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. faiz is speculating on the gentle, sweet ways or the fierce, painful ways in which death might come, whenever it comes. And then he makes a declaration – whichever way it comes, he will remain true and pay tribute to beauty – the beauty has had a chance to experience during his lifetime. It is also worth repeating here a beautiful she’r from a Ghazal, which faiz recited at a BBC arranged mushaa’era in his honor about two months before his death.
halqa kiye baiThe raho ek sham’a ko yaaro
kuchh raushni baaqi to hai, harchand ke kam hai
Sit surrounding this lamp for a while yet, friends
There is still some light left, even if faint
1
kis tarah aa’egi jis roz qaza¹ aa’egi
shaa’ed is tarah ke jis roz kabhi avval-e shab² 
be talab³ pahle pahal⁴ marhamat⁵-e bosa-e lab⁶
jis se khulne lageN har simt⁷ tilasmaat ke dar⁸
aur kahiN duur se anjaan⁹ gulabauN ki bahar¹⁰
yek ba yek seena-e mahtab¹¹ ko taRpaane lage 1.death 2.early evening 3.without asking 4.for the first time 5.kindness, granting 6.kiss on the lips 7.direction 8.doors to enchantment(s) 9.unknown, unseen 10.fragrance of roses 11.bosom of the moon/beloved
How will it come, the day death comes, perhaps like when at dusk, a grant of the first kiss on the lips, without asking, opens up doors to enchantment in every direction, and from afar, the fragrance of unseen roses suddenly causes pangs in the heart of the beloved. Death could come in gentle ways like the gentle, pleasant way like a first kiss. The mysteries of death are revealed as an enchantment! Or like the pleasant fragrance of unseen roses floating into the chamber of the beloved and bringing up memories – this sweet pain, another gentle way in which death might come.
2
shaa’ed is tarah ke jis roz kabhi aaKhir-e shab¹²
neem-va¹³ kaliyoN se sar sabz¹⁴ sahr¹⁵ 
yek ba yek¹⁶ hujra-e mahboob¹⁷ meN lahrane lage
aur Khaamosh darichoN¹⁸ se ba hangaam-e rahail¹⁹ 
jhunjhunate hue taaroN ki sada²⁰ aane lage    12.end of the night 13.half open 14.green/fresh 15.dawn 16.suddenly 17.(bed)chamber of the beloved 18.windows 19.in the time of departure 20.sound
(Death might come) Perhaps like when as night ends and the new dawn with buds still half open shimmers into the chamber of the beloved and through silent windows as they depart the tinkling of fading stars can be heard. Death can come as a gentle pleasant dawn.
3
kis tarah aa’egi, jis roz qaza aa’egi
shaa’ed is tarah ke jis taur²¹ tah-e nok-e sinaaN²²
koi rug²³ vahama²⁴-e dard se chillane lage
aur qazzaaq²⁵-e sinaaN dast²⁶ ka dhundla²⁷ saaya
az karaaN ta ba karaaN²⁸ dahar²⁹ pe manDlane³⁰ lage 21.way, method 22.under the point of a spear 23.vein 24.suspicion, anticipation 25.robber (of life), killer 26.spear in hand 27.faint, hazy 28.from end to end 29.world 29.world 30.strut about
How will it come, when death will come. Perhaps as if under the point of spear some vein screams in anticipation of pain and the blurred image of the spear bearing killer struts about from end to end i.e.in a terrifying and painful way.
4
jis tarah aa’egi jis roz qaza aa’egi
Khwaah³¹ qaatil ki tarah aa’e keh mahboob sifat³²
dil se bas hogi yahi harf-e vida’³³ ki soorat³⁴
lillah³⁵ alhamd³⁶ ba anjaam³⁷-e dil-e dil zadagaN³⁸
kalama³⁹-e shukr⁴⁰ banaam-e lab-e shiriN dahnaN⁴¹   31.maybe 32.like/similar to qualities of the beloved 33.parting words 34.in the image/likeness of 35.by god 36.praise 37.result, fate 38.stricken of heart, lovers 39.declaration of faith 40.thanks 41.lips of the sweet mouthed
However it comes, whenever death comes, perhaps fierce like a killer or gentle like the beloved, the only parting words will be, “Praise be to the heart that has been stricken with love, and a tribute to the sweet lips of the beloved”.
Whichever way death comes, in the gentle way like the love of the beloved or in the painful, violent way of the executioner – in either case Faiz declares that his parting words (summation of his life) will be a tribute to the lover (dil zadagaaN, stricken of heart – stricken by love) and to the beloved (shiriN dahanaN).
There are two very different ways of interpreting this.
The irreverant interpretation is that Faiz is making a pointed statement … orthodoxy always says “alhamdo lillah” – praise is (ONLY) for god. Such a statement at the time of death would add greatly to the piety of the dying. But Faiz wants to give praise to the hearts of those stricken by love.Orthodox “kalma”=declaration, is a declaration of acceptance of allah as the only god and Mohammed as his prophet. But Faiz makes a pointed declaration to the sweet lips of the beloved.
The reverant interpretation is that Faiz considers Love to be divine and offers “alhamd” to it in the same spirit as convention offers it to god.