t’assub ki vaba – shahed

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

تعصُّب کی وبا ۔ شاہد

۱

پھیلی ہے تعصُّب کی کرونا کی بھی وبا

محفوظ ہیں ہم جن کو مُیسّر ہے وسیلہ

۲

لوٹ جاتی اُدھر کو بھی نظر کل جن کے

ساز و سامان تو کیا آگ میں والی بھی جلے

۳

جن کو لاٹھی کی اور پتھراؤ کی ہے زد میں لے آیا

خود محافظ ہی جنہیں گھاٹ پہ ہے موت کی لایا

۴

اور اب وہ جو دکھاتے تھے ہمیں جنّتِ فردا کی جھلک

جن کی خوشبو سے ہے شاہین کے باغوں کی مہک

۵

وہ جو گھر سے اکیلے کبھی نکلے ہی نہ تھے

بستر ہو کہ کرسی ہو سڑک پر ہی لگا بیٹھے

۶

بچّوں کو لیا ساتھ کڑی سرد فضا میں

مخروج نہ ہو جائیں وہ اپنے ہی وطن میں

۷

قسمت کا ہے یہ طنز کہ اب ماں کو ملے بھوگ

تعصُّب کی وبا پھیلے یا کرونا کا لگے روگ

त’अस्सुब की वबा – शाहद

फैली है  त’अस्सुब कि करोना की भी वबा

महफ़ूज़ हैं हम जिन को म’एस्सर है वसीला

लौट जाती है उधर को भी नज़र कल जिन के

साज़ ओ सामान तो क्या, आग में वाली भी जले

जिन को लाठी की और पथ्राउ कि है ज़द में ले आया

ख़ुद महाफ़िज़ हि जिन्हें मौत कि है घाट पे लाया

और अब वो जो दिखाते थे हमें जन्नत-ए फ़र्दा कि झलक

जिन की ख़ुश्बू से है शाहीन के बाग़ौ की महक

वो जो घर से अकेले कभी निक्ले हि न थे

बिस्तर हो के कुर्सी हो सढक पर हि लगा बैठे

बच्चौं को लिया साथ कढी सर्द फ़ज़ा में

मख़्रूज न हो जाएं वो अपने हि वतन में

क़िस्मत का है ये तंज़ के अब मां को मिले भोग

त’अस्सुब की वबा फैले या करोना का लगे रोग

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. shahed (1944-living). Retired old engineer unschooled in urdu who created and maintains this website in an effort to learn. Ventures into writing verse too.
1
phaili hai t’assub1 ki karona ki bhi vaba2
mahfooz3 haiN hum jin ko mayassar4 hai vaseela5    
1.bigotry 2.epidemic 3.safe 4.available 5.means, capability
Even as the epidemic of bigotry and Corona spreads, we who have the means can stay safe.

2
lauT1 jaati hai udhar ko bhi nazar kal jin ke
saaz-o-saamaan2 to kya aag meN vaali3 bhi jale   
1.returns, turns towards 2.belongings 3.protectors, bread-winners
But the eye/thought turns towards those who yesterday had not just their belongings but even their bread-winners burnt in fire/arson.

3
jin ko laaThi ki aur pathhraau ki hai zad1 meN le aaya
Khud muhaafiz2 hi jinheN maut ki hai ghaaT pe laaya    
1.bounds, range 2.gaurd, police
Who were brought into the range of clubs and stoning. The policeman himself brought them to the brink of death.

4
aur ab vo jo dikhaate the hameN jaanat-e farda1 ki jhalak
jin ki Khushboo se hai shaheen ke baaGhauN ki mahak2    
1.heavenly future 2.fragrance
And now those who were trying to show us a vision of a prosperous future, whose fragrance made shaheen baaGh redolent.

5
vo jo ghar se akele kabhi nikle hi na the
bistar ho ke kursi ho saRak par hi laga baiThe   
They, who had never left home by themselves, had come out on the street, sitting in chairs, spreading their beds.

6
bachchoN ko liya saath kaRi sard fiza1 meN
maKhrooj2 na ho jaayeN vo apne hi vatan3 meN   
1.atmosphere 2.rejected 3.homeland
They brought their children along into that cold night fearing that they would be rejected, declared foreign, in their own homeland.

7
qismat ka hai ye tanz1 ke ab maaN ko mile bhog2
t’assub3 ki vaba4 phaile ya karona ka lage rog5    
1.irony 2.result, reward 3.bigotry 4.epidemic 5.disease
It is an irony of fate that the mothers be rewarded with a choice – either let the epidemic of bigotry spread or get the corona disease.

shahed (1944-living).  Retired old engineer unschooled in urdu who created and maintains this website in an effort to learn.  Ventures into writing verse too.
1
phaili hai t’assub1 ki corona ki bhi vaba2
mahfooz3 haiN hum jin ko mayassar4 hai vaseela5

1.bigotry 2.epidemic 3.safe 4.available 5.means, capability

Even as the epidemic of bigotry and Corona spreads, we who have the means can stay safe.    
2
lauT1 jaati hai udhar ko bhi nazar kal jin ke
saaz-o-saamaan2 to kya aag meN vaali3 bhi jale

1.returns, turns towards 2.belongings 3.protectors, bread-winners

But the eye/thought turns towards those who yesterday had not just their belongings but even their bread-winners burnt in fire/arson.
3
jin ko laaThi ki aur pathhraau ki hai zad1 meN le aaya
Khud muhaafiz2 hi jinheN maut ki hai ghaaT pe laaya

1.bounds, range 2.gaurd, police

Who were brought into the range of clubs and stoning.  The policeman himself brought them to the brink of death.
4
aur ab vo jo dikhaate the hameN jaanat-e farda1 ki jhalak
jin ki Khushboo se hai shaheen ke baaGhauN ki mahak2

1.heavenly future 2.fragrance

And now those who were trying to show us a vision of a prosperous future, whose fragrance made shaheen baaGh redolent.
5
vo jo ghar se akele kabhi nikle hi na the
bistar ho ke kursi ho saRak par hi laga baiThe

They, who had never left home by themselves, had come out on the street, sitting in chairs, spreading their beds.
6
bachchoN ko liya saath kaRi sard fiza1 meN
maKhrooj2 na ho jaayeN vo apne hi vatan3 meN

1.atmosphere 2.rejected 3.homeland

They brought their children along into that cold night fearing that they would be rejected, declared foreign, in their own homeland.
7
qismat ka hai ye tanz1 ke ab maaN ko mile bhog2
t’assub3 ki vaba4 phaile ya karona ka lage rog5

1.irony 2.result, reward 3.bigotry 4.epidemic 5.disease

It is an irony of fate that the mothers be rewarded with a choice – either let the epidemic of bigotry spread or get the corona disease.

2 comments:

  1. The poet has done an excellent job. While the vaba of corona is all over tgd world, the vaba created in India is extra unfortunate with the administration giving blind eyes and deaf ears to the campers of Shaheen Bagh

  2. Listened to audio enrapt. The anger is palpable, but what can a poet do when the time is now to make alliances, demand specific policy changes, picket mandirs, maybe be masjids, too, but certainly gurduwaras, asking for war effort to fight bigotry, fight for a pure, nonviolent India of Krishna, the Gopis and all the rest.

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