For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
لہو پکارتا ہے ۔ علی سردارؔ جعفری
۱
لہو پکارتا ہے
ہر طرف پکارتا ہے
۲
سحر ہو، شام ہو، خاموشی ہو، کہ ہنگامہ
جلوسِ غم ہو کہ بزمِ نشاط آرائی
۳
لہو پکارتا ہے
لہو پکارتا ہے جیسے خشک صحرا میں
پکارا کرتے تھے پیغمبران اسرائیل
۴
زمیں کے سینے سے اور آستین قاتل سے
گلوئے کشتہ سے بے حِس زبانِ خنجر سے
صدا لپکتی ہے ہر سمت حرفِ حق کی طرح
۵
مگر وہ کان جو بہرے ہیں سن نہیں سکتے
مگر وہ قلب جو سنگیں ہیں ہل نہیں سکتے
۶
کہ ان میں اہلِ ہوس کی صدا کا سیسہ ہے
وہ جھکتے رہتے ہیں لب ہائے اقتدار کی سمت
۷
وہ سنتے رہتے ہیں بس حکمِ حاکمانِ جہاں
طواف کرتے ہیں اربابِ گیر و دار کے گرد
۸
مگر لہو تو ہے بے باک و سرکش و چالاک
یہ شعلہ مے کے پیالے میں جاگ اُٹھتا ہے
۹
لباسِ اطلس و دیبا میں سرسراتا ہے
یہ دامنوں کو پکڑتا ہے شاہراہوں میں
۱۰
کھڑا ہوا نظر آتا ہے داد گاہوں میں
زمیں سمیٹ نہ پائے گی اس کو بانہوں میں
۱۱
چھلک رہے ہیں سمندر سرک رہے ہیں پہاڑ
لہو پکار رہا ہے لہو پکارے گا
یہ وہ صدا ہے جسے قتل کر نہیں سکتے
लहू पुकारता है – अली सरदार जाफ़री
१
लहू पुकारता है
हर तरफ़ पुकारता है
२
सहर हो, शाम हो, ख़ामोशी हो, के हंगामा
जुलूस-ए ग़म हो के बज़्म-ए नशात-आराई
३
लहू पुकारता है
लहू पुकारता है जैसे ख़ुश्क सहरा में
पुकारा करते थे पैग़म्बरान-ए इसराईल
४
ज़मीं के सीने से और आस्तीन-ए क़ातिल से
गुलू-ए कुश्ता से बे-हिस्स ज़बान-ए ख़ंजर से
सदा लपकती है हर सम्त हर्फ़-ए हक़ की तरह
५
मगर वो कान जो बहरे हैं सुन नहीं सकते
मगर वो क़ल्ब जो संगीं हैं हिल नहीं सकते
६
के उन में अहल-ए हवस की सदा का सीसा है
वो झुकते रहते हैं लब-हा-ए इक़्तेदार की सम्त
७
वो सुनते रहते हैं बस हुक्म-ए हाकेमान-ए जहाँ
तवाफ़ करते हैं अर्बाब-ए गीर-ओ-दार के गिर्द
८
मगर लहू तो है बे-बाक ओ सरकश ओ चालाक
ये शो’ला मय के प्याले में जाग उठता है
९
लिबास-ए अत्लस-ओ-दीबा में सरसराता है
ये दामनों को पकढता है शाह-राहों में
१०
खढा हुआ नज़र आता है दाद-गाहों में
ज़मीं समेट न पाएगी उस को बाँहों में
११
छलक रहे हैं समुंदर सरक रहे हैं पहाढ
लहू पुकार रहा है लहू पुकारेगा
ये वो सदा है जिसे क़त्ल कर नहीं सकते
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ali sardar jafri (1913-2000), balrampur, gonDa, U.P. Religious upbringing and education. MA luckhnow university. Started composing at 15. He soon turned to progressive, revolutionary nazm/Ghazal. Member Communist Party. Arrested in 1940. Plays, short stories, movies and TV serials gave him a career in mumbaii. Padma Shri in 1967. Also see lahu ka suraaGh-faiz ahmed faiz and saahir ludhianavi-Khoon phir Khoon hai.
1
lahu1 pukaarta hai
har taraf2 pukaarta hai 1.blood 2.direction
Blood cries out, from every direction, in every direction, blood raises a cry. Blood spilled in injustice, violated truth/rights, cannot be hidden, will not be silent.
2
sahar1 ho, shaam ho, Khaamoshi ho keh haNgaama
juluus2-e Gham ho keh bazm3-e nashaat-aaraa’ii4 1.dawn 2.procession 3.gathering 4.adornment of joy
Whether it is dawn or dusk, silence/stillness or chaos/tumult, procession of mourning or a joyous gathering, it will cry out. No moment is immune. The blood’s call echoes through all times and moods; sorrow or celebration. It cuts across the rhythms of daily life, refusing to be ignored.
3
lahu pukaarta hai
lahu pukaarta hai jaise Khushk1 sahraa2 meN
pukaaraa karte the paiGhambaraan3-e israa’iil 1.dry 2.desert 3.prophets, messengers
Blood cries out, blood raises a cry like the prophets of israa’iil in the patched desert. This implies that the prophets raised their voice in support of the oppressed and cried for justice. Spilled blood carries the same ‘divine’ message.
4
zamiN ke siine se aur aastiin1-e qaatil2 se
guluu3-e kushta4 se behiss5 zabaan-e Khanjar6 se
sadaa7 lapakti8 hai har samt9 harf10-e haq11 ki tarah 1.sleeve 2.killer 3.throat 4.cut 5.unfeeling, inanimate, silent 6.knife 7.sound, cry 8.rises, leaps 9.direction 10.word 11.truth, justice
From the bosom/heart of the earth, from the bloody sleeve of the killer, from the slaughtered throat, from the silent tongue of the knife, cry leaps in every direction like the word of truth.
5
magar vo kaan jo bahr’e1 haiN sun nahiN sakte
magar vo qalb2 jo saNgiiN3 haiN hil nahiN sakte 1.deaf 2.hearts 3.stony, hard
But ears that are deaf cannot hear, and hearts turned to stone cannot be moved. Whose ears and whose hearts is revealed in what follows.
6
keh un meN ahl-e-havas1 ki sadaa2 kaa siisa3 hai
vo jhukte rahte haiN lab-haa4-e eqtedaar5 ki samt6 1.people of greed 2.sound, voice 3.lead 4.lips, words 5.power 6.direction
They cannot hear because molten lead of the sound of greed is poured into their ears. The bow towards the voice of the people in power.
7
vo sunt’e raht’e haiN bas hukm1-e haakimaan2-e jahaaN3
tavaaf4 karte haiN arbaab5-e giir-o-daar6 ke gird7 1.orders 2.commanders, rulers 3.world 4.circumabulate 5.people of 6.hold and grip, dominate, war and conflict 7.around
They only listen to the orders of the commanders/tyrants of the world. They circumabulate in submission around people of war and domination.
8
magar lahu1 to hai be-baak2 o sarkash3 o chaalaak4
ye sho’la5 mai6 ke piyaale meN jaag uThtaa hai 1.blood 2.fearless 3.rebellious 4.clever 5.flame 6.wine
But blood is fearless, defiant and clever, it lights up like a flame in a cup of wine. I am not sure what ‘a flame in a cup of wine’ symbolizes. I would appreciate any help in interpretation.
9
libaas1-e atlas2-o-diibaa3 meN sarsaraataa4 hai
ye daamanoN5 ko pakaRtaa6 hai shaah-raahoN7 meN 1.garment 2.satin 3.silk 4.rustling 5.hem of the garment 6.pull 7.main road
daaman pakaRna is symbolic of accuse, seek justice and shaah-raah is symbolic of the public square-open place. The privileged, in fine satin and silk clothing, rustling as they walk have the hem of their garment held-justice demanded in the public square.
10
khaRaa hua nazar1 aata hai daad-gaahoN2 meN
zamiN sameT3 na paa’egi uss ko baaNhoN4 meN 1.seen, appear 2.place of justice 3.contain, gather 4.arms
It (blood) is seen standing in courts of justice. The earth will not be able to contain it in its arms i.e., nothing will be able to hold it back, hide it; the demand of justice will be heard.
11
chhalak1 rahe haiN samundar2 sarak3 rahe haiN pahaaR
lahu pukaar rahaa hai lahu pukaarega
ye vo sadaa4 hai jis’e qatl5 kar nahiN sakte 1.overflow 2.sea, ocean 3.slip, slide 4.cry 5.kill, silence
The oceans spill over, mountains slide, but blood cries out and it will keep crying out. This is a sound that cannot silenced. The cry for justice will bring oceanic floods, move mountains but will not be silenced until justice is achieved.
ali sardar jafri (1913-2000), balrampur, gonDa, U.P. Religious upbringing and education. MA luckhnow university. Started composing at 15. He soon turned to progressive, revolutionary nazm/Ghazal. Member Communist Party. Arrested in 1940. Plays, short stories, movies and TV serials gave him a career in mumbaii. Padma Shri in 1967. Also see lahu ka suraaGh-faiz ahmed faiz and saahir ludhianavi-Khoon phir Khoon hai.
1
lahu1 pukaarta hai
har taraf2 pukaarta hai
1.blood 2.direction
Blood cries out, from every direction, in every direction, blood raises a cry. Blood spilled in injustice, violated truth/rights, cannot be hidden, will not be silent.
2
sahar1 ho, shaam ho, Khaamoshi ho keh haNgaama
juluus2-e Gham ho keh bazm3-e nashaat-aaraa’ii4
1.dawn 2.procession 3.gathering 4.adornment of joy
Whether it is dawn or dusk, silence/stillness or chaos/tumult, procession of mourning or a joyous gathering, it will cry out. No moment is immune. The blood’s call echoes through all times and moods; sorrow or celebration. It cuts across the rhythms of daily life, refusing to be ignored.
3
lahu pukaarta hai
lahu pukaarta hai jaise Khushk1 sahraa2 meN
pukaaraa karte the paiGhambaraan3-e israa’iil
1.dry 2.desert 3.prophets, messengers
Blood cries out, blood raises a cry like the prophets of israa’iil in the patched desert. This implies that the prophets raised their voice in support of the oppressed and cried for justice. Spilled blood carries the same ‘divine’ message.
4
zamiN ke siine se aur aastiin1-e qaatil2 se
guluu3-e kushta4 se behiss5 zabaan-e Khanjar6 se
sadaa7 lapakti8 hai har samt9 harf10-e haq11 ki tarah
1.sleeve 2.killer 3.throat 4.cut 5.unfeeling, inanimate, silent 6.knife 7.sound, cry 8.rises, leaps 9.direction 10.word 11.truth, justice
From the bosom/heart of the earth, from the bloody sleeve of the killer, from the slaughtered throat, from the silent tongue of the knife, cry leaps in every direction like the word of truth.
5
magar vo kaan jo bahr’e1 haiN sun nahiN sakte
magar vo qalb2 jo saNgiiN3 haiN hil nahiN sakte
1.deaf 2.hearts 3.stony, hard
But ears that are deaf cannot hear, and hearts turned to stone cannot be moved. Whose ears and whose hearts is revealed in what follows.
6
keh un meN ahl-e-havas1 ki sadaa2 kaa siisa3 hai
vo jhukte rahte haiN lab-haa4-e eqtedaar5 ki samt6
1.people of greed 2.sound, voice 3.lead 4.lips, words 5.power 6.direction
They cannot hear because molten lead of the sound of greed is poured into their ears. The bow towards the voice of the people in power.
7
vo sunt’e raht’e haiN bas hukm1-e haakimaan2-e jahaaN3
tavaaf4 karte haiN arbaab5-e giir-o-daar6 ke gird7
1.orders 2.commanders, rulers 3.world 4.circumabulate 5.people of 6.hold and grip, dominate, war and conflict 7.around
They only listen to the orders of the commanders/tyrants of the world. They circumabulate in submission around people of war and domination.
8
magar lahu1 to hai be-baak2 o sarkash3 o chaalaak4
ye sho’la5 mai6 ke piyaale meN jaag uThtaa hai
1.blood 2.fearless 3.rebellious 4.clever 5.flame 6.wine
But blood is fearless, defiant and clever, it lights up like a flame in a cup of wine. I am not sure what ‘a flame in a cup of wine’ symbolizes. I would appreciate any help in interpretation.
9
libaas1-e atlas2-o-diibaa3 meN sarsaraataa4 hai
ye daamanoN5 ko pakaRtaa6 hai shaah-raahoN7 meN
1.garment 2.satin 3.silk 4.rustling 5.hem of the garment 6.pull 7.main road
daaman pakaRna is symbolic of accuse, seek justice and shaah-raah is symbolic of the public square-open place. The privileged, in fine satin and silk clothing, rustling as they walk have the hem of their garment held-justice demanded in the public square.
10
khaRaa hua nazar1 aata hai daad-gaahoN2 meN
zamiN sameT3 na paa’egi uss ko baaNhoN4 meN
1.seen, appear 2.place of justice 3.contain, gather 4.arms
It (blood) is seen standing in courts of justice. The earth will not be able to contain it in its arms i.e., nothing will be able to hold it back, hide it; the demand of justice will be heard.
11
chhalak1 rahe haiN samundar2 sarak3 rahe haiN pahaaR
lahu pukaar rahaa hai lahu pukaarega
ye vo sadaa4 hai jis’e qatl5 kar nahiN sakte
1.overflow 2.sea, ocean 3.slip, slide 4.cry 5.kill, silence
The oceans spill over, mountains slide, but blood cries out and it will keep crying out. This is a sound that cannot silenced. The cry for justice will bring oceanic floods, move mountains but will not be silenced until justice is achieved.
