lahu ka suraaGh-faiz

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.

لہو کا سراغ ۔ فیض احمد فیضؔ

۱

کہیں نہیں ہے کہیں بھی نہیں لہو کا سراغ

نہ دست و ناخنِ  قاتل، نہ آستیں پہ نشاں

نہ سرُخیِ لبِ خنجر، نہ رنگِ نوکِ سناں

نہ خاک پر کوئی دھبّا، نہ بام پر کوئی داغ

کہیں نہیں ہے کہیں بھی نہیں لہو کا سراغ

۲

نہ صرفِ خدمتِ شاہاں کہ خوں بہا دیتے

نہ دیں کی نزر کہ بیعانۂ جزا دیتے

نہ رزم گاہ میں برسا کہ معتبر ہوتا

کسی علم پہ رقم ہو، کہ مشتہر ہوتا

۳

پکارتار ہا بے آسرا ، یتیم لہو

کسی کو بہرِ سماعت نہ وقت تھا نہ دماغ

نہ مدّعی نہ شہادت، حساب پاک ہوا

یہ خونِ خاک نشیناں تھارِزقِ خاک ہوا

लहू का सुराग़ – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़

कहीं नहीं है, कहीं भी नहीं लहू का सुराग़
न दस्त ओ नाख़ुन-ए क़ातिल, न आस्तीं पे निशां
न सुर्ख़ी-ए लब-ए ख़ंजर, न रंग-ए नोक-ए सिनां
न ख़ाक पर कोई धब्बा, न बाम पर कोई दाग़

कहीं नहीं है, कहीं भी नहीं लहू का सुराग़

न सर्फ़-ए ख़िदमत-ए शाहां के ख़ूं बहा देते
न दीं की नज़्र के बयाना-ए जज़ा देते
न रज़्म गाह में बरसा के मोतबर होता

किसी अलम पे रक़म हो के मुश्तहर होता

पुकारता रहा बे आसरा यतीम लहू
किसी को बहर-ए समा’अत न वक़्त था न दिमाग़
न मुद्दई न शहादत, हिसाब पाक हुआ

ये ख़ून-ए ख़ाक नशीनां था रिज़्क़-ए ख़ाक हुआ

 

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. Here, faiz is calling attention to the everyday death of the poor … death due to hunger, exposure, poverty. This is not a grand or dramatic death that makes news. In “dhuaaN”, maKhdoom too is calling attention to the blood of the peasant and is much more explicit in blaming capitalist oppression.
1
kahiN nahiN hai, kahiN bhi nahiN lahu1 ka suraaGh2
na dast3 o naKhun4-e qaatil5, na aastiN6 pe nishaaN
na surKhi7-e lab-e Khanjar8, na raNg-e nok-e sinaaN9
na Khaak10 par koi dhabba11, na baam12 par koi daaGh13
kahiN nahiN hai, kahiN bhi nahiN lahu ka suraaGh
1.blood 2.clue, sign 3.hand 4.fingernails 5.killer 6.sleeve 7.redness 8.dagger edge 9.point of spear 11.spot 12.roof 13.stain
Nowhwere, just nowhere is there any sign of blood. Neither on the hands nor on the nails of the killer, nor any stain on his sleeve, nor the bloodied tip of the dagger, no colour on the point of the spear. Not a spot on the floor, nor any smear on the roof. Nowhere, just nowhere, is there any sign of blood.

2
na sarf1-e Khidmat-e shahaaN2 keh KhooN baha dete
na diiN3 ki nazr4 keh bai’aana5-e jaza6 dete
na razm-gaah7 meN barsa keh mu’atabar8 hota
kisi alam9 pe raqam10 ho keh mushtahar11 hota
1.spent, used 2.service of kings 3.faith 4.offering 5.downpayment 6.reward 7.field of war 8.credible, honorable 9.flag, standard 10.most often -cash, but also means ‘to write’ or ‘written’ 11.famous
Their blood was not spilled in the service of their liege nor for salvation as a downpayment for the hereafter, nor was it shed in battle, earning respect and honour, nor for blazoning on a banner, to lead to fame.

3
pukaarta raha be aasra1 yatiim2 lahu
kisi ko bahr-e sama’at3 na vaqt tha na dimaaGh4
na muddu’ee5 na shahaadat6, hisaab7 paak8 hua
ye Khoon-e Khaak-nashinaaN9 tha rizq-e Khaak10 hua
1.helpless 2.orphan 3.to listen 4.mindfulness 5.petitioner 6.testimony 7.judgement 8.completed 9.dust dwellers 10.food of dust
It kept crying out, helpless, this orphaned blood. No one had the inclination to listen, to heed or care. There was no petitioner, no evidence – but the judgement was clear, the dwellers of dust, after all, will and must be fed to dust.

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.  Here, faiz is calling attention to the everyday death of the poor … death due to hunger, exposure, poverty. This is not a grand or dramatic death that makes news. In “dhuaaN”, maKhdoom too is calling attention to the blood of the peasant and is much more explicit in blaming capitalist oppression.
1
kahiN nahiN hai, kahiN bhi nahiN lahu1 ka suraaGh2
na dast3 o naKhun4-e qaatil5, na aastiN6 pe nishaaN
na surKhi7-e lab-e Khanjar8, na raNg-e nok-e sinaaN9
na Khaak10 par koi dhabba11, na baam12 par koi daaGh13
kahiN nahiN hai, kahiN bhi nahiN lahu ka suraaGh

1.blood 2.clue, sign 3.hand 4.fingernails 5.killer 6.sleeve 7.redness 8.dagger edge 9.point of spear 11.spot 12.roof 13.stain

Nowhwere, just nowhere is there any sign of blood.  Neither on the hands nor on the nails of the killer, nor any stain on his sleeve, nor the bloodied tip of the dagger, no colour on the point of the spear.  Not a spot on the floor, nor any smear on the roof.  Nowhere, just nowhere, is there any sign of blood.
2
na sarf1-e Khidmat-e shahaaN2 keh KhooN baha dete
na diiN3 ki nazr4 keh bai’aana5-e jaza6 dete
na razm-gaah7 meN barsa keh mu’atabar8 hota
kisi alam9 pe raqam10 ho keh mushtahar11 hota

1.spent, used 2.service of kings 3.faith 4.offering 5.downpayment 6.reward 7.field of war 8.credible, honorable 9.flag, standard 10.most often -cash, but also means ‘to write’ or ‘written’ 11.famous

Their blood was not spilled in the service of their liege nor for salvation as a downpayment for the hereafter, nor was it shed in battle, earning respect and honour, nor for blazoning on a banner, to lead to fame.
3
pukaarta raha be aasra1 yatiim2 lahu
kisi ko bahr-e sama’at3 na vaqt tha na dimaaGh4
na muddu’ee5 na shahaadat6, hisaab7 paak8 hua
ye Khoon-e Khaak-nashinaaN9 tha rizq-e Khaak10 hua

1.helpless 2.orphan 3.to listen 4.mindfulness 5.petitioner 6.testimony
7.judgement 8.completed 9.dust dwellers 10.food of dust

It kept crying out, helpless, this orphaned blood.  No one had the inclination to listen, to heed or care.  There was no petitioner, no evidence – but the judgement was clear, the dwellers of dust, after all, will and must be fed to dust.