Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. naresh kumar shaad (1927-1969) prolific poet, writer, translator. Member Progressive Writers’ Association. Socialist/Communist. Educated and worked in rawalpindi and lahore before partition and then moved to India. This is a beautiful and poignant diatribe against war and at the same time a somewhat naïve optimism about the rise of socialism and solidarity of workers across national boundaries. Written in 1951, this probably reflected the devastation of the Korean war.
1
sheetal¹ dharti² ke hirday³ meN agni⁴ baan⁵ chalaaye
nirdoshoN⁶ ke Khoon se shamshaanoN⁷ meN diye jalaaye
nagar nagar meN laasheN bo⁸ kar jis ne kaal⁹ ugaaye
aaj vo sukh saadhan¹⁰ ki bairan¹¹ phir sar par manDlaaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    1.cool, comforting 2.land 3.heart 4.fire 5.arrows 6.innocent bystanders 7.funeral field 8.sow, plant 9.famine 10.means 11.antagonist, foe
(War) shoots burning arrows into the heart of the life-sustaining/comforting land. It lights lamps with the blood of innocents in funeral fields. It sows/plants corpses in every village and reaps a harvest of famine. Today, that same enemy of the means of comfort/livelihood hovers over our heads. Let there not be war, comrade, let there not be war.
2
jis ne hiroshima jaise baste shahr ujaaRe
parbat parbat vaadi¹ vaadi maut ke jhanDe gaaRe
noch liiN haNsti gaati aaNkheN komal² seene phaaRe
ab vo badli³ phir na hamaare jeevan mukh par chhaaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    1.valley 2.soft, gentle 3.clouds
(War) which devastated prospering cities like hiroshima, that planted banners od death on every hill and valley, which plucked out smiling eyes and tore open loving bosoms. Let not those clouds once again cover the face of our lives. Let there not be war, comrade, let there not be war.
3
Doob na jaayeN dukh¹ saagar meN bachchoN ki aashaayeN²
TooT na jaayeN bajte chooRe³, maaNgeN⁴ ujaR na jaayeN
royeN na apni bhaagoN⁵ ko, mamta ki maari maa’eN
gali gali meN daya⁶ dharam ki laaj⁷ na phir luT jaaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye     1.sorrow 2.hopes 3.bangles 4.parting in the hair 5.fate 6.kindness, fellowship 7.honour
Let not the hopes of children be drowned in oceans of sorrow. Both bangles and parting of hair are symbolic of marriage. The implication is that men go out to war and die and their wives are widowed. Let not mothers cry at their fate/loss of their sons at war. Let not the culture of kindness/love be lost in the streets/neighbourhoods where we live. Let there not be war, comrage, let there not be war.
4
hum kyuN maanavta¹ se saathi Khoon ki holi kheleN
dhanvaanoN² ke bojh ki Khaatir³ hum kyuN bipta⁴ jheleN⁵
maut ke kaaNToN se kyuN uljheN, hum jeevan ki beleN
de kar apni jaan KharideN hum kyuN rog paraaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye      1.humanity, humanism 2.rich, capitalist 3.for the sake of 4.calamity 5.bear, suffer
Why should we play holi with the blood of fellow humans. Why should we suffer calamities for the sake for capitalists. We are the plants of life, why should we get entangled in the thorns of death. Paying with our lives, why should we buy the trouble of others. Let there not be war, comrade, let there not be war.
5
apni agni¹ meN jal jaayeN atom ke aNgaare
paap ki rag² rag se bah nikle surKh lahu ke dhaare
aao apne shatru³ ko lalkaareN⁴ mil kar saare
Dagar⁵ Dagar par aman⁶ ke neele jhanDe ko lahraaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    1.fire 2.vein 3.enemy 4.challenge 5.path 6.peace
Let the heat of atoms (bombs) burn in its own fire. Let streams of red blood flow out of the veins of sin. Come let us challenge the enemy together. Let us wave the blue (probably a reference to the colour of the UN flag) flag of peace on every path. Let there not be war, comrade, let there not be war.
6
apne saathi chiin ke mazdooroN ne jise ubhaara
mao¹ aur sun-yaat² ne jis ka sundar roop nikhaara
hum bhi le leN us suraj se jiivan ka ujyaara
ujyaara jo krodh³ kapaT⁴ ki aandhi par chhaa jaaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye     1.mao tze tung 2.sun yat sen 3.anger 4.deceit
The Communist Party of India in the early 50s looking to the success of the Chinese revolution as an example. Our fellow workers of China have raised it (the revolution) which was nurtured by mao and sun yat sen. Why don’t we also take the brightness of life from the light of that sun, a light that would overwhelm the storm of anger and deceit. Let there not be war, comrade, let there not be war.
7
soch rahe haiN juNg ki chaaleN jo paapi abhimaani¹
kaun kahe un se kis barte² par ye tatta³ paani
kaun se khal-manDal⁴ se hogi ab janta ki haani⁵
kis meN itna kas-bal⁶ hai jo hum se aaNkh milaaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    1.proud, hubristic 2.use 3.hot 4.mischief collection 5.harm 6.power and daring
Those hubristic sinners who are scheming of war, what is the point of telling them that their attitude of anger like boiling water is of no use. Wonder what collection of mischief do they now have to cause harm to the people. They cannot dare to look us in the eye. Let there be no war, comrade. let there be no war.
8
chiaNg ho ya Truman ho apne sub haiN dekhe bhaale
paRe hue haiN apni apni jaan ko in ke laale
hum ko kaise rok sakeNge ye hiTler ke saale
hum haiN baRhte chaRhte saagar ye haiN Dhalte saaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    Be it chiaNg kai shek or harry Truman, we have seen the likes of them all. They are all afraid of their own lives now. How can these brothers of hiTler stop us. We are a rising sea and they are but a passing shadow. Let there not be war, comrade. let there not be war.
9
ye hathiyaare¹ apni andhi taaqat par mat phooleN
gal jaayeNge Dollar ke DhaaNche² hum jo un ko chhoo leN
phoR deN us ka purza purza³ moR deN us ki chooleN⁴
ab jo Tank hathoRoN aur kudaaloN se Takraaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    1.murderous, blood thirsty 2.skeleton, framework 3.component 4.threads of bolts
Let these murderers not be blinded by the power of their arms. If we so much as touch them, the frame built on dollars will melt. We can break every part, loosen every bolt of the Tank that faces our hammer and sickle. Let there not be war, comrade, let there not be war.
10
pher deN muNh un dushToN¹ ka sukh chain jo apna looTeN
phooNk deN vo shastr² jo hum par bijli bun kar TooTeN
kaaT deN aisi jeebha³ jis se yuddh⁴ ki taaneN⁵ phooTeN
toR deN aisa haath jo ab ke juNg jaal bichhaaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    1.evil, wicked 2.arms, weapons 3.tongue 4.war 5.tune
We will turn around/defeat the evil that snatches our peace. We will put out the arms that rain on us like lightning. We will cut off the tongue that sings the tunes of war and break the hand that spreads the web of conflict. Let there be no war, comrade, let there be no war.
11
hare bhare khetoN ke Khoshe¹ jhoomeN aur lahraayeN
sard hava ke mast hilore² amrit ras chhalkaayeN
kaliyaaN chiTkeN, chashmeN³ uchhleN, panchhi⁴ naacheN gaayeN
jug jug⁵ jiye hamaari dharti⁶, sada yuNhi muskaaye
juNg na hone paaye saathi, juNg na hone paaye    1.bunches, harvest of grain 2.waves, gusts 3.springs, rivers 4.birds 5.ages 6.land
Let the harvest of grain swing in our green fields. Let gusts of cool wind spill nectar. Let buds bloom, springs flow, birds sing and dance. May our land live long, forever happy. Let there not be war, comrade, let there not be war.