For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
fahmida riaz reciting
نیا بھارت – فہمیدہ ریاض
تم بالکل ہم جیسے نکلے
اب تک کہاں چھپے تھے بھائی
وہ مورکھتا، وہ گھامڑ پن
جس میں ہم نے صدی گوائیں
آخر پہنچی دوار تمہارے
ارے بدھائی بہت بدھائی
پر یت دھرم کا ناچ رہا ہے
قایٰم ہندو راج کروگے
سارے اُلٹے کاج کروگے
اپنا چمن تاراج کروگے
تم بھی بیٹھے کروگے سوچا
پوری ہے ویسی تیاری
کون ہے ہندو، کون نہیں ہے
تم بھی کروگے فتوے جاری
ہوگا کٹھن یہاں بھی جینا
دانتوں آ جائے گا پسینہ
جیسی تیسی کٹا کرے گی
یہاں بھی سب کی سانس گھٹے گی
کل دُکھ سے سوچا کرتی تھی
سوچ کے بہت ہنسی آج آئی
تم بالکل ہم جیسے نکلے
ہم دو قوم نہیں تھے بھائی
بھاڑ میں جائے شِکشہ وِکشہ
اب جاہلپن کے گُن گانا
آگے گڑھا ہے یہ مت دیکھو
واپس لا ؤ گیا زمانہ
بھشٹ کرو تم آ جائے گا
اُلٹے پاؤں چلتے جانا
دھیان نہ من میں دوجا آئے
بس پیچھے ہی نظر جمانا
ایک جاپ سا کرتے جاوٰ
بارم بار یہی دہراوٰ
کتنا ویر مہان تھا بھارت
کیسا عالیشان تھا بھارت
پھر تُم لوگ پہنچ جاؤگے
بس پرلوک پہنچ جاؤگے
ہم تو ہیں پہلے سے وہاں پر
تم بھی سمئے نکالتے رہنا
اب جس نرک میں جاؤ وہاں سے
چٹّھی وِٹھّی ڈالتے رہنا
नया भारत – फ़हमीदा रियाज़
तुम बिल्कुल हम जैसे निकले
अब तक कहाँ छुपे थे भाई
वो मूर्खता, वो घामड़पन
जिस में हम ने सदि गंवाई
आख़िर पहुंची द्वार तुम्हारे
अरे बधाई बहुत बधाई
परेत धरम का नाच रहा है
क़ायम हिन्दू राज करो गे
सारे उल्टे काज करोगे
अपना चमन ताराज करोगे
तुम भी बैठे करोगे सोचा
पूरी है वैसी तय्यारी
कौन है हिन्दू, कौन नहीं है
तुम भी करो गे फ़तवे जारी
होगा कठिन यहां भी जीना
दांतों आ जाएगा पसीना
जैसी तैसी कटा करेगी
यहां भी सब की सांस घुटेगी
कल दुख से सोचा करती थी
सोच के बहुत हंसी आज आई
तुम बिलकुल हम जैसे निकले
हम दो क़ौम नहीं थे भाई
भाड़ में जाए शिक्षा विक्शा
अब जाहिलपन के गुन गाना
आगे गढ़ा है ये मत देखो
वापस लाओ गया ज़माना
भष्ट करो तुम आ जाएगा
उल्टे पाऊं चलते जाना
ध्यान न मन में दूजा आये
बस पीछे हिज नज़र ज़माना
एक जाप सा करते जाओ
बारम-बार बार यही दोहराओ
कितना वीर महान था भारत
कैसा आलीशान था भारत
फिर तुम लोग पहुंच जाओगे
बस परलोक पहुंच जाओगे
हम तो हैं पहले से वहां पर
तुम भी समय निकालते रहना
अब जिस नरक में जाओ वहां से
चिट्ठी विट्ठी डालते रहना
naya bharat – fahmida riaz
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. fahmida riaz, a Pakistani poet, took refuge in India during the dictatorship of zia-ul-haq. Also see her “chadar aur chaardivari” composed in response to “hudood” laws, putting limits on the “behaviour” of women. During her refuge in India fahmida riaz taught at Jamia Millia. She wrote this poem (2005) in response to the rise of Hindutva.
tum bilkul hum jaisey nikley
ab tak kahaaN chhupay thay bhai
vo moorakhta1, vo ghaamaRpan2
jis meN hum nay sadi3 gawaiiN
aaKhir pahuNchi dwar4 tumhaare
aray badhaai bahut badhaai1.foolishness 2.ineptitude 3.century 4.door
You (Indians) turned out to be just like us (Pakistanis), where had you been hiding for so long, brother. The same foolishness, the same ineptitude, in which we spent the last century, has finally arrived at your door. Congratulations, O, congratulations.
paret5 dharam ka naach rahaa hai
qaa’em6 hindu raj karo gay
saarey ulTey kaj karogay
apna chaman taraaj7 karogay5.demon, as in “bhoot paret” 6.establish 7.destroy
The demon of religion/communalism is dancing with joy. You will establish a Hindu nation. You will do exactly the opposite of what you should do and destroy your own home.
tum bhee baiThey karogey sochaa
poori hai waisi tayyari
kaun hai hindu, kaun nahiN hai
tum bhi karo gay fatway8 jari8.religious edicts
You are preparing for it, you too will sit and discuss, who is Hindu and who is not. This has clear reference to the Pakistani legislature discussing the definition of a “Muslim” and declaring “Ahmadis” to be non-Muslims. You too will issue religious edicts.
hoga kaThin9 yahaN bhi jeena
daaNtauN aa jayega paseena10
jaisi-taisi11 kaTaa karegi
yahaaN bhi sabki saaNs ghuTegi12 9.difficult 10.colloquial expression meaning that things will get so hard that even teeth will sweat 11.however, struggling 12.suffocate
Here (in India) too life will become difficult (like in Pakistan), so difficult that even teeth will sweat. Life will go on struggling. Here too everyone will suffocate.
kal dukh13 se socha karti thi
soch ke bahut haNsi aaj aaii
tum bilkul hum jaise nikle
hum do qaum14 nahiN the bhai!13.sorrow 14.nations
Yesterday I used to think sorrowfully, but today I am much amused realizing that you turned out just like us. After all we were never different, brother.
bhaaR15 meN jaaye shiksha-viksha16
ab jaahilpan17 ke gun18 gaana
aage gaDha hai yeh mat dekho
wapas laao gaya zamana15.trash 16.education, learning 17.ignorance 18.qualities, virtues
Throw all learning/education in trash. Now sing songs of the virtues of ignorance. Do not see the deep hole that is in front of you. Just think of bringing back old times.
bhashT19 karo tum aajayega
ulTe paauN chalte jaana
dhyaan20 na mun meN dooja21 aaye
bas peechhe hi nazar22 jamaana23 19.practice 20.thought 21.second 22.sight 23.fixed
Keep practising, you will soon learn to walk backwards. Let not any second thought come to you, just keep your sight fixed on the past.
ek jaap24 saa kartey jao
baaram-baar25 yehi dohrao26
kitna veer mahaan tha bharat
kaisa alishaan27 tha bharat24.mantra, spell 25.many times 26.repeat 27.glorious
Keep repeating the same “mantra” a thousand times, “how great was India, how glorious was India”.
phir tum log pahuNch jaogay
bas parlok28 pahuNch jaaogay
hum toh haiN pehle se wahaaN par
tum bhi samay29 nikaalte rehna
ab jis narak30 meN jaao wahaaN se
chiTThi-viTThi Daalte rehna28.other world 29.time 30.hell
Then you (Indians) too will reach there. You will get to the other world. We (Pakistanis) are already there. You too must take time out and from whichever hell you go to, keep writing a letter or two.
naya bharat – fahmida riaz
fahmida riaz, a Pakistani poet, took refuge in India during the dictatorship of zia-ul-haq. Also see her “chadar aur chaardivari” composed in response to “hudood” laws, putting limits on the “behaviour” of women. During her refuge in India fahmida riaz taught at Jamia Millia. She wrote this poem (2005) in response to the rise of Hindutva.
tum bilkul hum jaisey nikley
ab tak kahaaN chhupay thay bhai
vo moorakhta1, vo ghaamaRpan2
jis meN hum nay sadi3 gawaiiN
aaKhir pahuNchi dwar4 tumhaare
aray badhaai bahut badhaai
1.foolishness 2.ineptitude 3.century 4.door
You (Indians) turned out to be just like us (Pakistanis), where had you been hiding for so long, brother. The same foolishness, the same ineptitude, in which we spent the last century, has finally arrived at your door. Congratulations, O, congratulations.
paret5 dharam ka naach rahaa hai
qaa’em6 hindu raj karo gay
saarey ulTey kaj karogay
apna chaman taraaj7 karogay
5.demon, as in “bhoot paret” 6.establish 7.destroy
The demon of religion/communalism is dancing with joy. You will establish a Hindu nation. You will do exactly the opposite of what you should do and destroy your own home.
tum bhee baiThey karogey sochaa
poori hai waisi tayyari
kaun hai hindu, kaun nahiN hai
tum bhi karo gay fatway8 jari
8.religious edicts
You are preparing for it, you too will sit and discuss, who is Hindu and who is not. This has clear reference to the Pakistani legislature discussing the definition of a “Muslim” and declaring “Ahmadis” to be non-Muslims. You too will issue religious edicts.
hoga kaThin9 yahaN bhi jeena
daaNtauN aa jayega paseena10
jaisi-taisi11 kaTaa karegi
yahaaN bhi sabki saaNs ghuTegi12
9.difficult 10.colloquial expression meaning that things will get so hard that even teeth will sweat 11.however, struggling 12.suffocate
Here (in India) too life will become difficult (like in Pakistan), so difficult that even teeth will sweat. Life will go on struggling. Here too everyone will suffocate.
kal dukh13 se socha karti thi
soch ke bahut haNsi aaj aaii
tum bilkul hum jaise nikle
hum do qaum14 nahiN the bhai!
13.sorrow 14.nations
Yesterday I used to think sorrowfully, but today I am much amused realizing that you turned out just like us. After all we were never different, brother.
bhaaR15 meN jaaye shiksha-viksha16
ab jaahilpan17 ke gun18 gaana
aage gaDha hai yeh mat dekho
wapas laao gaya zamana
15.trash 16.education, learning 17.ignorance 18.qualities, virtues
Throw all learning/education in trash. Now sing songs of the virtues of ignorance. Do not see the deep hole that is in front of you. Just think of bringing back old times.
bhashT19 karo tum aajayega
ulTe paauN chalte jaana
dhyaan20 na mun meN dooja21 aaye
bas peechhe hi nazar22 jamaana23
19.practice 20.thought 21.second 22.sight 23.fixed
Keep practising, you will soon learn to walk backwards. Let not any second thought come to you, just keep your sight fixed on the past.
ek jaap24 saa kartey jao
baaram-baar25 yehi dohrao26
kitna veer mahaan tha bharat
kaisa alishaan27 tha bharat
24.mantra, spell 25.many times 26.repeat 27.glorious
Keep repeating the same “mantra” a thousand times, “how great was India, how glorious was India”.
phir tum log pahuNch jaogay
bas parlok28 pahuNch jaaogay
hum toh haiN pehle se wahaaN par
tum bhi samay29 nikaalte rehna
ab jis narak30 meN jaao wahaaN se
chiTThi-viTThi Daalte rehna
28.other world 29.time 30.hell
Then you (Indians) too will reach there. You will get to the other world. We (Pakistanis) are already there. You too must take time out and from whichever hell you go to, keep writing a letter or two.
