For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
جںگ ۔ مخدومؔ محی الدین
۱
نکلے دہانِ توپ سے بربادیوں کے راگ
باغِِ جہاں میں پھیل گئی دوزخوں کی آگ
۲
کیوں ٹِمٹِما رہی ہے یہ پھر شمع زندگی
پھر کیوں نگارِ حق پہ ہیں آثارِ بیوگی
۳
عفریتِ سیم و زر کے کلیجے میں کیوں ہے پھانس
کیوں رُک رہی ہے سینہ میں تہذیبِ نو کی سانس
۴
امن و اماں کی نبض چُھٹی جا رہی ہے کیوں
بالینِ زیست آج اجل گا رہی ہے کیوں
۵
اب دلہنوں سے چھین لیا جائے گا سہاگ
اب اپنے آنسوں سے بجھائیں وہ دِل کی آگ
۶
بربط نوازِ بزمِ اُلوہی اِدھر تو آ
دعوت دہِ پیامِ عبودی اِدھر تو آ
۷
اِنسانیت کے خون کی ارزانیاں تو دیکھ
اِس آسمان والے کی بیداریاں تو دیکھ
۸
معصومۂ حیات کی بیچارگی تو دیکھ
دستِ ہوس سے حسنُ کی غارتگری تو دیکھ
۹
خود اپنی زندگی پہ پشیماں ہے زندگی
قربان گاہِ موت پہ رقصاں ہے زندگی
۱۰
اِنسان رہ سکے کوئی ایسا جہاں بھی ہے
اِس فتنہ زاَ زمیں کا کوئی پاسباں بھی ہے
۱۱
او آفتابِ رحمتِ دوراں طلوع ہو
او انجمِ حمیتِ یزداں طلوع ہو
जंग – मख़्दूम मोहिउद्दीन
१
निकले दहान-ए तोप से बरबादियों के राग
बाग़-ए जहां में फैल गई दोज़ख़ों कि आग
२
क्यूं टिमटिमा रही है ये फिर शम’-ए ज़िंदगी
फिर क्यूं निगार-ए हक़ पे हैं आसार-ए बेवगी
३
इफ़्रीत-ए सीम ओ ज़र के कलेजे में क्यूं हैं फांस
क्यूं रुक रही है सीने में तहज़ीब-ए नौ की सांस
४
अम्न ओ अमां की नब्ज़ छुटी जा रही है क्यूं
बालीन-ए ज़ीस्त आज अजल गा रही है क्यूं
५
अब दुल्हनों से छीन लिया जाएगा सुहाग
अब अपने आँसुओं से बुझाएं वो दिल के आग
६
बरबत नवाज़-ए बज़्म-ए उलूही इधर तो आ
दावत दह-ए पयाम-ए उबूदी इधर तो आ
७
इंसानियत के ख़ून कि अर्ज़ानियाँ तो देख
इस आसमान वाले कि बेदारियां तो देख
८
मासूमा-ए हयात कि बेचारगी तो देख
दस्त-ए हवस से हुस्न कि ग़ारत गरी तो देख
९
ख़ुद अपनी ज़िंदगी पे पशेमां है ज़िंदगी
क़ुर्बान गाह-ए मौत पे रक़्साँ है ज़िंदगी
१०
इंसान रह सके कोई ऐसा जहाँ भी है
इस फ़ित्ना-ज़ा ज़मीं का कोई पासबां भी है
११
ओ आफ़्ताब-ए रहमत-ए दौरां तुलू हो
ओ अंजुम-ए हमिय्यत-ए यज़दां तुलू हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. maKhdoom mohiuddin (1908-1969), progressive, communist, freedom fighter, labour union leader/organizer, beloved of the city of hyderabad. This was composed in the background of the second world war but sadly applies equally to the current world situation. This nazm is linked to the collection under ‘juNg na hone paa’e’ on the Theme Index page.
1
nikle dahaan1-e top se barbaadiyoN2 ke raag
baaGh-e jahaaN meN phail gayi dozaKhoN3 ke aag 1.mouth 2.destruction 3.hell
Songs of ruin burst forth from the mouths of cannons. Hell fires flaring, sweeping across the world’s gardens.
2
kyuN TimTimaa4 rahi hai ye phir shama’-e zindagi
phir kyuN nigaar5-e haq6 pe haiN aasaar7-e bevagi8 4.flickering 5.beauty 6.rights 7.signs, indications 8.widow-hood
Why is the lamp of life flickering, fluttering again. Why these shades of impotence on the fair face of Justice?
3
ifriit9-e seem o zar10 ke kaleje meN kyuN haiN phaaNs11
kyuN ruk rahi hai seene meN tahzeeb-e nau12 ki saaNs 9.demon 10.silver and gold 11.thorn pricking the liver, envy 12.new culture/order
Why is the demon of Greed so driven by envy and acquistiveness. What is suffocating the New World Order that we await?
4
amn o amaaN1 ki nabz chhuTi2 jaa rahi hai kyuN
baaleen-e ziist3 aaj ajal4 gaa rahi hai kyuN 1.peace and security 2.dying pulse 3.at the head of life 4.death
Why is the pulse of peace and security so feeble. Why is Death joyfully singing atop Life itself?
5
ab dulhanoN se chheen liya jaaega suhaag5
ab apne aaNsuoN se bujhaaeN vo dil ki aag 5.status of being married (chheen liya jaaega suhaag=make someone a widow)
They are readying to widow young brides, to quench with their tears, the blazing fire of their plight.
6
barbat navaaz1-e bazm-e uloohi2 idhar to aa
da’vat dah3-e payaam-e uboodi4 idhar to aa 1.orchestra conductor 2.assembly of god, creation 3.one who invites/calls attention to 4.message of obedience (to god)
O, orchestrator of Creation, come, see for yourself. And you, who invite us to obey god, see for yourself.
7
insaaniyat ke Khoon ki arzaaniyaN5 to dekh
is aasman vaale ki bedaariyaN6 to dekh 5.plentiful, cheap 6.wakefulness
Look at how cheap human life has become. Are the heavens even awake?
8
ma’asooma-e hayaat7 ki bechaaragi8 to dekh
dast-e havas9 se husn ki Ghaarat gari10 to dekh 7.innocent of (the ways of) life 8.helplessness 9.hand of greed 10.destruction
Look at the sheer impotence of innocent lives. Look at the violation of beauty of Life at the hands of Greed. maKhdoom invites or challenges god (orchestrator of the world order – “barbat nawaaz-e bazm-e uloohi”) and messenger of god-to come and see the destruction of war.
9
Khud apni zindagi pe pashemaaN1 hai zindagi
qurbaan gaah2-e maut pe raqsaaN3 hai zindagi 1.regretful, ashamed 2.slaughter house 3.dancing
Life is ashamed, regretful of itself. Dancing with joy at the very altar of sacrifice.
10
insaan rah sake koi aisa jahaaN bhi hai
is fitna-zaa4 zamiN ka koi paasbaaN5 bhi hai 4.mischief making, trouble causing 5.caretaker, keeper
Is there a world anywhere, fit for human beings to live. Is there any caretaker of this contentious earth?
11
o aaftaab6-e rahmat-e dauraaN7 tuluu’8 ho
o anjum9-e hamiyyat-e yazdaaN10 tuluu’ ho 6.sun 7.blessings of the times 8. emerge 9.star 10.fear of god
O sun (new socialist order) of benevolent times, do rise. O star that heeds the Almighty, do rise.
maKhdoom mohiuddin (1908-1969), progressive, communist, freedom fighter, labour union leader/organizer, beloved of the city of hyderabad. This was composed in the background of the second world war but sadly applies equally to the current world situation. This nazm is linked to the collection under ‘juNg na hone paa’e’ on the Theme Index page.
1
nikle dahaan1-e top se barbaadiyoN2 ke raag
baaGh-e jahaaN meN phail gayi dozaKhoN3 ke aag
1.mouth 2.destruction 3.hell
Songs of ruin burst forth from the mouths of cannons. Hell fires flaring, sweeping across the world’s gardens.
2
kyuN TimTimaa4 rahi hai ye phir shama’-e zindagi
phir kyuN nigaar5-e haq6 pe haiN aasaar7-e bevagi8
4.flickering 5.beauty 6.rights 7.signs, indications 8.widow-hood
Why is the lamp of life flickering, fluttering again. Why these shades of impotence on the fair face of Justice?
3
ifriit9-e seem o zar10 ke kaleje meN kyuN haiN phaaNs11
kyuN ruk rahi hai seene meN tahzeeb-e nau12 ki saaNs
9.demon 10.silver and gold 11.thorn pricking the liver, envy 12.new culture/order
Why is the demon of Greed so driven by envy and acquistiveness. What is suffocating the New World Order that we await?
4
amn o amaaN1 ki nabz chhuTi2 jaa rahi hai kyuN
baaleen-e ziist3 aaj ajal4 gaa rahi hai kyuN
1.peace and security 2.dying pulse 3.at the head of life 4.death
Why is the pulse of peace and security so feeble. Why is Death joyfully singing atop Life itself?
5
ab dulhanoN se chheen liya jaaega suhaag5
ab apne aaNsuoN se bujhaaeN vo dil ki aag
5.status of being married (chheen liya jaaega suhaag=make someone a widow)
They are readying to widow young brides, to quench with their tears, the blazing fire of their plight.
6
barbat navaaz1-e bazm-e uloohi2 idhar to aa
da’vat dah3-e payaam-e uboodi4 idhar to aa
1.orchestra conductor 2.assembly of god, creation 3.one who invites/calls attention to 4.message of obedience (to god)
O, orchestrator of Creation, come, see for yourself. And you, who invite us to obey god, see for yourself.
7
insaaniyat ke Khoon ki arzaaniyaN5 to dekh
is aasman vaale ki bedaariyaN6 to dekh
5.plentiful, cheap 6.wakefulness
Look at how cheap human life has become. Are the heavens even awake?
8
ma’asooma-e hayaat7 ki bechaaragi8 to dekh
dast-e havas9 se husn ki Ghaarat gari10 to dekh
7.innocent of (the ways of) life 8.helplessness 9.hand of greed 10.destruction
Look at the sheer impotence of innocent lives. Look at the violation of beauty of Life at the hands of Greed. maKhdoom invites or challenges god (orchestrator of the world order – “barbat nawaaz-e bazm-e uloohi”) and messenger of god-to come and see the destruction of war.
9
Khud apni zindagi pe pashemaaN1 hai zindagi
qurbaan gaah2-e maut pe raqsaaN3 hai zindagi
1.regretful, ashamed 2.slaughter house 3.dancing
Life is ashamed, regretful of itself. Dancing with joy at the very altar of sacrifice.
10
insaan rah sake koi aisa jahaaN bhi hai
is fitna-zaa4 zamiN ka koi paasbaaN5 bhi hai
4.mischief making, trouble causing 5.caretaker, keeper
Is there a world anywhere, fit for human beings to live. Is there any caretaker of this contentious earth?
11
o aaftaab6-e rahmat-e dauraaN7 tuluu’8 ho
o anjum9-e hamiyyat-e yazdaaN10 tuluu’ ho
6.sun 7.blessings of the times 8. emerge 9.star 10.fear of god
O sun (new socialist order) of benevolent times, do rise. O star that heeds the Almighty, do rise.
