nazr-e sauda-faiz

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

نذرِ سودا ۔ فیض احمد فیض

۱

فکرِ دلداریِ گلزار کروں یا نہ کروں

ذکرِ مرغانِ گرفتار کروں یا نہ کروں

۲

قصۂ سازشِ اغیار کہوں یا نہ کہوں

شکوۂ یارِ  طرحدار کروں  یا  نہ  کروں

۳

جانے کیا وضع ہے اب رسمِ وفا کی ائے دِل

وضع دیر ینہ پہ اِصرار کروں یا نہ کروں

۴

جانے کس رنگ میں تفسیر کریں اہلِ ہوس

مدح زلف و لب و رخسار کروں یا نہ کروں

۵

یوں بہار آئی ہے اِمسال کہ گلشن میں صبا

پوچھتی ہے گزر اِس بار کروں یانہ کروں

۶

گویا اِس سوچ میں ہے دِل میں لہو بھر کے گلاب

دامن و جیب کو گلنار کروں یانہ کروں

۷

ہے فقط مرغِ غزلخواں کہ جسے فکر نہیں

معتدل گرمیِ گفتار کروں یا نہ کروں

 

नज़्र-ए सौदा – फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़

फ़िक्र ए दिलदारी ए गुलज़ार करुं या न करुं

ज़िक्र ए मुरग़ान ए गिरफ़तार करुं या न करुं

क़िस्सा ए साज़िश ए अग़ियार कहूं या न कहूं

शिकवा ए यार ए तरहदार करुं या न करुं

जाने क्या वज़’अ है अब रस्म ए वफ़ा कि अए दिल

वज़’अ ए देरीना पे इसरार करुं या न करुं

जाने किस रंग में तफ़सीर करें अहल ए हवस

मदह ज़ुल्फ़ ओ लब ओ रुख़सार करुं या न करुं

यूँ बहार आई है इमसाल के गुलशन में सबा

पूछती है गुज़र इस बार करुं या न करुं

गोया इस सोच में है दिल में लहू भर के गुलाब

दामन ओ जेब को गुलनार करुं या न करुं

है फ़क़त मुर्ग़ ए ग़ज़लख़वां के जिसे फ़िक्र नहीं

मो’तदिल गर्मी ए गुफ़्तार करुं या न करुं

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. faiz wrote this in the style of a Ghazal of sauda and gave it a title – nazr-e sauda. He wrote this from prison, expressing his frustration with censorship and with the false testimony that some of his associates/comrades were persuaded/forced to give in order to convict him. It is wonderful to see how faiz takes a romantic Ghazal of sauda and turns it into a subtle but unmistakable political statement.
1
fikr1-e dildaari2-e gulzaar karuN ya na karuN
zikr3-e murGhaan4-e giraftaar5 karuN ya na karuN 
1.worry 2.kindness, solace 3.mention, relate story 4.birds 5.captured
The friends of the poet/revolutionary (birds) are captured and imprisoned in a cage. Should I worry about whether the gulzar (the homeland) will be kind. Should I let people know about the condition of the captured/caged birds (fellow poets/revolutionaries).

2
qissa1-e saazish2-e aGhyaar3 kahuN ya na kahuN
shikwa4-e yaar-e-tarahdaar5 karuN ya na karuN
1.story 2.conspiracy 3.others/enemies 4.complaint 5.elegant friend
Both misra refer to false testimony. Should I speak about the conspiracy of the ‘other’. Should I complain about that elegant (sarcastic) friend (who bore false testimony).

3
jaane kya vaz’a1 hai ab rasm-e-vafa2 ki ae dil
vaz’a-e dereena3 pe israar4 karuN ya na karuN
1.style, way 2.tradition of faith 3.old, earlier 4.insist
I don’t know what the way of the tradition of faith is these days. Should I insist on past ways or not. The past traditions of faith, conviviality have been lost. Friends have given false testimony. Should I insist on speaking of the old ways or give up.

4
jaane kis raNg meN tafseer1 kareN ahl-e-havas2
madah3 zulf-o-lab-o-ruKhsaar4 karuN ya na karuN
1.explanation, interpretation 2.people of lust, lecherous 3.praise 4.hair-lips-cheeks/face i.e. beauty
I don’t know how the lecherous will interpret what I have to say. Should I write about the beauty of the beloved or not. This has reference to faiz’s inimitable style of writing about the homeland as the beloved. The ‘ahl-e havas’ could well be censors, military authorities who have imprisoned him. The beloved is the homeland and social justice. Should he talk about these in spite of the censors? What will they think of what he writes?

5
yuN bahaar aaii hai imsaal1 ke gulshan meN saba2
poochhti hai guzar is baar karuN ya na karuN 
1.this year 2.morning breeze
This year spring has arrived in the garden in such fashion that even the morning breeze asks whether it should blow this way or not. The conditions in the country are so bad that even the breeze wants to bypass the garden.

6
goya1 is soch meN hai dil meN lahu2 bhar ke gulaab
daaman-o-jeb3 ko gulnaar4 karuN ya na karuN
1.as if 2.blood 3.hem and collar 4.rose coloured, red
It looks as if the heart of the rose is filled with blood and it wonders whether to spill the blood and colour its collar and hem (to declare its distress/frenzy/pain). The ‘rose’ is the poet himself and his heart is filled with distress. Should be let his distress show with torn collar and soiled hem? Or should he be discreet?

7
hai faqat1 murGh-e-Ghazal-KhwaaN2 ke jise fikr3 nahiN
mo’tadil4 garmi-e-guftaar5 karuN ya na karuN 
1.only 2.song-bird, poet/revolutionary 3.worry 4.balanced 5.heat of passion of conversation/verse
Here, “murGh-e Ghazal-KhwaaN” is the poet himself. He is the only one who is not afraid of the consequences (to himself) of speaking out. But there is a fear that others will be affected too. So he wonders if he should temper/subdue the passion of his guftaar/suKhan.

faiz wrote this in the style of a Ghazal of sauda and gave it a title – nazr-e sauda.  He wrote this from prison, expressing his frustration with censorship and with the false testimony that some of his associates/comrades were persuaded/forced to give in order to convict him.  It is wonderful to see how faiz takes a romantic Ghazal of sauda and turns it into a subtle but unmistakable political statement.
1
fikr1-e dildaari2-e gulzaar karuN ya na karuN
zikr3-e murGhaan4-e giraftaar5 karuN ya na karuN

1.worry 2.kindness, solace 3.mention, relate story 4.birds 5.captured

The friends of the poet/revolutionary (birds) are captured and imprisoned in a cage.  Should I worry about whether the gulzar (the homeland) will be kind.  Should I let people know about the condition of the captured/caged birds (fellow poets/revolutionaries).
2
qissa1-e saazish2-e aGhyaar3 kahuN ya na kahuN
shikwa4-e yaar-e-tarahdaar5 karuN ya na karuN

1.story 2.conspiracy 3.others/enemies 4.complaint 5.elegant friend

Both misra refer to false testimony.  Should I speak about the conspiracy of the ‘other’.  Should I complain about that elegant (sarcastic) friend (who bore false testimony).
3
jaane kya vaz’a1 hai ab rasm-e-vafa2 ki aye dil
vaz’a-e dereena3 pe israar4 karuN ya na karuN

1.style, way 2.tradition of faith 3.old, earlier 4.insist

I don’t know what the way of the tradition of faith is these days.  Should I insist on past ways or not.  The past traditions of faith, conviviality have been lost.  Friends have given false testimony.  Should I insist on speaking of the old ways or give up.
4
jaane kis raNg meN tafseer1 kareN ahl-e-havas2
madah3 zulf-o-lab-o-ruKhsaar4 karuN ya na karuN

1.explanation, interpretation 2.people of lust, lecherous 3.praise 4.hair-lips-cheeks/face i.e. beauty

I don’t know how the lecherous will interpret what I have to say.  Should I write about the beauty of the beloved or not.  This has reference to faiz’s inimitable style of writing about the homeland as the beloved.  The ‘ahl-e havas’ could well be censors, military authorities who have imprisoned him.  The beloved is the homeland and social justice.  Should he talk about these in spite of the censors?  What will they think of what he writes?
5
yuN bahaar aaii hai imsaal1 ke gulshan meN saba2
poochhti hai guzar is baar karuN ya na karuN

1.this year 2.morning breeze

This year spring has arrived in the garden in such fashion that even the morning breeze asks whether it should blow this way or not.  The conditions in the country are so bad that even the breeze wants to bypass the garden.
6
goya1 is soch meN hai dil meN lahu2 bhar ke gulaab
daaman-o-jeb3 ko gulnaar4 karuN ya na karuN

1.as if 2.blood 3.hem and collar 4.rose coloured, red

It looks as if the heart of the rose is filled with blood and it wonders whether to spill the blood and colour its collar and hem (to declare its distress/frenzy/pain).  The ‘rose’ is the poet himself and his heart is filled with distress.  Should be let his distress show with torn collar and soiled hem? Or should he be discreet?

7
hai faqat1 murGh-e-Ghazal-KhwaaN2 ke jise fikr3 nahiN
mo’tadil4 garmi-e-guftaar5 karuN ya na karuN

1.only 2.song-bird, poet/revolutionary 3.worry 4.balanced 5.heat of passion of conversation/verse

Here, “murGh-e Ghazal-KhwaaN” is the poet himself.  He is the only one who is not afraid of the consequences (to himself) of speaking out.  But there is a fear that others will be affected too.  So he wonders if he should temper/subdue the passion of his guftaar/suKhan.

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