For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ترانۂ حُرّیت ۔ ساحرؔ لدھیانوی
۱
بھڑک رہی ہے زمانے میں آتشِ نمرود
خدا کو ہے ترے ایماں کا اِمتحاں مقصود
۲
اُٹھ اور اُٹھ کے بدل دے نظامِ عالم کو
کہ ہے یہ نیک گھڑی اور ساعتِ مسُعود
۳
وطن میں جی کے وطن کے لئے جو مر نہ سکیں
مری نظر میں ہیں ایسے وجود ‘ننگِ وجود’
۴
وہ قوم فلسفۂ حُرّیت کو کیا سمجھے
خدا بھی جس کا کہ دیر و حرم میں ہو مسدود
۵
تغیرات پہ بُنیاد ہے زمانے کی
جو شہریار تھا کل اب ہے بندۂ مطرود
۶
اُبھارتا ہے جو مظلوم کو تشدّد پر
وہی ہے میرا پیمبر، وہی مرا معبود
۷
ہے جن کو خوفِ تلاطم وہ میرا ساتھ نہ دیں
مجھے ہے طاقتِ طوفاں کا امتحاں مقصود
तराना-ए हुर्रियत – साहर लुधियानवी
१
भढक रही है ज़माने में आतश-ए नम्रूद
ख़ुदा को है तेरे ईमां का इम्तहां मक़्सूद
२
उठ और उठ के बदल दे निज़ाम-ए आलम को
के है ये नेक घढी और सा’अत-ए मस’ऊद
३
वतन में जी के वतन के लिये जो मर न सके
मेरी नज़र में हैं ऐसे वजूद ‘नंग-ए वजूद’
४
वो क़ौम फ़ल्सफ़ा-ए हुर्रिय्यत को क्या समझे
ख़ुदा भी जिस का के दैर ओ हरम में हो मस्दूद
५
तग़य्युरात पे बुनियाद है ज़माने की
जो शहरियार था कल अब है बंदा-ए मत्रूद
६
उभारता है जो मज़्लूम को तशद्दुद पर
वही है मेरा पै’अम्बर, वही मेरा मा’बूद
७
है जिन को ख़ौफ़-ए तलातुम वो मेरा साथ न दें
मुझे है ताक़त-ए तूफ़ां का इम्तहां मक़्सूद
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. sahir ludhianavi (1921-1980) progressive poet writing in chaste yet relatively easily understood urdu. He brought the quality of urdu nazm to movie songs and raised the standards to a high level. Supported labour movements. Strong participant in the Progressive Writers’ Association. Winner of Lenin Peace Prize and padma shri, and several movie industry awards. This is a part of his unpublished work that was collected from his papers and published after his death. sahir composed this during his college days, when he was still very young. He was thrown out of college for his political activies.
1
bhaRak1 rahi hai zamaane2 meN aatish3-e namrood4
Khuda ko hai tere eemaaN5 ka imtehaaN6 maqsood7 1.raging, rising (flames) 2.times, world 3.fire 4.legendary king Nimrod 5.faith, trust 6.test 7.intention
This has reference to the story of ibrahim and namrood. namrood was a powerful king who claimed to be god. ibrahim taught the concept of monotheism. It is said that namrood caused a huge fire to be built and asked ibrahim to jump into it if he trusted that his god could save him. It is said that ibrahim did and the fire was miraculously converted into a pleasant garden. sahir suggests that British colonization of India is like a raging fire and it is god’s intent to test us. We should jump into the fire (of freedom struggle) and will come out into a pleasant garden (of freedom).
2
uTh aur uTh ke badal de nizaam1-e aalam2 ko
ke hai ye nek3 ghaRi4 aur saa’at-e-mas’ood5 1.regime 2.world 3.good 4.time 5.fortunate time, good omen
Rise and change the regime of the world (India), for this is an opportune time, a time of good omen.
3
vatan1 meN jii ke vatan ke liye jo mar na sake
meri nazar2 meN haiN aise vujood3 ‘naNg-e vujood’4 1.homeland 2.view 3.existence, life 4.insult to existence
Those who live in the homeland but are not willing to die for it, in my view their existence is an insult to life.
4
vo qaum1 faslafa-e hurriyyat2 ko kya samjhe
Khuda bhi jis ka keh dair-o-haram3 meN ho masdood4 1.community, society 2.freedom 3.temple and mosque 4.shut, imprisoned
Even at this young age sahir gives a beautiful view that secularism is necessary for freedom. Thus, how can that society understand the philosophy of freedom, whose god itself is shut/imprisoned in mosque and temple.
5
taGhayyuraat1 pe buniyaad2 hai zamaane3 ki
jo shahriyaar4 tha kal ab hai banda-e-matrood5 1.changes, revolution 2.foundation 3.(new) order 4.lord of the regime 5.rejected/exiled person
Revolution is the foundation of the new world order. The lord of yesterday is now rejected/exiled.
6
ubhaarta1 hai jo mazloom2 ko tashaddud3 par
vahi hai mera pai’ambar4, vahi mera maa’bood5 1.raises 2.exploited 3.oppression 4.messenger/leader of faith 5.god
The one who raises exploited people up against oppression, he alone is the leader of my faith, he alone is my god.
7
hai jin ko Khauf1-e talaatum2 vo mera saath na deN
mujhe hai taaqat3-e toofaaN4 ki imtehaaN5 maqsood6 1.fear 2.disturbance, struggle 3.power 4.storm 5.test 6.intention
Those who fear struggle had better not be with me. It is my intention to test the power of the storm.
sahir ludhianavi (1921-1980) progressive poet writing in chaste yet relatively easily understood urdu. He brought the quality of urdu nazm to movie songs and raised the standards to a high level. Supported labour movements. Strong participant in the Progressive Writers’ Association. Winner of Lenin Peace Prize and padma shri, and several movie industry awards. This is a part of his unpublished work that was collected from his papers and published after his death. sahir composed this during his college days, when he was still very young. He was thrown out of college for his political activies.
1
bhaRak1 rahi hai zamaane2 meN aatish3-e namrood4
Khuda ko hai tere eemaaN5 ka imtehaaN6 maqsood7
1.raging, rising (flames) 2.times, world 3.fire 4.legendary king Nimrod 5.faith, trust 6.test 7.intention
This has reference to the story of ibrahim and namrood. namrood was a powerful king who claimed to be god. ibrahim taught the concept of monotheism. It is said that namrood caused a huge fire to be built and asked ibrahim to jump into it if he trusted that his god could save him. It is said that ibrahim did and the fire was miraculously converted into a pleasant garden. sahir suggests that British colonization of India is like a raging fire and it is god’s intent to test us. We should jump into the fire (of freedom struggle) and will come out into a pleasant garden (of freedom).
2
uTh aur uTh ke badal de nizaam1-e aalam2 ko
ke hai ye nek3 ghaRi4 aur saa’at-e-mas’ood5
1.regime 2.world 3.good 4.time 5.fortunate time, good omen
Rise and change the regime of the world (India), for this is an opportune time, a time of good omen.
3
vatan1 meN jii ke vatan ke liye jo mar na sake
meri nazar2 meN haiN aise vujood3 ‘naNg-e vujood’4
1.homeland 2.view 3.existence, life 4.insult to existence
Those who live in the homeland but are not willing to die for it, in my view their existence is an insult to life.
4
vo qaum1 faslafa-e hurriyyat2 ko kya samjhe
Khuda bhi jis ka keh dair-o-haram3 meN ho masdood4
1.community, society 2.freedom 3.temple and mosque 4.shut, imprisoned
Even at this young age sahir gives a beautiful view that secularism is necessary for freedom. Thus, how can that society understand the philosophy of freedom, whose god itself is shut/imprisoned in mosque and temple.
5
taGhayyuraat1 pe buniyaad2 hai zamaane3 ki
jo shahriyaar4 tha kal ab hai banda-e-matrood5
1.changes, revolution 2.foundation 3.(new) order 4.lord of the regime 5.rejected/exiled person
Revolution is the foundation of the new world order. The lord of yesterday is now rejected/exiled.
6
ubhaarta1 hai jo mazloom2 ko tashaddud3 par
vahi hai mera pai’ambar4, vahi mera maa’bood5
1.raises 2.exploited 3.oppression 4.messenger/leader of faith 5.god
The one who raises exploited people up against oppression, he alone is the leader of my faith, he alone is my god.
7
hai jin ko Khauf1-e talaatum2 vo mera saath na deN
mujhe hai taaqat3-e toofaaN4 ki imtehaaN5 maqsood6
1.fear 2.disturbance, struggle 3.power 4.storm 5.test 6.intention
Those who fear struggle had better not be with me. It is my intention to test the power of the storm.
