For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ایکوالِٹی ۔ مایا اینجلو
اُردو ترجمہ ۔ مساوات ۔ سید محمّد شاہدؔ
۱
کہتے ہو کہ دیکھا ہے دھندلا سا اِک آکار
کانچ کے شیشے کے اُس پار جیسے پھیلا ہو غبار
جب کہ میں سامنے، برملا، تیّار
کمر بستہ ہوں، کب سے ہے انتظار
مجھ کو سُنا ہے، کرتے ہو اعتراف
مگر دُور دراز سرگوشی جو نہیں صاف
جب کہ میں، بلند آواز و صاف گو
معانی کی دُھن جو بدلی نہ ہو
۲
مساوات و آزادی روک نہ سکوگے
یقیناً حق اپنا لے کے رہیں گے
۳
کہتے ہو میں فاحشہ ہوں
کہتے ہو میں جا بہ جا ہوں
مجھے کہتے ہو فقط دُھندلا سایا
کیونکر سمجھو کہ میں کیا ہوں
۴
ہے دردناک ہمارا یہ فسانہ
ہر اِک دُشنام، ہر ا٘ک الزام، ہم نے جانا
پھر بھی آگے قدم بڑھاتے رہے ہیں
اور تم، پیچھے کھینچا کئے ہیں
۵
مساوات و آزادی روک نہ سکوگے
یقیناً حق اپنا لے کے رہیں گے
۶
آنکھوں کی پٹّی کھولو
کانوں میں اُنگلی نہ رکھو
کیا میری سسکیاں نہ سُنیں
میرے بہتے آنسو دیکھو
۷
سُنو، سُنو، وقت کی آواز
دِل کی دھڑکن کا ہے یہ ساز
دن رات بجا کرتا ہے
دُھن جو کبھی نہ بدلتا ہے
۸
مساوات و آزادی روک نہ سکوگے
یقیناً حق اپنا لے کے رہیں گے
ईक्वॉलिटी – माया ऐंजलू
उर्दू तर्जुमा – मसावात – शाहेद
१
कहते हो के देखा है धुंदला सा एक आकार
कांच के शीशे के उस पार, जैसे फैला हो ग़ुबार
जब के मैं सामने, बरमला, तय्यार
कमर पस्ता हुं, कब से है इंतज़ार
मुझ को सुना है, करते हो एतराफ़
मगर दूर दराज़ सरगोशी जो नहीं साफ़
जब के मैं, बलंद-आवाज़ ओ साफ़ गो
म’आनि कि धुन जो बदली न हो
२
मसावात ओ आज़ादी रोक न सकोगे
यक़ीनन हक़ अपना ले के रहेंगे
३
कहते हो मैं फ़ाहशा हूं
कहते हो मैं जा ब जा हूं
मुझे कहते हो फ़क़त धुंदला साया
क्यूंकर समझो के मैं क्या हूं
४
है दर्दनाक हमारा ये फ़साना
हर एक दुश्नाम, हर एक इल्ज़ाम, हम ने जाना
फिर भी आगे क़दम बढाते रहे हैं
और तुम, पीछे खैंचा किये हैं
५
मसावात ओ आज़ादी रोक न सकोगे
यक़ीनन हक़ अपना ले के रहेंगे
६
आंखौं कि पट्टी खोलो
कानौं में उंग्ली न रखो
क्या मेरी सिस्कियां न सुनीं
मेरे बहते आंसू देखो
७
सुनो, सुनो, वक़्त की आवाज़
दिल की धढकन का है ये साज़
दिन रात बजा करता है
धुन हो कभी न बदलता है
८
मसावात ओ आज़ादी रोक न सकोगे
यक़ीनन हक़ अपना ले के रहेंगे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. Maya Angelou (1928-2014), poet, writer, activist, civil rights and women’s rights icon. Numerous awards including Poet Laureatte. This poem with claims of equal rights and systematic ignoring of demands, also touches upon the plight of African American women. shahed (1944-living) late comer to urdu after a long career in engineering. He re-composed this nazm as a part of the celebration of Black History Month.
1
kahte ho, keh dekha hai dhundla sa ek aakaar1
kaaNch ke shiishe ke us paar jaise phaila ho Ghubaar2
jab keh maiN saamne, barmalaa3, tayyaar
kamar-basta4 huN, kab se hai intezaar5
mujhko suna hai, karte ho e’teraaf6
ek duur-daraaz7 sargoshi8 jo nahiN saaf
jab keh maiN baland-aavaaz9 o saaf-go10
mu’aani11 ki dhun jo badli na ho 1.shape, form 2.fog 3.openly 4.girded loins 5.wait 6.admit, accept 7.far away 8.whisper 9.loud 10.clear 11.meaning
You say you have seen a faint image through a glass pane as if in a fog, when I am in front of you, openly and ready. Loins girded to go. How long can I wait. You accept that you have heard me but like a far-away whisper, when I speak loud and clear, and the tune of the meaning does not change.
2
masaavaat1 o aazaadi rok na sakoge
yaqeenan2 haq3 apna le ke raheNge 1.equality 2.surely 3.rights
You will never be able to stop equality and freedom. We will surely take our rights.
3
kahte ho maiN faahesha1 huN
kahte ho maiN jaa-ba-jaa2 huN
mujhe kahte ho faqat3 dhundla saaya
kyuNkar4 samjho ke maiN kya huN 1.immoral 2.here and there 3.only 4.how
You say I am immoral. You say I go here and there (from man to man). You say you have seen me like a faint shadow. How then can you understand what I am.
4
hai dardnaak1 hamaara ye fasaana2
har ek dushnaam3, har ek ilzaam4 hum ne jaana5
phir bhi aage qadam6 baRhaate rahe haiN
aur tum peechhe khaiNcha kiye haiN 1.painful 2.story 3.blame, disrepute 4.accusation 5.known 6.steps
Our story is painful. We have known every disrepute, accused of everything. Still we kept moving forward and you, kept pulling us back.
5
masaavaat1 o aazaadi rok na sakoge
yaqeenan2 haq3 apna le ke raheNge 1.equality 2.surely 3.rights
You will never be able to stop equality and freedom. We will surely take our rights.
6
aaNkhoN ki paTTi kholo
kaanoN meN uNgli na rakkho
kya meri siskiyaaN1 na suniiN
mere bahte aaNsu dekho 1.sobs
Take the blindfold off, do not stop your ears with your fingers. Have you not heard me sob. Look at my flowing tears.
7
suno, suno, vaqt ki aavaaz
dil ki dhaRkan ka hai ye saaz
din raat bajaa karta hai
dhun, jo kabhi na badalta hai Listen, listen, to the sound of time. It is the music of throbbing hearts. It plays day and night, a tune that never changes.
8
masaavaat1 o aazaadi rok na sakoge
yaqeenan2 haq3 apna le ke raheNge 1.equality 2.surely 3.rights
You will never be able to stop equality and freedom. We will surely take our rights.
Maya Angelou (1928-2014), poet, writer, activist, civil rights and women’s rights icon. Numerous awards including Poet Laureatte. This poem with claims of equal rights and systematic ignoring of demands, also touches upon the plight of African American women. shahed (1944-living) late comer to urdu after a long career in engineering. He re-composed this nazm as a part of the celebration of Black History Month.
1
kahte ho, keh dekha hai dhundla sa ek aakaar1
kaaNch ke shiishe ke us paar jaise phaila ho Ghubaar2
jab keh maiN saamne, barmalaa3, tayyaar
kamar-basta4 huN, kab se hai intezaar5
mujhko suna hai, karte ho e’teraaf6
ek duur-daraaz7 sargoshi8 jo nahiN saaf
jab keh maiN baland-aavaaz9 o saaf-go10
mu’aani11 ki dhun jo badli na ho
1.shape, form 2.fog 3.openly 4.girded loins 5.wait 6.admit, accept 7.far away 8.whisper 9.loud 10.clear 11.meaning
You say you have seen a faint image through a glass pane as if in a fog, when I am in front of you, openly and ready. Loins girded to go. How long can I wait. You accept that you have heard me but like a far-away whisper, when I speak loud and clear, and the tune of the meaning does not change.
2
masaavaat1 o aazaadi rok na sakoge
yaqeenan2 haq3 apna le ke raheNge
1.equality 2.surely 3.rights
You will never be able to stop equality and freedom. We will surely take our rights.
3
kahte ho maiN faahesha1 huN
kahte ho maiN jaa-ba-jaa2 huN
mujhe kahte ho faqat3 dhundla saaya
kyuNkar4 samjho ke maiN kya huN
1.immoral 2.here and there 3.only 4.how
You say I am immoral. You say I go here and there (from man to man). You say you have seen me like a faint shadow. How then can you understand what I am.
4
hai dardnaak1 hamaara ye fasaana2
har ek dushnaam3, har ek ilzaam4 hum ne jaana5
phir bhi aage qadam6 baRhaate rahe haiN
aur tum peechhe khaiNcha kiye haiN
1.painful 2.story 3.blame, disrepute 4.accusation 5.known 6.steps
Our story is painful. We have known every disrepute, accused of everything. Still we kept moving forward and you, kept pulling us back.
5
masaavaat1 o aazaadi rok na sakoge
yaqeenan2 haq3 apna le ke raheNge
1.equality 2.surely 3.rights
You will never be able to stop equality and freedom. We will surely take our rights.
6
aaNkhoN ki paTTi kholo
kaanoN meN uNgli na rakkho
kya meri siskiyaaN1 na suniiN
mere bahte aaNsu dekho
1.sobs
Take the blindfold off, do not stop your ears with your fingers. Have you not heard me sob. Look at my flowing tears.
7
suno, suno, vaqt ki aavaaz
dil ki dhaRkan ka hai ye saaz
din raat bajaa karta hai
dhun, jo kabhi na badalta hai
Listen, listen, to the sound of time. It is the music of throbbing hearts. It plays day and night, a tune that never changes.
8
masaavaat1 o aazaadi rok na sakoge
yaqeenan2 haq3 apna le ke raheNge
1.equality 2.surely 3.rights
You will never be able to stop equality and freedom. We will surely take our rights.
Equality – Maya Angelou
1
You declare you see me dimly
through a glass which will not shine,
though I stand before you boldly,
trim in rank and marking time.
You do own to hear me faintly
as a whisper out of range,
while my drums beat out the message
and the rhythms never change.
2
Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.
3
You announce my ways are wanton,
that I fly from man to man,
but if I’m just a shadow to you,
could you ever understand ?
4
We have lived a painful history,
we know the shameful past,
but I keep on marching forward,
and you keep on coming last.
5
Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.
6
Take the blinders from your vision,
take the padding from your ears,
and confess you’ve heard me crying,
and admit you’ve seen my tears.
7
Hear the tempo so compelling,
hear the blood throb in my veins.
Yes, my drums are beating nightly,
and the rhythms never change.
8
Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.
