Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed munavvar ali-munavvar raana (1952-2024), raa’e bareili, kolkata, and lukhnau. He was a very popular and dominating presence on the mushaa’era circuit and wrote in hindi as well as urdu, using simple language. His larger family members moved to pakistan but his father chose to stay. He wrote a long book-length nazm called mohaajir-naama which is best understood as sorrow and regret at the differences and loss caused by partition. His bitterness is best understood when after being bestowed the sahitya akademi award for urdu literature in 2014, he returned it in 2015 to protest increasing intolerance. He remained defiant and controversial for the rest of his life.
1
kahaaN tak ham liye phirtay puraani yaad ka malba¹
jo purkhoN² ne basaaya³ tha mahalla⁴ chhoR aa’e haiN     1.debris, waste 2.elders 3.settled 4.neighbourhood
How long can we carry this debris of old memories. We have left behind the neighbourhood that was settled and established by our elders.
2
utarti¹ dhoop aaNgan² meN ghaRi³ ka kaam deti thi
har ek mosam ko paRhnay ka tariiqa⁴ chhoR aa’e haiN    1.descending, setting sun 2.courtyard 3.clock 4.ways, methods
Shadows of the setting sun in the courtyard worked like a clock for us, telling the time of day. The ways of reading seasons and time, we have left behind.
3
bichhi rahti thiiN Dhaabay¹ par kaii darjan palaNgeN bhi
unhiiN par ham javaani ka zamaana² chhoR aa’e haiN    1.roadside stall for tea and light eatery 2.times, days
The Dhaaba, a roadside eatery becomes a gathering place for old and young alike. Thus, there used to be dozens of cots laid out by the Dhaaba. On these cots have we left memories of the days of our youth and come away.
4
pataNgoN ke liye maaNjha¹ maNgaaya tha bareily se
usay ham charKhiyoN² meN yuN hi lapTa chhoR aa’e haiN    1.finely ground glass made into a paste and applied to kite string for a sharp cut 2.spindle on which kite string is wound
This and a few other ash’aar are about nostalgia for kite flying and competitions. Apparently the maanjha of bareily had a reputation for being sharp. Thus, we had ordered maanjha from bareily but left is unused, wound on the spindle and came away.
5
kuchh aisi dhaar¹ thi uss meN keh patthar kaaT deta tha
bareily ki dukaanoN meN jo maaNjha chhoR aa’e haiN     1.sharp edge
It had a sharp edge that could cut through rock, the maanjha from the shops of bareily that we left behind.
6
ba-vaqt¹-e ruKhsati² chhoTay baRay maujood³ rahtay thay
voh guRiya chhoR aa’e haiN, voh guDDa chhoR aa’e haiN     1.at the time of 2.bride and grooms departure after a wedding
The poet is nostalgic for childhood games when dolls were made into bride and groom and a wedding celebrated. The climax of the wedding celebration was the departure of the bride with her groom. All the elders used to be present for this ceremony, he says.
7
mahallay¹ ki chhatoN² par har taraf³ qabza⁴ hamaara tha
vahiiN par ham pataNgeN, Dor, maaNjha chhoR aa’e haiN     1.neighbourhood 2.rooftops 3.direction 4.dominance
We dominated (in kite flying competitions) every direction around the rooftops of the neighbourhood. But we have left behind our kites, string and maanjha and come away.
8
thakay-haaray¹ kabootar ka voh vaapas lauTna² ghar ko
abhi tak yaad hai, halaaNkeh³ kab ka chhoR aa’e haiN     1.tired and giving up 2.returning 3.even though
Another favourite childhood pastime was to fly large flocks of pigeon. They would fly until tired and then called back to return. Even though it has been a long time since he has left them and come away, but he still remembers them.
9
vahaaN kaaGhaz ki kishti bhi bahut iThlaa¹ ke chalti thi
ham apnay ghar ke aaNgan meN jo darya² chhoR aa’e haiN    1.coquettish/playful gait 2.stream
Yet another pastime was to make paper boats and sail them in water. Here it seems that there is a stream flowing the courtyard and boats sail in it with playful style. He has left all this behind and now only memories remain.
10
Khayaal¹ aata hai aksar² dhoop meN baahir nikaltay hi
ham apnay gaauN meN piipal ka saaya chhoR aa’e haiN     1.thought, memory 2.often
I remember often, even as I step out into the sun that we left behind the shade of the piipal tree in the village.
11
hameN sooraj ki kirneN¹ iss liye takleef² deti haiN
avadh ki shaam, kaashi ka savera chhoR aa’e haiN     1.rays of sunlight 2.hurt
Rays of sunlight bother us because they remind us that we left behind the colourful sunsets of avadh and the bright dawn of kaashi.