kaali diivaar – ahmad faraz
(shohda-e jung-e vietnam ki yaadgar)

Click on any passage for meanings and discussion.

kal washington shahr ki ham ne sair bahut ki yaar
gooNj rahi thi saare jug meN jis ki jai-jai-kaar
mulkauN mulkauN hum ghoome thhe banjaarauN ki misl¹
laikin is ki saj-dhaj sach-much dil-daarauN² ki misl1.like, example 2.heart pleasing, charming
Yesterday, my friend we went sightseeing in Washington, which is admired/feared all over the world. I have roamed the whole world like a traveling itinerant but the beauty of Washington truly is like the beauty of the beloved.

raushniyauN ke raNg baheN yuN rasta nazar na aa’e
man ki aaNkhauN vaala bhi yaaN andhaa ho ho jaa’e
ooNche baam¹, charaaGhaaN² raste. roop-bhare baazar
jaagti aaNkhauN se dekha hai KhwaabauN ka sansaar1.rooftops 2.brightly lit
Colourful lights flow so bright that it is difficult to see the way. Even those who can see with the heart’s eye, can be dazzled blind. Tall buildings, brightly lit streets and lovely bazars. It is as if you are seeing your dreams come to life.

ek safed haveli¹ jis ki nagar nagar meN dhoom
andar duniya bhar ki kaalik baahir se masoom²
yahi safed imaarat jis meN bahut baRi sarkaar
yahiN kareN saudagar chhoTi³ qaumauN⁴ ka beopaar1.mansion 2.innocent 3.small, weak, powerless 4.nations
(We saw) the white mansion that is famous all the world over. It is simple/harmless on the outside but full of blackness/evil inside. This is the white building which houses a powerful government. This is where wheeler dealers trade in powerless nations.

yahiN pe jaadugar baiTha jab kahiN ki Dor hilaa’e
har basti nagasaaki, hiroshiima ban jaa’e
isi haveli¹ se kuchh duur hi ek kaali diivaar
logauN ki vo bheeR lagi thh chalna thha dushvaar²  1.mansion 2.difficult
A magician sits here and when he pulls the rope any settlement can become Nagasaki or Hiroshima. A little distance from this mansion a black wall crowded with so many people that it was difficult to walk.

is kaali diivaar pe kunda¹ dekhe hazaarauN naam
un naamauN ke biich likha tha shohda²-e vietnam
duur duur se jam’a hue thhe tarah tarah ke log
aaNkhauN aaNkhauN veeraani³ thi chehrauN chehraun sog⁴  1.engraved 2.martyrs of 3.desolation 4.sorrow
And on this black wall we saw engraved thousands of names and in the middle was written “martyrs of Vietnam”. All kinds of people were gathered there from far and wide but all eyes desolate, all faces sorrowful.

bekal¹ bahneN, ghaayal² maa’eN aur dukhi bevaayeN³
saajan tum kis des sidhaare poochheN mahbooba’eN⁴
apne pyaarauN dildaarauN⁵ ka aujhal⁶ mukhRa DhunDeN
is kaali diivaar pe un ke naam ka TukRa⁷ DhunDeN1.restless, pained 2.wounded 3.widows 4.beloved 5.loved ones 6.hidden 7.piece of (name plate)
Pained sisters, wounded mothers, sorrowful widows and beloveds asking for their loved ones, looking for their hidden face, searching for the place where their name may be written.

dilauN meN Gham, palkauN¹ par shabnam², haathauN meN phool uThaa’e
is naamauN ke qabristaaN ka bhed³ koi kya paa’e
na turbat⁴ na katba⁵ koii na haDDi na maas⁶
phir bhi paagal nainaN ko thi piya milan ki aas⁷  1.eyelashes 2.dew drops, tears 3.mystery 4.tomb 5.tombstone 6.meat, body 7.hope, desire
With sorrow in their hearts, tears in their eyes and carrying flowers in their hands, they come to this graveyard of names, I don’t know why (no one can understand the mysterious pull of the wall). There is no grave, no gravestone, no bones and no bodies. Yet they come, with their sorrowful eyes filled with hopes of seeing their loved one.

kahiN kahiN diivaar pe chispaaN¹ ek safed gulaab
jaise maaN ka koii aaNsu, jaise baap ka Khwaab
sabhi ke dil meN kaaNTa ban kar khaTke ek savaal
kis kaaran² miTTi meN milaa’e hirauN jaise laal³  1.glued, pasted 2.reason 3.son
Here and there pasted on the wall a white rose, like the tear of a mother, the hope of a father. In every one’s heart a question pricking like a thorn, “for what reason did we send our sons to the grave”.

peele des meN hum ne kya kya andhiyaare barsaa’e
us ke jiyyaale¹ to kaT mar kar raushniyaaN le aa’e
laikin itne chaand gaNva kar hum ne bhala kya paaya
hum bad-qismat² aise jin ko dhoop mili na chhaaya1.braves 2.unfortunate
We rained down much darkness on the yellow country, but its braves fought and died and won back their light. We lost so many moons (beautiful, loved ones) and what did we gain. We, unfortunate ones, neither got light nor shade. 1.braves 2.unfortunate We rained down much darkness on the yellow country, but its braves fought and died and won back their light. We lost so many moons (beautiful, loved ones) and what did we gain. We, unfortunate ones, neither got light nor shade.

mukh-moti¹ de kar haasil² ki ye kaali diivaar
ye kaali diivaar jo hai bas ik Khaali diivaar
ye kaali diivaar jo hai naamauN ka qabristan
washington ke shahr meN dafn³ haiN kis kis ke armaan³  1.pearls of the mouth 2.acquired 3.desires
The most valuable output of an oyster is the pearl. Most valuable to a parent is the child … mukh-moti. We gave our most treasured possession and got this wall in return. This wall that is all emptiness. This wall that is a graveyard of names. Oh, so many desires buried in Washington city.