subah e aazadi – faiz ahmed faiz

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.  faiz bemoans the power structure of independent Pakistan/India and the tragedies of partition. He was much criticized in Pakistan for his writing. Compare this with maKhdoom mohiuddin’s “chaand taaroN ka ban” for remarkable similarity of feelings and enjoy the rich variety of metaphors that each uses.

yeh daGh daGh¹ ujala ye shab gazeda² saher
vo intezar³ tha jiska ye vo saher to nahiN
ye vo saher to nahiN jis ki aarzu⁴ lekar
chale the yaar ke mil jayegi kahiN na kahiN1.stained 2.torn by night 3. waiting, longing 4.yearning
This blemished light, this darkness-stained dawn, this is not the dawn we longed for. This is not the daybreak we yearned for, and which we comrades set out seeking. “Dawn” is a metaphor for independence/new social order and it is “shab gazeda” – torn by darkness, blotched, stained. Remarkably similar feelings have been expressed by jazbi, majaz, sahir, sardar jafri, kaifi azmi, mustafa zaidi, renowned poets on both sides of the border.

falak⁵ ke dasht⁶ meN taaroN ki aaKhri manzil
kahiN to hoga shab e sust mauj⁷ ka sahil
kahiN to jaake milega safina⁸ e dil e Gham  5.sky 6.wilderness, expanse 7.slow moving night of darkness 8.boat
In the bleakness of the skies, that starry destination, surely there is somewhere, in the slow river of darkness, somewhere a harbour for this boat, this aching heart.

javaaN lahu ki pur asrar⁹ shaahraahoN¹⁰ meN
chale jo yar to daaman¹¹ pe kitne hath paRe
dayaar-e husn¹² ki be-sabr¹³ KhwaabgaahoN¹⁴ meN
pukaarti rahiN baaheN¹⁵ badan bulaate rahe  9.mysterious 10.highways 11.apron, cloak 12.abode of beauty 13.impatient, eager 14.bed chamber 15.arms
On the mysterious highways of youthful zest, as comrades ventured out, so many hands/demands tugged at their cloaks. From havens of beauty, impatient desires called, seductive arms stretched out, beautiful bodies beckoned. “radiant beauties and seductive arms” are metaphors for temptations and the call of family and careers. maKhdoom too talks of “mastiaN Khatm madhoshiaN Khatm theeN, Khatm tha baNkpan” i.e.the comrades who set out gave up luxuries/distrations.“daman pe kitne haath paRe” is related to the expression “daman pakaRna” – catching the apron/cloak – used as a metaphor for holding back, or calling, or tempting someone to stay back.

bahut aziz¹⁶ thi laikin ruKh-e saher¹⁷ ki lagan
bahut qariN¹⁸ tha hasinan-e nur¹⁹ ka daaman¹¹
subuk subuk²⁰ thi tamanna²¹ dabi dabi thi thakan16.dear 17.vision of dawn 18.near 19.glamorous beauties 20.subtle 21.desire
But the yearning for that dawn was much stronger, even though the allure of radiant beauties was at hand, our desire (for dawn) was strong and our fatigue was contained.

suna hai ho bhi chuka hai firaq²²-e zulmat o noor²³
suna hai ho bhi chuka hai visal²⁴-e manzil o gaam²⁵
badal chuka hai bahut ahl-e dard²⁶ ka dastuur²⁷
nishat-e vasl²⁸ halal²⁹ o azab-e hijr³⁰ haraam³¹  22.separation, clarification 23.darkness-light, wrong-right 24.union 25.pathway 26.fellow sufferers 27.behaviour 28.pleasure of union with the beloved.29. allowed 30.pain of separation 31.forbidden
They say that darkness and light have been clearly separated. They have declared the endeavour successful, goal achieved. The ways of comrades have much changed. Pleasure is permitted, anguish of separation forbidden. “firaq e zulmat o noor” is the separation/clarification of darkness and light (right and wrong, justice and injustice) and “visaal e manzil o gaam” is the confluence of the pathway and the goal i.e.the goal has been reached. They have declared that now luxuries (a release from the struggle) are allowed and the pain of struggle is disallowed (no longer necessary). faiz uses sarcasm to say, “it is heard that they have achieved their goal” followed by an emphatic and significant “BUT”, which is followed by a number of qualifications.

jigar ki aag³², nazar ki umang³³, dil ki jalan³⁴
kisi pe chara e hijraN³⁵ ka kuch asar hi nahiN
kahaN se aaii nigaar-e saba³⁶ kidhar ko gaii
abhi chiraGh-e sar-e rah³⁷ ko kuch Khabar³⁸ hi nahiN
abhi girani-e shab³⁹ men kami nahiN aaii
najat⁴⁰ e dida o dil⁴¹ ki ghaRi nahiN aaii
chale chalo ke vo manzil abhi nahiN aaii32.fire in the liver (pain) 33.eye’s desire (goal) 34.burning heart pain 35.curative potions 36.beauty of the morning breeze 37.lamp at the head of the pathway i.e. the poet 38.awareness 39.heaviness/oppression of the night 40.deliverance 41.heart and soul
But the pain of the heart (seat of emotions) and liver (seat of life, in urdu poetic convention) has not been cured and the fulfilment of desire is nowhere in sight. Where did that breeze of morning come, where did it go, neither the lamp at the end of the street, nor I, do know. The lamp at the head of the street is the poet himself. See, for example, Majruh Sultanpuri
vo jis pe tumheN shama’ e sar e rah ka gumaN hai
vo sho’la e avara hamari hi zabaN hai
That which you suspect is the lamp at the head of the street
That itinerant flame is none other than my tongue
Thus, even Faiz does not know where the morning breeze (independence, new policies) came and went. The dread of the night still palls, weighs heavy. The time of deliverance is not at hand. Come, let’s be on our way… the goal is still far away. “chale chalo ke vo manzil abhi nahiN aaii” has echoes of maKhdoom saying “dosh par apni apni salebeN uThaaye chalo” – continue the struggle, this is not the real goal.