For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
پندِ شکیبائی دے ۔ احمد فرازؔ
۱
اے خدا جو بھی مجھے پندِ شکیبائی دے
اُس کی آنکھوں کو مرے زخم کی گہرائی دے
۲
تیرے لوگوں سے گلہ ہے مرے آئینوں کو
اُن کو پتھر نہیں دیتا ہے تو بینائی دے
۳
جس کے ایما پہ کیا ترکِ تعلق سب سے
اب وہی شخص مجھے طعنۂ تنہائی دے
۴
یہ دہن زخم کی صورت ہے مرے چہرے پر
یا مرے زخم کو بھر یا مجھے گویائی دے
۵
اتنا بے صرفہ نہ جائے مرے گھر کا جلنا
چشمِ گریاں نہ سہی، چشمِ تماشائی دے
۶
جن کو پیراہنِ توقیر و شرف بخشا ہے
وہ برہنہ ہیں اُنہیں خلعتِ رسوائی دے
۷
کیا خبر تجھ کو کہ کس وضع کا بسمل ہے فرازؔ
وہ تو قاتل کو بھی اِلزامِ مسیحائی دے
पन्द-ए शकेबाई दे – अहमद फ़राज़
१
अए ख़ुदा जो भी मुझे पन्द-ए शकेबाई दे
उस की आंखौं को मेरे ज़ख़्म की गहराई दे
२
तेरे लोगौं से गिला है मेरे आईनौं को
उन को पत्थर नहीं देता है तो बीनाई दे
३
जिस की ईमा पे किया तर्क-ए ता’अलुक़ सब से
अब वही शख़्स मुझे ताना’-ए तनहाई दे
४
ये दहन ज़ख़्म कि सूरत है मेरे चेहरे पर
या मेरे ज़ख़्म को भर या मुझे गोयाई दे
५
इतना बे-सर्फ़ा न जाए मेरे घर का जलना
चश्म-ए गिर्यां न सही, चश्म-ए तमाशाई दे
६
जिन को पैराहन-ए तौक़ीर ओ शरफ़ बख़्शा है
वो बरहना हैं उन्हें ख़िल’अत-ए रुस्वाई दे
७
क्या ख़बर तुझ को के किस वज़’अ का बिस्मिल है फ़राज़
वो तो क़ातिल को भी इल्ज़ाम-ए मसीहाई दे
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ahmad faraz (1931-2008) popular love and romance poet as well as a substantial contributor to progressive themes. This Ghazal is linked to a series of Ghazal with the qaafiya-radeef ‘xxxaaii de’ and named ‘sukoot ko naGhma saraaii de’ after parveen shakir’s beautiful Ghazal/nazm of the same title. The icon can be accessed on the page ‘radeef-refrain’. This could well be a politically loaded Ghazal. It was composed during the time of zia-ul-haq (published in a collection of 1979), when poets generally and ahmad faraz particularly were hounded. He chose self-exile.
1
aye Khuda jo bhi mujhe pand1-e shakebaaii2 de
us ki aaNkhoN ko mere zaKhm3 ki gahraaii4 de 1.advice 2.patience 3.wound 4.depth
O god, those who advise me to be patient, give their eyes the ability to look at the depth of my wounds. There may have been friends who were advising not to speak out so much against zia-ul-haq. This could be his reponse.
2
tere logoN se gila1 hai mere aaiinoN2 ko
un ko patthar nahiN deta hai to biinaaii3 de 1.complaint 2.mirrors, reflections 3.discerning eye
Here ‘mirrors’ could well mean his verse which reflects/shows the face of the oppressive regime for all to see. If this is so, ‘tere’ could well be zia-ul-haq himself. Alternatively, it could be the orthodoxy. Thus, my verse has a complaint agains ‘your people’. Either give them rocks (with which they can shatter my mirrors) or give them a discerning eye so that they may see what I am writing.
3
jis ki iimaa1 pe kiya tark2-e ta’aluq3 sub se
ab vahi shaKhs4 mujhe taana’5-e tanhaaii6 de 1.suggestion, subtle hints 2.give up 3.relationships 4.person 5.taunt, ridicule 6.being alone
I gave up all relationships at his/her suggestion. Now that same person taunts me saying that I have no friends. This could be about the beloved who demanded exclusive attention and then taunted him. I am not sure how it relates to zia-ul-haq. But, this being Ghazal, it does not have to.
4
ye dahan1 zaKhm2 ki soorat3 hai mere chehre4 par
ya mere zaKhm ko bhar5 ya mujhe goyaaii6 de 1.mouth 2.wound 3.picture of, similar to 4.face 5.heal 6.ability to speak/recite/compose verse
The poet has been silenced by the censors. His mouth now feels like a wound on his face. O god, either heal my wound or give me the power to recite. The wound can be healed by changing the system of censorship or he can be granted the courage to speak out.
5
itna be-sarfa1 na jaaye mere ghar ka jalna
chashm2-e giriya3 na sahi, chashm2-e tamaashaaii4 de 1.useless, ineffective 2.eye 3.weeping 4.watching
His house is on fire. This could well be about the homeland being oppressed/misruled. He cannot openly weep because of censorship. At least grant me eyes that can watch this spectacle without weeping.
6
jin ko pairaahan1-e tauqiir2 o sharaf3 baKhsha4 hai
vo barahna5 haiN unheN Khil’at6-e rusvaaii7 de 1.clothes 2.respect 3.rank, eminence 4.granted 5.naked 6.robes 7.disrepute, infamy
Here ‘barahna-naked’ is used in the sense of ‘the emperor has no clothes’. Those to whom you have granted clothes of respect and eminence are naked. Grant them robes of infamy. Of course, this could be about zia-ul-haq and his coterie.
7
kya Khabar1 tujh ko keh kis vaza’2 ka bismil3 hai faraaz4
vo to qaatil5 ko bhi ilzaam6-e masiihaaii7 de 1.awareness, knowledge 2.type, kind 3.animal to be slaughtered/sacrificed 4.pen-name of the poet 5.killer 6.accusation, blame 7.act of healing, healer
Are you even aware what kind of a sacrificial animal faraaz is. He even accuses the killer of being a healer i.e., why are you coming after faraaz, he is so gentle that he treats even a killer respectfully.
ahmad faraz (1931-2008) popular love and romance poet as well as a substantial contributor to progressive themes. This Ghazal is linked to a series of Ghazal with the qaafiya-radeef ‘xxxaaii de’ and named ‘sukoot ko naGhma saraaii de’ after parveen shakir’s beautiful Ghazal/nazm of the same title. The icon can be accessed on the page ‘radeef-refrain’. This could well be a politically loaded Ghazal. It was composed during the time of zia-ul-haq (published in a collection of 1979), when poets generally and ahmad faraz particularly were hounded. He chose self-exile.
1
aye Khuda jo bhi mujhe pand1-e shakebaaii2 de
us ki aaNkhoN ko mere zaKhm3 ki gahraaii4 de
1.advice 2.patience 3.wound 4.depth
O god, those who advise me to be patient, give their eyes the ability to look at the depth of my wounds. There may have been friends who were advising not to speak out so much against zia-ul-haq. This could be his reponse.
2
tere logoN se gila1 hai mere aaiinoN2 ko
un ko patthar nahiN deta hai to biinaaii3 de
1.complaint 2.mirrors, reflections 3.discerning eye
Here ‘mirrors’ could well mean his verse which reflects/shows the face of the oppressive regime for all to see. If this is so, ‘tere’ could well be zia-ul-haq himself. Alternatively, it could be the orthodoxy. Thus, my verse has a complaint agains ‘your people’. Either give them rocks (with which they can shatter my mirrors) or give them a discerning eye so that they may see what I am writing.
3
jis ki iimaa1 pe kiya tark2-e ta’aluq3 sub se
ab vahi shaKhs4 mujhe taana’5-e tanhaaii6 de
1.suggestion, subtle hints 2.give up 3.relationships 4.person 5.taunt, ridicule 6.being alone
I gave up all relationships at his/her suggestion. Now that same person taunts me saying that I have no friends. This could be about the beloved who demanded exclusive attention and then taunted him. I am not sure how it relates to zia-ul-haq. But, this being Ghazal, it does not have to.
4
ye dahan1 zaKhm2 ki soorat3 hai mere chehre4 par
ya mere zaKhm ko bhar5 ya mujhe goyaaii6 de
1.mouth 2.wound 3.picture of, similar to 4.face 5.heal 6.ability to speak/recite/compose verse
The poet has been silenced by the censors. His mouth now feels like a wound on his face. O god, either heal my wound or give me the power to recite. The wound can be healed by changing the system of censorship or he can be granted the courage to speak out.
5
itna be-sarfa1 na jaaye mere ghar ka jalna
chashm2-e giriya3 na sahi, chashm2-e tamaashaaii4 de
1.useless, ineffective 2.eye 3.weeping 4.watching
His house is on fire. This could well be about the homeland being oppressed/misruled. He cannot openly weep because of censorship. At least grant me eyes that can watch this spectacle without weeping.
6
jin ko pairaahan1-e tauqiir2 o sharaf3 baKhsha4 hai
vo barahna5 haiN unheN Khil’at6-e rusvaaii7 de
1.clothes 2.respect 3.rank, eminence 4.granted 5.naked 6.robes 7.disrepute, infamy
Here ‘barahna-naked’ is used in the sense of ‘the emperor has no clothes’. Those to whom you have granted clothes of respect and eminence are naked. Grant them robes of infamy. Of course, this could be about zia-ul-haq and his coterie.
7
kya Khabar1 tujh ko keh kis vaza’2 ka bismil3 hai faraaz4
vo to qaatil5 ko bhi ilzaam6-e masiihaaii7 de
1.awareness, knowledge 2.type, kind 3.animal to be slaughtered/sacrificed 4.pen-name of the poet 5.killer 6.accusation, blame 7.act of healing, healer
Are you even aware what kind of a sacrificial animal faraaz is. He even accuses the killer of being a healer i.e., why are you coming after faraaz, he is so gentle that he treats even a killer respectfully.
