shaa’erauN ka manshoor – josh malibabadi

‘manshoor’ is manifesto, declaration.  This is a declaration that josh is making on behalf of the profession of poets.  See other posts of claims on behalf of poets – some similar and some making a different, less activist/more creative offering.  faiz ahmed faiz – shaa’er log, anand narain mulla – shaa’er, vaheed aKhtar – shaa’eri and maKhdoom – shaa’er.

Khaatir¹ ka pech-o-taab² bhulaate raheN ge hum
nau-e-bashar³ ki zulf⁴ banaate raheN ge hum

1.heart, feelings 2.restlessness 3.human species, humanity 4.hair

We will always hide our own feelings of sorrow/restlessness to straighten out the problems of humanity … zulf banaana, straightening out, combing hair is a metaphor for solving problems (intellectual, emotional, spiritual or social).

ahbaab¹ hi ka saath na deN ge Khuda gavaah²
aGhyaar³ ka bhi haath-baTaate⁴ raheN ge hum

1.friends 2.witness 3.strangers, ‘others’ 4.lend a helpful hand

God is our witness that we don’t help just friends.  We also lend a hand to strangers.

bhoole se bhi daGha¹ na kareN ge kisi ke saath
aur Khud har ek fareb² meN aate raheN ge hum

1.deception 2.deception

We will never, even by mistake mislead anyone even if others deceive us.

tujh se ye qaul¹ haar chuke haiN ke aye zamin
tere gire huauN ko uThaate raheN ge hum

1.saying, commitment

We have lost our chance/ability to say anything in the matter i.e. we have no choice but to listen to you, O, Earth.  We will keep working to raise your downtrodden.

maaNgeN ge ek diya na kisi se ba-taur¹-e ajr²
roz ek naya chiraaGh jalaate raheN ge hum

1.by way of 2.reward, compensation

We will not accept any light (opinion) from anyone because of compensation/reward that they might give us.  We will light a new (independent) lamp (of knowledge) every day.

is darja¹ aasmaaN se na sharma ke aye zamin
tujh ko dulhan ki tarah sajaate raheN ge hum

1.to this extent, this much

Convention has it that the earth is ashamed of itself compared to the sky because the sky is “high above us … in the heavens” while the earth is a lowly thing.  This could also be interpreted as life on earth vs afterlife.  Thus, O Earth, don’t be ashamed of the heavens.  We will adorn you like a bride, we will accomplish so much in this life that you will be able to hold your own against heaven.

ek boond¹ bhi hameN na mile gi tamaam umr
sau jaam² har qadam³ par lunDhaate⁴ raheN ge hum

1.drop 2.cups (of wine) 3.step 4.pour, flow

We may not get even a drop (of wine) all our life.  Yet, at every step we will offer/pour hundreds of goblets/cups.

machle gi ek kiran bhi na apne dayaar¹ meN
laakhauN dilauN ki jot² jagaate raheN ge hum

1.home 2.jyoti, light

Even if a single ray of light (of happiness/well being) does not come into (shine in) our house, we will keep lighting the light of happiness in thousands of hearts.

teGh¹-e qalam² se apne galey kaaT kaaT kar
raNginiyauN ke Dher lagaate raheN ge hum

1.sword 2.pen

Cutting their own throat with the sword of their pen is akin to keep writing/offering verse in the face of personal sacrifice.  The heaps of colour is a profusion of beautiful verse that poets offer.

ro’eN ge KhalvatauN¹ meN jigar² thaam thaam kar
aur jalvatauN³ meN raag sunaate raheN ge hum

1.privacy 2.literally – liver, jigar thaam ke rona is an expression meaning weeping profusely 3.in public

In public, we may be singing songs of happiness and pleasure for you, but in private we think of all human misery and weep uncontrollably.

apne dilauN ki pyaas ka daaman nichoR kar
darya lataafatauN¹ ke bahaate raheN ge hum

1.refined culture

If the heart is thirsty (it is dry) then nothing can squeezed out of it.  Yet the poet claims to be able to squeeze out an ocean of culture.  This is a beautiful juxtaposition of opposites.

dil se Tapak raha hai jo daaman¹ par roz-o-shab²
us Khoon ki sabeel³ lagaate raheN ge hum

1.hem of the robe 2.day and night 3.sabeel lagaana is to offer water as a service to quench people’s thirst, done ritually during moharram to commemorate the battle of karbala in which husain’s access to water was cut off and he was killed thirsty.

Blood drips from the poet’s heart day and night.  He offers it to quench people’s thirst … of course using metaphors to state the poet is pained greatly at the sorrow around him and offers salve through his verse.

roz ek haar gardan-e insaaN meN Daal kar
qabrauN par apni phool chaRhaate raheN ge hum

It is quite customary and somewhat common for poets to write of their own funerals metaphorically.  We are not desirous of any offerings of flowers at our graves.  We would rather use those flowers as garlands in the neck of humanity.

goya¹ guzar² rahi hai baRi dhoom se baraat
yuN apni mayyatauN³ ko uThaate raheN ge hum

1.as if 2.passing through 3.corpse, funeral procession

The poet’s own funeral is likened to a wedding procession.  Even in death, he wants to bring joy to the world.

har saal apne qalb¹ ke yaum-e-vafaat² par
tahvaar³ doosrauN ke manaate raheN ge hum

1.heart 2.day/anniversary of death 3.festivals

The theme of bringing joy even in death continues.  Even on their death anniversaries poets want to celebrate others’ festivals, forgetting their own sorrow.

rukti hai jin ke ro’b¹ se Khalq-e-Khuda² ki saaNs³
taaqauN⁴ se un butauN ko giraate raheN ge hum

1.intimidation, fear 2.creatures of god, humanity 3.saaNs rukna – halting breath is used to mean pain/fear 4.alcove,

The powerful and wealthy have much grandeur striking fear in the hearts of people.  The poet wants to topple these idols from their high perches

guzre¹ ga shahriyaar² ka jis raah³ se juloos⁴
barood se vo raah uRaate raheN ge hum

1.pass through 2.head of the country, king 3.pathway 4.procession

Whichever pathway the king’s procession takes, we will blow it up with explosives (it is a wonder that he was not charged with sedition)

zulf¹ o shikoh² o qaamat³-e zainab ke roo-ba-roo⁴
daar-o-rasan⁵ ke shahr basaate⁶ raheN ge hum

1.hair 2.dignity 3.stature 4.faced with, facing the example of 5.gallows and rope/noose 6.settle, make prosperous

This has reference to the dignity/courage of zainab (husain’s sister) in the aftermath of the battle of karbala.  Normally, in urdu poetry, references to hair are a metphor for beauty … but in this case, the head covering was forcibly snatched away from the women of husain’s household.  This is considered an extreme insult.  Zainab shows great stature/courage and dignity in the face of such insults.  With such an example before them, poets will continue to celebrate (not be afraid of) the hangman’s noose and gallows.

tinkauN¹ se kaaT deN ge sharaarauN² ki gardaneN
shaaKhauN³ ko bijliyauN⁴ pe giraate raheN ge hum

1.straw 2.sparks 3.branches 4.lightning

In urdu poetic convention lightning strikes branches of trees and burns up nests of straw.  Here josh turns tables on the oppressor (lightning) using straw to slit the throat of sparks (of lightning) that set fire to nests.  Further, instead of lightning striking branches, he is making branches descend (with fury) on lightning itself.

aati raheN gi dasht¹-e balaa² meN jo aandhiyaaN
apne diyauN pe un ko nachaate raheN ge hum

1.wilderness 2.calamity

In urdu poetic convention storms/strong winds blow out the lamp.  The poet, with his lamp, is wandering the wilderness.  But he is turning tables on storms.  Winds may blow but he will make his lamp/flame dance in the wind … it will be unable to blow it out.

taa apne Khatt-o-Khaal¹ ka iflaas² dekh le
aaiina Khusravi³ ko dikhaate raheN ge hum

1.face and features, qualities, capabilities 2.bankruptcy 3.cruelty

Khusro, an ancient monarch, is often used as a metaphor for absolute power/cruelty.  The poets will keep showing a mirror to cruelty/power so that they become aware of the bankruptcy of their philosophy/values.

jab tak khaRe haiN sheesh mahal is zamin par
khetauN meN patharauN ko ugaate raheN ge hum

‘sheesh mahal’ – glass houses/palaces are of course vulnerable to rock throwing.  ‘sheesh mahal’ is also a symbol of decadence/wealth.  Thus, as long as there are sheesh mahals on this earth, we ill keep “growing” rocks (to throw at them).

Key Search Words:  resistance revolution secular irreligious unconventional universal power of the pen poetry poet