa kar poochhuN
zindagi qahr1 ke saaNche2 meN Dhale3 gi kab tak
kab talak aaNkh na khole ga zamaane ka zamir4
zulm5 aur jabr6 ki ye reet7 chale gi kab tak

1.rage 2.mould, pattern 3.cast 4.conscience 5.oppression 6.force 7.tradition

Who will tell me, who can I go and ask – how long will life be cast in the mould of rage.  How long will the conscience of man not open its eyes.  How long will this tradition of oppression and force last.