For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کِس کِس کو صدا میرے بعد ۔ فیض احمد فیض
۱
ناگہاں آج مرے تارِ نظر سے کٹ کر
ٹکڑے ٹکڑے ہوئے آفاق پہ خورشید و قمر
۲
اب کسی سمت اندھیرا نہ اُجالا ہوگا
بجھ گئی دل کی طرح راہِ وفا میرے بعد
دوستو قافلۂ درد کا اب کیا ہوگا
۳
اب کوئی اور کرے پرورشِ گلشنِ غم
دوستو ختم ہوئی دیدۂ تر کی شبنم
۴
تھم گیا شورِ جنوں ختم ہوئی بارشِ سنگ
خاکِ رہ آج لیے ہے لبِ دلدار کا رنگ
۵
کوئے جاناں میں کُھلا میرے لہو کا پرچم
دیکھیے دیتے ہیں کس کس کو صدا میرے بعد
۶
کون ہوتا ہے حریفِ مے مرد افگنِ عشق
ہے مکرّر لبِ ساقی پہ صلا میرے بعد
किस किस को सदा मेरे बाद – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़
१
ना-गहाँ आज मेरे तार-ए नज़र से कट कर
टुक्ड़े टुक्ड़े हुए आफ़ाक़ पे ख़ुर्शीद ओ क़मर
२
अब किसी सम्त अंधेरा न उजाला होगा
बुझ गई दिल की तरह राह-ए-वफ़ा मेरे बाद
दोस्तो क़ाफ़ला-ए दर्द का अब क्या होगा
३
अब कोई और करे परवरिश-ए गुलशन-ए ग़म
दोस्तो ख़त्म हुई दीदा-ए तर की शबनम
४
थम गया शोर-ए जुनूँ ख़त्म हुई बारिश-ए संग
ख़ाक-ए रह आज लिए है लब-ए दिल्दार का रंग
५
कू-ए जानाँ में खुला मेरे लहू का परचम
देखिए देते हैं किस किस को सदा मेरे बाद
६
कौन होता है हरीफ़-ए मय-ए मर्द-अफ़्गन-ए इश्क़
है मुकर्रर लब-ए साक़ी पे सला मेरे बाद
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. faiz ahmed faiz (1911-1984) a poet of romance, resistance, labour leader, journalist, political activist, Lenin Peace Prize awardee writes with great finesse and delicacy using the beloved as a metaphor for the homeland and/or the socialist revolution. This nazm is from his collection ‘dast-e tah-e saNg’. This is dated soon after his second imprisonment in 1958 (the first was 1951-1955). He was released after a short internment and exiled himself to London. This nazm reflects either his imprisonment or exile. He is calling upon friends to take up where he stopped.
1
naa-gahaaN1 aaj mere taar2-e nazar3 se kaT kar
TukRe TukRe hue aafaaq4 pe Khurshiid5 o qamar6 1.suddenly, unexpectedly 2.string, line, ray 3.sight 4.sky 5.sun 6.moon
His line of sight, penetrating/discerning eye has shattered the sun and moon in the sky. This could mean one of two things … (a) his insight and poetry has shattered conventions and expectations or (b) it has exposed the people in power.
2
ab kisi samt1 aNdheraa na ujaala hoga
bujh gayii dil ki tarah raah2-e vafaa3 mere baad
dosto qaafila4-e dard ka ab kya hoga 1.direction 2.pathway 3.fidelity, keeping faith/promise/commitment 4.caravan
Because he has been imprisoned or in exile he can no longer help separate light from dark, truth from falsehood. Just like his depressed heart, the path of commitment is extinguished (has gone dark), after him. O, friends, what will become of the caravan of pain/passion/love (for the homeland).
3
ab koi aur kare parvarish1-e gulshan2-e Gham3
dosto Khatm hui diida4-e tar5 ki shabnam6 1.nurture 2.garden 3.pain/love (of the homeland) 4.eye 5.moist, tearful 6.dew
Now, let someone else nurture the garden of love (of the homeland). Friends, my tearful eye has dried up (I am in prison or in exile and cannot fully participate).
4
tham1 gayaa shor2-e junuuN3 Khatm hui baarish-e saNg4
Khaak-e rah5 aaj liye hai lab6-e dildaar7 ka raNg 1.paused, stopped 2.tumult 3.passion, frenzy 4.rocks 5.pathway 6.lips 7.beloved
Because he is imprisoned or exiled, the tumult of passion has stopped and he has stopped raining rocks at the powers that be i.e. he is unable to criticize the powerful. The dust of the path (to social justice) is now coloured with red (with blood). In another very powerful nazm written in prison, faiz writes a similar thought …
baaqi hai lahu dil meN to har ashk se paida
raNg-e lab-o-ruKhsaar-e-sanam karte raheNge
5
kuu1-e jaanaaN2 meN khula mere lahu3 ka parcham4
dekhiye dete haiN kis kis ko sadaa5 mere baad 1.street 2.beloved (homeland, social justice) 3.blood 4.banner 5.call
The banner sprinkled with my blood is now unfurled in the street of the beloved (homeland, social justice). Let us see who they call up next (for imprisonment, exile or maybe even execution).
6
kaun hotaa hai harif1-e mai2-e mard-afgan3-e ’ishq
hai mukarrar4 lab5-e saaqi meN salaa6 mere b’aad .equal to, withstand against 2.wine 3.man-felling, 4.repeated 5.lips 6.call, cry
faiz used this she’r directly from Ghalib’s Ghazal. Who can withstand the man-felling power of the wine of passion/love (for the homeland). Now that I have been imprisoned (or in exile) the saaqi is calling again and again asking for someone to come forward.
faiz ahmed faiz (1911-1984) a poet of romance, resistance, labour leader, journalist, political activist, Lenin Peace Prize awardee writes with great finesse and delicacy using the beloved as a metaphor for the homeland and/or the socialist revolution. This nazm is from his collection ‘dast-e tah-e saNg’. This is dated soon after his second imprisonment in 1958 (the first was 1951-1955). He was released after a short internment and exiled himself to London. This nazm reflects either his imprisonment or exile. He is calling upon friends to take up where he stopped.
1
naa-gahaaN1 aaj mere taar2-e nazar3 se kaT kar
TukRe TukRe hue aafaaq4 pe Khurshiid5 o qamar6
1.suddenly, unexpectedly 2.string, line, ray 3.sight 4.sky 5.sun 6.moon
His line of sight, penetrating/discerning eye has shattered the sun and moon in the sky. This could mean one of two things … (a) his insight and poetry has shattered conventions and expectations or (b) it has exposed the people in power.
2
ab kisi samt1 aNdheraa na ujaala hoga
bujh gayii dil ki tarah raah2-e vafaa3 mere baad
dosto qaafila4-e dard ka ab kya hoga
1.direction 2.pathway 3.fidelity, keeping faith/promise/commitment 4.caravan
Because he has been imprisoned or in exile he can no longer help separate light from dark, truth from falsehood. Just like his depressed heart, the path of commitment is extinguished (has gone dark), after him. O, friends, what will become of the caravan of pain/passion/love (for the homeland).
3
ab koi aur kare parvarish1-e gulshan2-e Gham3
dosto Khatm hui diida4-e tar5 ki shabnam6
1.nurture 2.garden 3.pain/love (of the homeland) 4.eye 5.moist, tearful 6.dew
Now, let someone else nurture the garden of love (of the homeland). Friends, my tearful eye has dried up (I am in prison or in exile and cannot fully participate).
4
tham1 gayaa shor2-e junuuN3 Khatm hui baarish-e saNg4
Khaak-e rah5 aaj liye hai lab6-e dildaar7 ka raNg
1.paused, stopped 2.tumult 3.passion, frenzy 4.rocks 5.pathway 6.lips 7.beloved
Because he is imprisoned or exiled, the tumult of passion has stopped and he has stopped raining rocks at the powers that be i.e. he is unable to criticize the powerful. The dust of the path (to social justice) is now coloured with red (with blood). In another very powerful nazm written in prison, faiz writes a similar thought …
baaqi hai lahu dil meN to har ashk se paida
raNg-e lab-o-ruKhsaar-e-sanam karte raheNge
5
kuu1-e jaanaaN2 meN khula mere lahu3 ka parcham4
dekhiye dete haiN kis kis ko sadaa5 mere baad
1.street 2.beloved (homeland, social justice) 3.blood 4.banner 5.call
The banner sprinkled with my blood is now unfurled in the street of the beloved (homeland, social justice). Let us see who they call up next (for imprisonment, exile or maybe even execution).
6
kaun hotaa hai harif1-e mai2-e mard-afgan3-e ’ishq
hai mukarrar4 lab5-e saaqi meN salaa6 mere b’aad
1.equal to, withstand against 2.wine 3.man-felling, 4.repeated 5.lips 6.call, cry
faiz used this she’r directly from Ghalib’s Ghazal. Who can withstand the man-felling power of the wine of passion/love (for the homeland). Now that I have been imprisoned (or in exile) the saaqi is calling again and again asking for someone to come forward.
