karbala – ali sardar jafri

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.  ali sardar jafri uses the battle of karbala as a symbol of rebellion against modern day injustice. In karbala, husain, his family and followers were cut off from access to the river. sardar jafri transforms the cry of thirst into a song of rebellion “rajaz ka zamzama”.

phir al-atash¹ ki hai sada²
jaise rajaz³ ka zamzama⁴
phir reg⁵-e sehra⁶ par ravaaN⁷
hai ahl-e dil⁸ ka kaarvaaN
nahr-e furaat⁹ aatish bajaaN¹⁰
raavi o ganga¹¹ KhuN chakaaN¹² 1.thirst 2.cry 3.call of war, war song 4.gurgling spring, music, song 5.sand 6.desert 7.flowing 8.people of heart, good people 9.River Euphrates 10.life on fire 11. Rivers Ravi and Ganges 12.dripping/flowing blood
Once again (today) the caravan of the deprived is winding its way through the wilderness/desert (just like husain’s family did). Rivers (all rivers, not just the Euphrates but closer to home – the Ravi and the Ganges) are on fire or flowing with blood – symbolic of oppression and killing.

koii yazid-e vaqt¹³ ho
ya shimr¹⁴ ho ya hurmula¹⁵
us ko Khabar¹⁶ ho ya na ho
roz-e hisaab¹⁷ aane ko hai
nazdiik¹⁸ hai roz-e jaza¹⁹
aye karbala, aye karbala13.present day Yazid 14.commander of Yazid’s army who slit Husain’s throat 15.archer of Yazid’s army whose arrow killed Ali Asghar, Husain’s infant son 16.awareness 17.day of reckoning 18.near 19.day of judgement
Modern day oppressors symbolized by yazid, shimr and hurmula may or may not know, but the day of revolution is close at hand. They will be called to judgement. Reward (or punishment) will be administered, O Karbala.

gooNgi¹ nahiN hai ye zamiN
gooNga nahiN ye aasmaaN
gooNge nahiN harf o bayaaN²
gooNgi³ agar hai maslehat⁴
zaKhmauN⁵ ko milti hai zabaaN
vo KhuN jo rizq-e Khaak⁶ tha
taabinda⁷ hai, paainda⁸ hai1.voiceless 2.letters and words (of poets) 3.silent, secretive 4.(hidden) purpose 4.wounds 6.food (fodder) for the dust/earth 7.shining 8.firm, durable
The earth and the sky will not remain silent. We will speak out. If your nefarious purpose is hidden, the wounds that you inflict will find tongue. The blood that soaks into the ground shines. It stands tall.

sadiyauN⁹ ki saffaaki¹⁰ sahi
insaan ab bhi zinda hai
zinda hai aijaaz¹¹-e fuGhaaN¹²
har zarra-e paamaal¹³ meN
dil ke dhaRakne ki sada
aye karbala, aye karbala9.centuries 10.cruely 11.miracle 12.appeal, cry 13.trampled particle
You may have inflicted cruelty for centuries but the the cry of the downtrodden is strong and will work miracles. Karbala is the beating of the heart of every downtrodden particle (people made as insignificant as dust).

arsh-e rauunat¹ ke Khuda
arz-e sitam² ke devta
ye Teen aur lohe ke but
ye seem o zar³ ke kibriya⁴
barood hai jin ki qaba⁵
rocket ki lai⁶ jin ki sada
toofan-e Gham se be Khabar
ye kam savaad⁷ o kam hunar⁸
nikle haiN lekar aslaha⁹ 1.sky/height of arrogance/hubris 2.land of oppression 3.silver and gold, wealth 4.gods 5.cloak 6.tune, melody, whistle 7.ignorant 8.unskilled 9.weapons
The gods of hubris, the lords of oppression, these tin-horn dictators, the lords of wealth, their robes reeking of gunpowder, their sound nothing but the whistle of rockets, ignorant and uncultured have come out with weapons. All adjectives are clearly aimed at western capitalist/colonial powers.

laikin jal uThi zer-e paa¹⁰
reg-e navaah¹¹-e kaazima¹²
reg-e navaah¹¹-e nainavah¹²
aandhi hai mashriq¹³ ki hava
shola’¹⁴ filasteeN¹⁵ ki fiza¹⁶
aye karbala, aye karbala10.underfoot 12.cities/settlements close to Karbala which figure in the history of that conflict 13.East 14.flame 15.Palestine 16.atmosphere
But under their feet the sands of kazima and nainaveh are on fire. A storm is coming from the East (generally used for socialist revolution). The air of Palestine is on fire. O Karbala, O Karbala.

ye madrase daanishkade¹
ilm o hunar² ke maikade³
in meN kahaaN se aa gaye
ye kargasauN⁴ ke ghoNsle
ye jahl⁵ ki parchhaaiyaaN⁶
leti hui aNgRaaiyaaN1.house of wisdom 2.knowledge and ability 3.tavern 4.vultures 5.ignorance 6.images, reflections
sardar jafri is taking aim at the “centres of learning” and “experts” who advise governments to go to war. These schools, these houses of wisdom. The taverns of knowledge and talent. They have becomes a roost for vultures. It is as if images of ignorance are waking up.

daanishvaraan-e be-yaqiN⁷
GhairauN⁸ ke daftar⁹ ke amiN¹⁰
alfaaz¹¹ ke Khwaaja sara¹²
in ke tasarruf¹³ meN nahiN
Khoon-e bahaar-e zindagi
in ke tasarruf meN nahiN
Khoon-e hayaat-e jaavidaaN¹⁴
barham¹⁵ hai in se raNg-e gul
aazurda¹⁶ hai baad-e saba¹⁷
aye karbala, aye karbala7.people of wisdom who have no credibility 8.others 9.affairs 10.keepers 11.words 12.eunuchs incharge of the harem, people who do the bidding of the lord 13.spending, budget, discretion 14.eternal life 15.scattered, disorderly 16.gloomy, dejected 17.morning breeze
They have lost all credibility and have appropriated to themselves the right to manage the affairs of others. They are like eunuchs of the harem and say what their lord wants to hear. They certainly don’t have within their purview the ability to give new/eternal life. Because of them the flowers of the garden have been destroyed and scattered. Because of them the morning breeze (which should be refreshing) is gloomy.

laikin yahi daanishkade¹
haiN ishq² ke aatishkade³
haiN husn⁴ ke taabishkade⁵
palte haiN jin ki goad meN
lekar anokha baaNkpan⁶
asr-e ravaaN⁷ ke kohkan⁸
mere javanaan-e chaman⁹
bulbul nava¹⁰, shaahiN ada¹¹
aye karbala, aye karbala1.house of wisdom 2.love 3.house of fire/passion 4.beauty 5.house of brilliance 6.youth, vigour 7.present times 8.stone cutter, Farhad from the story of Shirin and Farhad. Farhad wielded a pickaxe to cut the mountain to make a river change its flow – a task he had to perform to win the hand of Shirin 9.youth of my garden 10.voice/song like a bulbult 11.style like a hawk
ali sardar jafri turns to praise the younger generation who are raised in the lap of houses of learning, of beauty and of love. They are the present day farhads taking on impossible tasks. The youth of my garden sing melodiously like the bulbul but fly in the powerful style of the hawk.

aye Gham ke farzando¹ uTho
aye aarzu mando² uTho
zulfauN ki galiyauN³ meN ravaaN⁴
dil ki naseem⁵-e jaaN faza⁶
hoNTauN ki kaliyauN meN javaaN
boo-e gul o boo-e vafa⁷ 1.children of the wronged (sorrowful) 2.desirous (of change) 3.street of the beloved (her tresses) 4.flowing 5.breeze 6.life increasing/invigorating 7.promise
sardar jafri is calling upon the youth, the children of the wronged who are desirous of change, to rise. The winds of change which give new life are blowing through the streets of the beloved (the beloved is socialism). The youth carry the fragrance of rose, the fragrance of the promises they make.

aaNkhauN meN taarauN ki chamak
maathauN pe suraj ki damak
dil meN jamaal⁸-e shaam-e Gham⁹
ruKh par jalaal¹⁰-e be navaa¹¹
gooNji hui zer-e qadam¹²
tareeKh¹³ ki aavaz-e pa¹⁴
shamshir¹⁵ haiN dast-e dua¹⁶
aye karbala, aye karbala8.beauty 9.evening of sorrow (probably shaam-GharibaaN – the evening after the battle of Karbala) 10.anger 11.without voice 12.underfoot 13.history 14.foot fall, the march of history 15.sword 16.hands in prayer
Their (the young generation) eyes bright, their brows glowing. They carry memories of the massacre of the battle. Their faces glowing with the anger of those who have been denied a voice, marching with the tide of history, their hands raised in supplication changed into swords.

pyaasauN ke aage aaeN ge
aaeN ge, laae jaaeN ge
asoodagaan¹-e jaam-e jam²
sab saahebaan-e be karam³
khul jaae ga saara bharam
jhuk jaaeN ge teGh o alam⁴
pesh⁵-e safeeraan-e qalam⁶
raKhshinda⁷ hai rooh-e haram⁸
taabinda⁹ hai ruu-e sanam¹⁰
sardaar ke sh’erauN meN hai
Khoon-e shahidaaN¹¹ ki zia¹²
aye karbala, aye karbala1.enjoying the pleasures of 2.wine cup of Jamshed (symbol of arrogance and power) 3.without kindness i.e.cruel 4.sword and banner 5.in front of 6.ambassadors/messengers of the pen, poets 7.refulgent, shining 8.spirit of the house of Husain i.e.spirit of resistance 9.luminous, bright 10.face of the beloved 11.blood of the martyrs 12.brilliance
The reference to “the thirsty” is also taken from the story of karbala. They (the oppressors) will come before the thirsty (oppressed). They will be brought before the thirsty (to answer), those who have been enjoying draughts of the cup of arrogance and power, the lords of cruelty. All their deceit will be laid open. The sword and banner will bow before the pen.The spirit of resistance, the face of the beloved shine bright. The blood of the martyrs (also a part of the story of karbala) shines in the verse of sardar.