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. This was composed in the early 60s and reflects his imprisonment on charges of rebellion.
1
na gaNvaao naavak¹-e niim-kash² dil-e reza-reza³ gaNvaa diya
jo bache haiN saNg⁴ sameT⁵ lo tan⁶-e daaGh-daaGh⁷ luTaa diya   1.arrow 2.half-penetrated 3.pulverized 4.rocks 5.gather 6.body 7.wounded
In urdu poetic tradition the beloved shoots arrows at the heart of the lover. The arrow that does not penetrate all the way is the most painful because it remains lodged. The arrows that go through shred pieces of the heart, which escape as tears of blood. Said Ghalib –
koii mere dil se poochhe tere tiir-e niim-kash ko
vo Khalish kahaaN se hoti jo jigar ke paar hota
The poet admonishes himself … do not lose that treasured half-penetrated arrow, you have already lost all the shredded pieces of the heart. The mad passionate lover wanders the streets and street-urchins throw rocks at him. These rocks too are a ‘gift/reminder’ of his passion. He wants to gather and save all these too, even though he has lost his wounded body. This could be symbolic of his political thought. The beloved is the homeland and he is passionate about her. The authorities have been throwing rocks at him. He is proud of his love and defiant in the face of rock-throwing.
2
mere chaara-gar¹ ko naved² ho saf³-e dushmanaaN ko Khabar⁴ karo
jo vo qarz⁵ rakhte the jaan⁶ par vo hisaab⁷ aaj chukaa⁸ diya    1.healer 2.good news 3.line, military formation 4.news 5.debt 6.life 7.accounts 8.paid up
The use of “healer” could be a sarcasm used for the authorities who have oppressed/jailed him or it could be a real healer in the background who needs to given this ‘good’ news. The same news is to be given to the battle-line arrayed against him. What is this news? It is that the debt of life he had on him, he has now fully paid up. The healer is relieved of his duties and the battle formation can now relax. This could mean that he has served his jail term and paid his dues or that he has paid his dues to the beloved/homeland.
3
karo kaj jabiiN¹ pe sar²-e kafan³ mere qaatiloN⁴ ko gumaaN⁵ na ho
keh Ghuruur⁶-e ishq ka baaNkpan⁷ pas⁸-e marg⁹ ham ne bhulaa diya   1.brow 2.head, headgear, cap 3.burial shroud 4.killers 5.misconeption 6.pride 7.defiance 8.after 9.death
The poet is dead and is being buried (but he can still write about himself). He is declaring his defiance i.e., declaring that he is not going to give up his quest even in death. A skewed/tilted cap is a symbol of defiance. He wants to make sure that his killers know that he has not forgotten it even in death. So, he wants the headgear of his burial shroud to be tilted.
4
udhar ek harf¹ ki kushtanii² yahaaN laakh uzr³ tha guftanii⁴
jo kahaa to sun ke uRaa diya jo likhaa to paRh ke miTaa diya   1.word 2.deserving to be killed 3.explanations 4.spoken
There (with the authorities in power) even one word (of protest) is enough for the speaker to be killed. Here I offer a million explanations. But everything that is said (in defence) is blown away and every explanation this written is erased.
5
jo ruke to koh¹-e giraaN² the hum jo chale to jaaN se guzar³ gaye
rah⁴-e yaar⁵ hum ne qadam-qadam⁶ tujhe yaadgaar⁷ banaa diya   1.hill 2.big 3.went past/beyond 4.path 5.friend, beloved 6.step by step 7.memorable
When we stood firm, we were like mountain. When we moved ahead, we did not stop even at death. O pathway to the beloved, with every step we made you memorable.