For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
کِسان ۔ میر محمّد علی خاں میکشؔ حیدرآبادی
۱
برہنہ جسم پسینہ میں غرق ننگے پاؤں
مگر سکون ہے یوں دل میں جیسے ٹھنڈی چھاؤں
۲
گیہوں کے کھیت سے کُٹیا میں اپنی آیا ہے
تصوّرات کی دنیا بھی ساتھ لایا ہے
۳
ہے اک پھٹی ہوئی کمبل غریب کاندھوں پر
سیاہ ابر پہ رہ رہ کے اٹھ رہی ہے نظر
۴
پڑا ہے کھیت کا سامان ایک کونے میں
ہیں اس کی زیست کے اَسرار، پا کے کھونے میں
۵
نفس ہے پھولی ہوئی جیسے پھونک بھٹّے کی
رکھی ہے کان پہ بیڑی بنا کے پتّے کی
۶
لہو کی لہر سی ہے موج زن پسینے میں
بقائے دہر کا ہے راز اُس کے جینے میں
۷
ہر ایک سانس ہے اس کی بہارِ آزادی
کہ اس غلام کا دل ہے دیارِ آزادی
किसान – मीर मोहम्मद अली ख़ां हैदराबादी
१
बरहना जिस्म, पसीने में ग़र्क़, नंगे पाँव
मगर सुकून है यूँ दिल में जैसे ठंडी छाँव
२
गेहूँ के खेत से कुटिया में अपनी आया है
तसव्वुरात की दुनिया भी साथ लाया है
३
है एक फटी हुई कम्बल ग़रीब काँधों पर
सियाह अब्र पे रह रह के उठ रही है नज़र
४
पड़ा है खेत का सामान एक कोने में
हैं उस की ज़ीस्त के अस्रार, पा के खोने में
५
नफ़स है फूली हुई जैसे फूँक भट्टे की
रखी है कान पे बीड़ी बना के पत्ते की
६
लहू की लहर सी है मौज-ज़न पसीने में
बक़ा-ए दहर का है राज़ उस के जीने में
७
हर एक साँस है उस की बहार-ए आज़ादी
कि उस ग़ुलाम का दिल है दयार-ए आज़ादी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mir mohammed ali KhaaN maikash (1918-1948), a member of the nizam shaahi clan of hyderabad (the title sahabzaada-princeling was a prefix to his name), nevertheless seems to have been a committed socialist. Dropped out of the university degree program after two years and worked as editor, columnist and perhaps as a party worker. As opposed to my first impression of his dark and depressing composition on the taj mahal, he has many cheerful and almost hedonistic compositions in addition to resistance/socialist nazm. This is his tribute to the ‘kisaan’ along with one for ‘mazdoor’. Both are linked to the icon ‘yaum-e mazdoor’ on the Theme Index page.
1
barahna1 jism2, pasiine meN Gharq3, naNge paaNv
magar sukoon4 hai yuN dil meN jaise ThanDi chhaaNv 1.naked 2.body 3.drowning 4.contentment, quiet
His body naked, drowning in sweat, barefoot but his demeanour tranquil, like a cooling shade.
2
gehuN1 ke khet se kuTiyaa2 meN apni aaya hai
tasavvuraat3 ki duniyaa bhi saath laaya hai 1.wheat 2.hut 3.imagination, vision of the future, hopes
He returns from his wheat field to his hut carrying with him a world of imagination/hope.
3
hai ek phaTi hui kambal1 Ghariib kaaNdhoN par
siyaah2 abr3 pe rah-rah4 ke uTh rahi hai nazar5 1.blanket 2.dark, black 3.clouds 4.moment by moment 5.eyes, glance
A torn blanket on his poor shoulders, looking up at dark clouds again and again (hoping for rains).
4
paRaa hai khet ka saamaan ek kone meN
haiN us ki ziist1 ke asraar2, paa3 ke khone4 meN 1.life 2.secrets, origins 3.obtain, reach 4.lose
The implements of the field lie in a corner. The secret of his life is reaching and then losing/giving up the yeild of his labour.
5
nafas1 hai phooli2 hui jaise phooNk3 bhaTTe4 ki
rakhi hai kaan pe biiRi banaa ke patte ki 1.breath 2.an expression meaning-out of breath 3.blow-pipe 4.furnace
His breath is heavy, like the blow-pipe to light the furnace, a biiRi rolled with a leaf stuck behind his ear.
6
lahu1 ki lahar2 si hai mauj-zan3 pasiine meN
baqaa4-e dahr5 ka hai raaz6 us ke jiine meN 1.blood 2.wave 3.high tide, flow 4.survival 5.world 6.secret
Waves of blood flow with your sweat. The secret of the survival of the world lies in your life i.e., the world survives because of your labour.
7
har ek saaNs hai us ki bahaar1-e aazaadi
keh us Ghulaam2 ka dil hai dayaar3-e aazaadi 1.spring, blooming 2.slave, bound 3.door, regime
His every breath nurtures the blooming of freedom, because the heart of that helpless one is the regime of freedom.
mir mohammed ali KhaaN maikash (1918-1948), a member of the nizam shaahi clan of hyderabad (the title sahabzaada-princeling was a prefix to his name), nevertheless seems to have been a committed socialist. Dropped out of the university degree program after two years and worked as editor, columnist and perhaps as a party worker. As opposed to my first impression of his dark and depressing composition on the taj mahal, he has many cheerful and almost hedonistic compositions in addition to resistance/socialist nazm. This is his tribute to the ‘kisaan’ along with one for ‘mazdoor’. Both are linked to the icon ‘yaum-e mazdoor’ on the Theme Index page.
1
barahna1 jism2, pasiine meN Gharq3, naNge paaNv
magar sukoon4 hai yuN dil meN jaise ThanDi chhaaNv
1.naked 2.body 3.drowning 4.contentment, quiet
His body naked, drowning in sweat, barefoot but his demeanour tranquil, like a cooling shade.
2
gehuN1 ke khet se kuTiyaa2 meN apni aaya hai
tasavvuraat3 ki duniyaa bhi saath laaya hai
1.wheat 2.hut 3.imagination, vision of the future, hopes
He returns from his wheat field to his hut carrying with him a world of imagination/hope.
3
hai ek phaTi hui kambal1 Ghariib kaaNdhoN par
siyaah2 abr3 pe rah-rah4 ke uTh rahi hai nazar5
1.blanket 2.dark, black 3.clouds 4.moment by moment 5.eyes, glance
A torn blanket on his poor shoulders, looking up at dark clouds again and again (hoping for rains).
4
paRaa hai khet ka saamaan ek kone meN
haiN us ki ziist1 ke asraar2, paa3 ke khone4 meN
1.life 2.secrets, origins 3.obtain, reach 4.lose
The implements of the field lie in a corner. The secret of his life is reaching and then losing/giving up the yeild of his labour.
5
nafas1 hai phooli2 hui jaise phooNk3 bhaTTe4 ki
rakhi hai kaan pe biiRi banaa ke patte ki
1.breath 2.an expression meaning-out of breath 3.blow-pipe 4.furnace
His breath is heavy, like the blow-pipe to light the furnace, a biiRi rolled with a leaf stuck behind his ear.
6
lahu1 ki lahar2 si hai mauj-zan3 pasiine meN
baqaa4-e dahr5 ka hai raaz6 us ke jiine meN
1.blood 2.wave 3.high tide, flow 4.survival 5.world 6.secret
Waves of blood flow with your sweat. The secret of the survival of the world lies in your life i.e., the world survives because of your labour.
7
har ek saaNs hai us ki bahaar1-e aazaadi
keh us Ghulaam2 ka dil hai dayaar3-e aazaadi
1.spring, blooming 2.slave, bound 3.door, regime
His every breath nurtures the blooming of freedom, because the heart of that helpless one is the regime of freedom.
