For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
صبح تو کر جاؤں گا ۔ احمد ندیمؔ قاسمی
۱
کون کہتا ہے کہ موت آئی تو مر جاؤں گا
میں تو دریا ہوں سمندر میں اتر جاؤں گا
۲
تیرا در چھوڑ کے میں اور کِدھر جاؤں گا
گھر میں گِھر جاؤں گا صحرا میں بِکھر جاؤں گا
۳
تیرے پہلو سے جو اُٹّھوں گا تو مشکل یہ ہے
صِرف اِک شخص کو پاؤں گا جِدھر جاؤں گا
۴
اب ترے شہر میں آؤں گا مسافر کی طرح
سایۂ ابر کی مانِند گزر جاؤں گا
۵
تیرا پیمانِ وفا راہ کی دیوار بنا
ورنہ سوچا تھا کہ جب چاہوں گا مر جاؤں گا
۶
چارہ سازوں سے الگ ہے مرا معیار کہ میں
زخم کھاؤں گا تو کچھ اور سنور جاؤں گا
۷
اب تو خورشید کو گزرے ہوئے صدیاں گزریں
اب اُسے ڈھونڈنے میں تا بہ سحر جاؤں گا
۸
زندگی شمع کی مانند جلاتا ہوں ندیمؔ
بجھ تو جاؤں گا مگر صبح تو کر جاؤں گا
सुब्ह तो कर जाऊंगा – अहमद नदीम क़ासिमी
१
कौन कहता है के मौत आई तो मर जाऊंगा
मैं तो दरिया हूं समुंदर में उतर जाऊंगा
२
तेरा दर छोढ के मैं और किधर जाऊंगा
घर में घिर जाऊंगा सहरा में बिखर जाऊंगा
३
तेरे पहलू से जो उट्ठूंगा तो मुश्किल ये है
सिर्फ़ एक शख़्स को पाऊंगा जिधर जाऊंगा
४
अब तेरे शहर में आऊंगा मुसाफ़िर की तरह
साया-ए अब्र की मानिंद गुज़र जाऊंगा
५
तेरा पैमान-ए वफ़ा राह की दीवार बना
वर्ना सोचा था के जब चाहूंगा मर जाऊंगा
६
चारासाज़ौं से अलग है मेरा मे’यार के मैं
ज़ख़्म खाऊंगा तो कुछ और संवर जाऊंगा
७
अब तो ख़ुर्शीद को गुज़रे हुए सदियां गुज़रीं
अब उसे ढूंडने मैं ता-ब-सहर जाऊंगा
८
ज़िंदगी शम’अ की मानिंद जलाता हूं नदीम
बुझ तो जाऊंगा मगर सुब्ह तो कर जाऊंगा
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. ahmad nadiim qaasimi (1916-2006), ahmad shah aawaan-born near sargodha. Local schools and colleges, then MA (1936) punjab university. Worked as editor of several literary journals, then started his own ‘funoon’, which was successful. Editor, poet, journalist, script writer, short story writer, dramatist, literary critic. Very active in Progressive Writers’ Association. Arrested and jailed for his activism.
1
kaun kahtaa hai keh maut1 aa’ii to mar jaa’uuNga
maiN to dariyaa2 huuN samundar meN utar3 jaa’uuNga 1.death 2.river 3.descend, merge
Who says I will die when Death calls i.e., my words will live on; they have a life of their own. I am like a river that will descend/merge into the sea. Of course, people so inclined might intepret this as bodily death and soul merging with the vast divine spirit. But given the backgroud of the poet it is my preference to interpret this has his spirit of resistance reflected in his words that will live on.
2
teraa dar1 chhoR ke maiN aur kidhar jaa’uuNga
ghar meN ghir2 jaa’uuNga sahraa3 meN bikhar4 jaa’uuNga 1.door 2.surrounded by, subsumed by 3.desert, barrenness 4.scattered
The key undefined pronoun is ‘teraa’. It could be the beloved, but the beloved is likely to be the homeland. Where will I go if I leave your door. I might simply get subsumed by the material needs of daily life (symbolized by ghar) or get scattered over barren purposelessness.
3
tere pahluu1 se jo uTThuuNgaa to mushkil2 ye hai
sirf3 ek shaKhs4 ko paa’uuNgaa5 jidhar jaa’uuNga 1.side, next to 2.difficulty 3.only 4.person 5.encounter
As in the previous she’r the key undefined pronoun is ‘tere’ and the noun ‘shaKhs’. If I rise from side to leave then the difficulty is that I will encounter the same person (you) wherever I go. The person here is the beloved, which is used to symbolize the homeland and a just social order.
4
ab ter’e shahr1 meN aa’uuNgaa musaafir2 kii tarah
saaya3-e abr4 kii maanind5 guzar6 jaa’uuNga 1.city, town, region 2.traveler, itinerant, wanderer 3.shade 4.cloud 5.like, similar to 6.pass
saaya-e abr can symbolize a protective shade, benevolent rain clouds or rejunenation like in spring. Thus, I will pass over your region like a benevolent shadow … this continues the spirit of ‘who says I will die-my words will live on and rejuvenate new thinking’.
5
ab ter’e shahr1 meN aa’uuNgaa musaafir2 kii tarah
saaya3-e abr4 kii maanind5 guzar6 jaa’uuNga 1.city, town, region 2.traveler, itinerant, wanderer 3.shade 4.cloud 5.like, similar to 6.pass
saaya-e abr can symbolize a protective shade, benevolent rain clouds or rejunenation like in spring. Thus, I will pass over your region like a benevolent shadow … this continues the spirit of ‘who says I will die-my words will live on and rejuvenate new thinking’.
6
teraa paimaan1-e vafaa2 raah3 kii diivaar4 banaa
varna5 sochaa thaa keh jab chaahuuNgaa mar jaa’uuNga 1.promise, commitment 2.fidelity, faithfulness 3.path 4.wall, obstruction 5.otherwise
The poet/protagonist made a commitment to the beloved to remain faithful. The beloved here symbolizes the homeland. It is this commitment is the obstruction that stands in the way; that stops him. Otherwise, he had thought that he would be able to die whenever he wanted.
7
ab to Khurshiid1 ko guzre2 hue sadiyaaN3 guzriiN4
ab us’e DhuuNDne maiN taa-ba-sahar5 jaa’uuNga 1.sun 2.passed, set (as in sunset) 3.centuries 4.passed, gone by 5.up until dawn
Khurshiid-sun symbolizes light of knowledge, justice and sahar-dawn symbolizes the coming of a socially just system. Thus, centuries have passed since the ‘sun of justice’ has set. To search for it, I will keep going until dawn (the emergence of a socially just system).
8
zindagii sham’a1 kii maanind2 jalaataa huN nadiim3
bujh4 to jaa’uuNga magar sub’h to kar jaa’uuNga 1.candle 2.like, similar to 3.pen-name 4.extinguished
I burn/spend my life like the candle, O nadiim i.e., spreading the light of knowledge. I may be extinguished, but I will bring dawn about before I go.
ahmad nadiim qaasimi (1916-2006), ahmad shah aawaan-born near sargodha. Local schools and colleges, then MA (1936) punjab university. Worked as editor of several literary journals, then started his own ‘funoon’, which was successful. Editor, poet, journalist, script writer, short story writer, dramatist, literary critic. Very active in Progressive Writers’ Association. Arrested and jailed for his activism.
1
kaun kahtaa hai keh maut1 aa’ii to mar jaa’uuNga
maiN to dariyaa2 huuN samundar meN utar3 jaa’uuNga
1.death 2.river 3.descend, merge
Who says I will die when Death calls i.e., my words will live on; they have a life of their own. I am like a river that will descend/merge into the sea. Of course, people so inclined might intepret this as bodily death and soul merging with the vast divine spirit. But given the backgroud of the poet it is my preference to interpret this has his spirit of resistance reflected in his words that will live on.
2
teraa dar1 chhoR ke maiN aur kidhar jaa’uuNga
ghar meN ghir2 jaa’uuNga sahraa3 meN bikhar4 jaa’uuNga
1.door 2.surrounded by, subsumed by 3.desert, barrenness 4.scattered
The key undefined pronoun is ‘teraa’. It could be the beloved, but the beloved is likely to be the homeland. Where will I go if I leave your door. I might simply get subsumed by the material needs of daily life (symbolized by ghar) or get scattered over barren purposelessness.
3
tere pahluu1 se jo uTThuuNgaa to mushkil2 ye hai
sirf3 ek shaKhs4 ko paa’uuNgaa5 jidhar jaa’uuNga
1.side, next to 2.difficulty 3.only 4.person 5.encounter
As in the previous she’r the key undefined pronoun is ‘tere’ and the noun ‘shaKhs’. If I rise from side to leave then the difficulty is that I will encounter the same person (you) wherever I go. The person here is the beloved, which is used to symbolize the homeland and a just social order.
4
ab ter’e shahr1 meN aa’uuNgaa musaafir2 kii tarah
saaya3-e abr4 kii maanind5 guzar6 jaa’uuNga
1.city, town, region 2.traveler, itinerant, wanderer 3.shade 4.cloud 5.like, similar to 6.pass
saaya-e abr can symbolize a protective shade, benevolent rain clouds or rejunenation like in spring. Thus, I will pass over your region like a benevolent shadow … this continues the spirit of ‘who says I will die-my words will live on and rejuvenate new thinking’.
5
teraa paimaan1-e vafaa2 raah3 kii diivaar4 banaa
varna5 sochaa thaa keh jab chaahuuNgaa mar jaa’uuNga
1.promise, commitment 2.fidelity, faithfulness 3.path 4.wall, obstruction 5.otherwise
The poet/protagonist made a commitment to the beloved to remain faithful. The beloved here symbolizes the homeland. It is this commitment is the obstruction that stands in the way; that stops him. Otherwise, he had thought that he would be able to die whenever he wanted.
6
chaarasaazoN1 se alag2 hai mera me’yaar3 keh maiN
zaKhm4 khaa’uuNgaa to kuchh aur saNvar5 jaa’uuNga
1.healers 2.different 3.standard, measure of excellence 4.wound 5.refresh, rejuvenate
The conventional healer will apply salve to the wound and try to heal it. The poet/protagonist feels that there is no need to try to heal the wound, because the wound itself gives him more energy; refreshes his resolve. Thus, his standard is different from that of conventional healers.
7
ab to Khurshiid1 ko guzre2 hue sadiyaaN3 guzriiN4
ab us’e DhuuNDne maiN taa-ba-sahar5 jaa’uuNga
1.sun 2.passed, set (as in sunset) 3.centuries 4.passed, gone by 5.up until dawn
Khurshiid-sun symbolizes light of knowledge, justice and sahar-dawn symbolizes the coming of a socially just system. Thus, centuries have passed since the ‘sun of justice’ has set. To search for it, I will keep going until dawn (the emergence of a socially just system).
8
zindagii sham’a1 kii maanind2 jalaataa huN nadiim3
bujh4 to jaa’uuNga magar sub’h to kar jaa’uuNga
1.candle 2.like, similar to 3.pen-name 4.extinguished
I burn/spend my life like the candle, O nadiim i.e., spreading the light of knowledge. I may be extinguished, but I will bring dawn about before I go.
