For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
میں انکار کرتی ہوں ۔ پرینیتا شٹّی
آزاد ترجمہ ۔ شاہد
۱
میں اِنکار کرتی ہوں
وہ ہندُو ہونے سے جو تم بنانا چاہتے ہو
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
وہ ہندُو ووٹ ہونے سے جو برقرار رکھے تمہارا تانا شاہی اقتدار
۲
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
وہ زعفرانی جھنڈا ہونے سے
جو تم لہراؤ کوئی تلوار کی طرح کسی کو قتل کرنے
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
وہ ہندُو ہونے سے جس کے لئے رام
صرف ایسے مندر میں پوجا جا سکے جو مسجد ڈھاکر بنا ہو
۳
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
اُس ہندُو راشٹر کی ناگرکتا سے
جس میں مسلمان برابر کے شہری نہ ہوں
۴
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
وہ ہندُو ہونے سے جو سمجھتا نہ ہو کہ ہمارے اپنوں کے بٹوارے کی قیمت
ہماری اور اُن کی جانوں سے ادا کی جاتی ہے
۵
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
وہ ہندُو ہونے سے جسے تم راکشس کا عکس دکھا کے
کہتے ہو کہ میرا ہے
۶
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
کہ تمہیں چھوٹ دوں
ہندُو دھرم کی شاندار، عظیم، بے کراں رُوحانیت کی
اِرتقا اور کثیر پہلوؤں کی رنگینیوں کو
ناقبُول بنا ڈالو
۷
اُن کو بدل ڈالو
نفرت کے نعرے میں
خوف کے آہنگ میں
تعصب کے محبوس زنداں میں
جبر و بربریت کے قانون میں
اِک وِبھاجِت اور کھنڈِت قوم میں
۸
میں انکار کرتی ہوں
وہ ہندُو ہونے سے جیسا کہ تم بنانا چاہتے ہو
میں تمہاری ہر وہ کوشش کو ناکم کر دوں گی
جو میری اِنسانیت چھین لے
جو مجھے ایسا راکشس بنائے جسے تم ہندُو کا نام دیتے ہو
मै इन्कार करती हूं – परिनीता शेट्टी
आज़ाद तर्जुमा – शाहद
१
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
वो हिन्दू होने से जो तुम बनाना चाहते हो
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
वो हिन्दू वोट होने से जो बरक़रार रखे तुम्हारा तानाशाही एक़्तदार
२
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
वो ज़ाफ़्रानी झंडा होने से
जो तुम लहराओ कोई तल्वार की तरह किसी को क़त्ल करने
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
वो हिन्दू होने से जिस के लिए राम
सिर्फ़ ऐसे मंदिर में पूजा जा सके जो मस्जिद ढा कर बनाया हो
३
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
उस हिन्दू राष्ट्र की नागरिक्ता से
जिस में मुसल्मान बराबर के शहरी न हों
४
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
वो हिन्दू होने से जो समझता न हो के हमारे अपनौं के बटवारे की क़ीमत
हमारी और उन की जानौ से अदा की जाती है
५
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
वो हिन्दू होने से जिसे तुम राक्शस का अक्स दिखा कर
कहते हो के मेरा है
६
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
के तुम्हें छूट दूं
हिन्दु धर्म की शानदार, अज़ीम, बेकरां रूहानियत की
इर्तक़ा और कसीर पहलुऔं की रंगीनियौं को
नाक़ुबूल बना डालो
७
उन को बदल डालो
नफ़्रत के ना’रे में
ख़ौफ़ के आहंग में
ता’स्सुब के महबूस ज़िन्दां में
जब्र ओ बरबरियत के क़ानून में
एक विभाजित और खंडित क़ौम में
८
मैं इन्कार करती हूं
वो हिन्दू होने से जैसा के तुम बनाना चाहते हो
मैं तुम्हारी हर वो कोशिश को नाकाम कर दूंगी
जो मेरी इन्सानियत छीन ले
जो मुझे ऐसा राक्शस बनाए जिसे तुम हिन्दू का नाम देते हो
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. parinita shetty (1990-living) is a faculty member teaching English at Mangalore University. She is a writer and reviewer of children’s books. She published this poem in English, on line, about a year ago. At that time it went viral. It is even more relevant now.
1
maiN inkaar1 karti huN
vo hindu hone se jo tum banaana chaahte ho
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu vote hone se jo barqaraar2 rakkhe, tumhaara taanashaahi3 eqtedaar4 1.refuse 2.maintain 3.despotic 4.power
I refuse to be the hindu which you want to shape. I refuse to be the hindu vote that maintains your despotic power.
2
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo zaafraani1 jhanDa hone se
jo tum lahraao koii talvaar ki tarah, kisi ko qatl2 karne
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jis ke liye raam
sirf3 aise mandir meN pooja jaa sake jo masjid Dhaa4 ke banaaya ho 1.saffron 2.kill 3.only 4.destroy
I refuse to be the saffron flag that you wave, wield like a sword to kill someone. I refuse to be the hindu for whom raam can be worshipped only in a temple built by destroying a mosque.
3
maiN inkaar karti huN
us hindu raashTr1 ki naagarikta2 se
jis meN musalmaan baraabar ke shahri3 na hoN 1.nation 2.citizenship 3.citizenship
I refuse the citizenship of that hindu nation in which muslims are not equal citizens.
4
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jo samajhta na ho ke hamaare apnoN ke baTvaare1 ki qiimat2
hamaari aur un ki jaanoN se ada kii jaati hai 1.division 2.price
I refuse to be that hindu who does not understand that the price of division/separation from those who are our own is paid by our and their life.
5
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jise tum raakshas1 ka aks2 dikha kar
kahte ho ke mera hai 1.demon 2.reflection, image
I refuse to be the hindu who you show the image of a demon and claim that it is mine.
6
maiN inkaar karti huN
ke tumheN chhooT1 duN
hindu dharm ki shaandaar, azeem2, bekaraaN3 roohaaniyat4 ki
irteqa5 aur kasiir6 pahluoN7 ki raNgiiniyoN ko
naqubool8 bana Daalo 1.liberty, permission 2.great 3.boundless 4.soulfulness 5.progress, evolution 6.numerous 7.facets 8.unacceptable
I refuse to give you the liberty that you may declare unacceptable the numerous facets of the glorious, great and boundless soulfulness of hindu religion.
7
un ko badal1 Daalo
nafrat2 ke naaroN3 meN
Khauf4 ke aahaNg5 meN
ta’ssub6 ke mahboos7 zindaaN8 meN
jabr9 o barbariyat10 ke qaanoon11 meN
ek vibhaajit12 aur khanDit13 qaum meN 1.change 2.hatred 3.slogans 4.fear 5.melody 6.bigotry 7.suffocating 8.prison, cage 9.oppression 10.barbarism 11.laws 12.divided 13.fragmented
That you change them (the facets of hindu religion), into slogans of hatred, melodies of fear, suffocating cage of bigotry, into barbarous laws of oppression and into a divided and fragemented nation.
8
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jaisa ke tum banaana chaahte ho
maiN tumhaari har vo koshish1 ko nakaam2 kar duuNgi
jo meri insaaniyat3 chheen le
jo mujhe aisa raakshas4 banaaye jise tum hindu ka naam dete ho 1.effort 2.unsuccessful, defeat 3.humanity 4.demon
I refuse to be the hindu you want to make me. I will defeat every effort that you make to rob me of my humanity to let you change me into the demon that you give the name of hindu.
parinita shetty (1990-living) is a faculty member teaching English at Mangalore University. She is a writer and reviewer of children’s books. She published this poem in English, on line, about a year ago. At that time it went viral. It is even more relevant now.
1
maiN inkaar1 karti huN
vo hindu hone se jo tum banaana chaahte ho
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu vote hone se jo barqaraar2 rakkhe, tumhaara taanashaahi3 eqtedaar4
1.refuse 2.maintain 3.despotic 4.power
I refuse to be the hindu which you want to shape. I refuse to be the hindu vote that maintains your despotic power.
2
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo zaafraani1 jhanDa hone se
jo tum lahraao koii talvaar ki tarah, kisi ko qatl2 karne
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jis ke liye raam
sirf3 aise mandir meN pooja jaa sake jo masjid Dhaa4 ke banaaya ho
1.saffron 2.kill 3.only 4.destroy
I refuse to be the saffron flag that you wave, wield like a sword to kill someone. I refuse to be the hindu for whom raam can be worshipped only in a temple built by destroying a mosque.
3
maiN inkaar karti huN
us hindu raashTr1 ki naagarikta2 se
jis meN musalmaan baraabar ke shahri3 na hoN
1.nation 2.citizenship 3.citizenship
I refuse the citizenship of that hindu nation in which muslims are not equal citizens.
4
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jo samajhta na ho ke hamaare apnoN ke baTvaare1 ki qiimat2
hamaari aur un ki jaanoN se ada kii jaati hai
1.division 2.price
I refuse to be that hindu who does not understand that the price of division/separation from those who are our own is paid by our and their life.
5
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jise tum raakshas1 ka aks2 dikha kar
kahte ho ke mera hai
1.demon 2.reflection, image
I refuse to be the hindu who you show the image of a demon and claim that it is mine.
6
maiN inkaar karti huN
ke tumheN chhooT1 duN
hindu dharm ki shaandaar, azeem2, bekaraaN3 roohaaniyat4 ki
irteqa5 aur kasiir6 pahluoN7 ki raNgiiniyoN ko
naqubool8 bana Daalo
1.liberty, permission 2.great 3.boundless 4.soulfulness 5.progress, evolution 6.numerous 7.facets 8.unacceptable
I refuse to give you the liberty that you may declare unacceptable the numerous facets of the glorious, great and boundless soulfulness of hindu religion.
7
un ko badal1 Daalo
nafrat2 ke naaroN3 meN
Khauf4 ke aahaNg5 meN
ta’ssub6 ke mahboos7 zindaaN8 meN
jabr9 o barbariyat10 ke qaanoon11 meN
ek vibhaajit12 aur khanDit13 qaum meN
1.change 2.hatred 3.slogans 4.fear 5.melody 6.bigotry 7.suffocating 8.prison, cage 9.oppression 10.barbarism 11.laws 12.divided 13.fragmented
That you change them (the facets of hindu religion), into slogans of hatred, melodies of fear, suffocating cage of bigotry, into barbarous laws of oppression and into a divided and fragemented nation.
8
maiN inkaar karti huN
vo hindu hone se jaisa ke tum banaana chaahte ho
maiN tumhaari har vo koshish1 ko nakaam2 kar duuNgi
jo meri insaaniyat3 chheen le
jo mujhe aisa raakshas4 banaaye jise tum hindu ka naam dete ho
1.effort 2.unsuccessful, defeat 3.humanity 4.demon
I refuse to be the hindu you want to make me. I will defeat every effort that you make to rob me of my humanity to let you change me into the demon that you give the name of hindu.
I refuse to be the Hindu you want to shape me into.
I refuse to be the Hindu vote which will sustain the insane authority of your power.
I refuse to be the saffron of your Hindu flag that you bear like a sword ready to kill.
I refuse to be the Hindu for whom Rama can only be worshiped in the temple you will build after reducing a mosque to rubble.
I refuse the citizenship of your Hindu Nation in which Muslims will not be my equals as fellow citizens.
I refuse to be a Hindu who does not recognize that dead soldiers are the price we pay
For dividing ourselves as Hindus from those who are our own.
I refuse to be a Hindu who is made to recognize herself in the images of inhuman monsters you hold before me and which you claim are my reflections in a mirror.
I refuse to allow you to crush the many splendorous , many hued, glorious, joyous, infinitely spiritual, creatively mutating and deeply compassionate possibilities of being a Hindu,
into the slogan of hate
into the rhetoric of fear
into the prison of bigotry
into the law of the tyrant
into a fragmented nation.
I refuse to be the Hindu you want me to be
And I will defy every effort of yours to dehumanize me
And shape me into that monstrous creature you call by the name Hindu.
This poem rips the bark off the BJP version of Hindutva. Rage, rage against the darkened India. I wonder how much resistance is being offered in the other Indian languages. I wish there was a way to find out. One request.
Please reconsider the use of “Tana Shahi.” The Tana Shah I know of was a defender of Golconda, and the gentlest of rulers on the throne. It was “kuttar panthi shahi,” or something like that. Even Aurangzeb shahi is not bad. Maybe “Aurang Shahi”?
You are right about tana shah. But a “saying” – tana shaahi has developed and commonly understood to mean arbitrariness and self-centered edicts i.e. despotism. But “Khud-sar eqtedaar” may also fit.