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Recitation
Truths – Badri Raina
Badri Raina (1941- ), retired professor of English, Dehli University, poet, columnist, writer and a relentless seeker of Truth and Justice. Also see his translations of Ghalib under raina’s Ghalib, on this site.
Athens feared the cloutless Socrates,
Because he said what he had to say;
He drank the hemlock cheerfully,
And Athens is known by him today.
Wycliff wrote the word of god
In the English tongue;
Burnt at the stake, he is now
The English immortals among.
Copernicus found god’s own earth
Moving round the sun;
The truth of his discovery
Pushed back religion.
Darwin disastrously dislodged
The postulates of Creation;
Reviled, he remains our beacon light
To undefeated education.
Why may we then acquiesce tonguelessly
To the pulpit and the throne?
Darker the times the brighter
The light of truth has shone.
حق ۔ سید محمّد شاہد
بدری رائنا کی نظم کا ترجمہ
۱
وہ کون تھے یونان میں جو حق سے تھے ڈرتے
دھمکی دی زباں بندی کی پھر اِلزام لگایا
دنیا میں نہیں نام و نشاں اُن کا ہے باقی
ہے امر وہ سقراط جسے زہر پلایا
۲
وہ کون تھے جو سُن کے اناالحق کی صدا کو
منصور پہ بتّھر دیا، پھر دار چڑھایا
اَوَدھی میں جو تُلسی نے کتھا رام کی لِکّھی
آزار سے پناہ وہ مسجد ہی میں پایا
قادر کا ریختہ میں تھا قُرآں کا ترجمۂ
ننگ و بدنام کیا، کفر کا اِلزام لگایا
۳
کرہِ خاک ہے یہ مرکزِ آفاق نہیں ہے
اعجازِ اِرتقا سے ہی اِنسان بنا ہے
نے کُن کی صدا ہے نہ تو جنّت سے دفع ہے
جوڑا ہے جو سرمایہ وہ محنت کا صلہ ہے
رنگینیِ دھنک میں ملا رنگِ حبش ہے
ہوّا کو بھی آدم کے برابر کا ہی حق ہے
۴
جب جب بھی زمانے میں یہ آواز اُٹھی ہے
حق بولنے والے کی زباں کاٹی تو گئی ہے
ظالم کا مگر آج نشاں کوئی نہیں ہے
گونجی ہے جو اب تک وہ انا الحق کی صدا ہے
۵
مانا کہ ہے طولانی و تاریک بہت رات
فرعون ہی حاکم ہے چہرہ گو الگ ہے
ہو ٹرمپ کہ مودی ہو، بنیامیں کہ سلمان
ہے شکل جُدا اُن کی پہ خصلت تو وہی ہے
۶
خاموش کیوں رہیں، یہ زباں بند کیوں رکھیں
تخت و منبر کی یہ سازش کیوں نہ اب فاش کریں
۷
گو یہ تاریک ہے شب، پھر بھی گُزر جائے گی
سَتیمَیو جیٔتے جو لکھا ہے تو وِجے ہو جائے گی
हक़ – सय्यद महम्मद शाहद
बद्री राएना कि नज़्म का तर्जुमा
१
वो कौन थे यूनान में जो हक़ से थे डरते
धमकी दि ज़बां-बन्दी कि फिर इल्ज़ाम लगाया
दुनिया में नहीं नाम ओ निशां उन का है बाक़ी
है अमर वो सुक़्रात जिसे ज़हर पिलाया
२
वो कौन थे जो सुन के अन-अल-हक़ कि सदा को
मन्सूर पे पत्थर दिया, फिर दार चढाया
अवधी में जो तुल्सी ने कथा राम कि लिक्खी
आज़ार से पनाह वो मस्जिद हि में पाया
क़ादर का रेख़्ता में था क़ुरआं का तर्जुमा
नंग ओ बदनाम किया, कुफ़्र का इल्ज़ाम लगाया
३
कुर्रह-ए ख़ाक है ये मरकज़-ए आफ़ाक़ नहीं है
एजाज़-ए इर्तेक़ा से हि इन्सान बना है
ने कुन कि सदा है न तो जन्नत से दफ़अ है
जोड़ा है जो सरमाया, वो मेहनत का सिला है
रंगीनी-ए धनक में मिला रंग-ए हबश है
हव्वा को भि आदम के बराबर का हि हक़ है
४
जब जब भि ज़माने में ये आवाज़ उठि है
हक़ बोलने वाले कि ज़बां काटी तो गई है
ज़ालिम का मगर आज निशां कोई नहीं है
गूंजी है जो अब तक वो अन-अल-हक़ कि सदा है
५
माना के है तूलानी ओ तारीक बहुत रात
फ़िरऔन हि हाकिम है चेहरा गो अलग है
हो ट्रम्प के मोदी हो, बिन्यामीन के सलमान
है शक्ल जुदा उन कि पे ख़स्लत तो वही है
६
ख़ामोश क्यूं रहें, ये ज़बां बंद क्यूं रखें
तख़्त ओ मिम्बर कि ये साज़िश क्यूं न अब फ़ाश करें
७
गो ये तारीक है शब फिर भी गुज़र जाएगी
सत्यमेव जयते जो लिखा है तो विजय हो जाएगी
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. This is a translation/recomposition of Raina’s poem, Truths. Badri Raina (1941- ), retired professor of English, Dehli University, poet, columnist, writer and a relentless seeker of Truth and Justice. Also see his translations of Ghalib under raina’s Ghalib, on this site. shahed (1944- ) is a retired old engineer, a beginner to urdu language, new to poetry, but never-the-less sometimes dares to venture into what he calls “shuru’aat” (beginning).
1
vo kaun the yoonaan1 meN jo haq2 se the Darte
dhamki di zabaaN-bandi3 ki phir ilzaam4 lagaaya
duniya meN nahiN naam o nishaaN un ka hai baaqi
hai amar5 vo suqraat6 jise zahr pilaaya 1.Greece 2.Truth 3.holding tongue, silencing 4.accusation 5.immortal 6.Socrates
Who were they, in Greece, who were afraid of Truth. First they threatened him, asking him to hold his tongue, then they accused him. No one knows their names, but Socrates, whom they poisoned is immortal.
2
vo kaun the jo sun ke an-al-haq1 ki sadaa2 ko
mansur3 pe patthar diye, phir daar4 chaRhaaya
avadhi5 meN jo tulsi6 ne katha7 raam ki likkhi
aazaar8 se panaah9 vo masjid hi meN paaya
qaadir10 ka reKhta meN tha qur’aaN ka tarjuma11
naNg12 o bad-naam kiya, kufr13 ka ilzaam14 lagaaya 1.I am Truth 2.sound, cry 3.mansur al-hallaj (858-922), sufi scholar 4.gallows 5.language of avadh 6.tulsidas (1532-1623) 7.story 8.torture 9.shelter 10.shah abdul qadir (1752-????) 11.translation 12.disrepute 13.non-belief 14.accusation
mansur al-hallaj was sufi scholar who traveled to India and returned to iran. He is most famously known for declaring “an-al-haq” – “I am Truth”, partly influenced by his travels in India. He was given an opportunity to recant. He refused and was stoned and hanged. mansur and ‘an-al-haq’ are used as symbols of resistance. tulsidas recomposed the ramayan in avadhi and was reviled for translating it into an “impure” language. He had to take refuge in a masjid. shah abdul qadir translated the quraan in urdu (1790), and was condemned with fatwas issued against him.
3
kurrah-e-Khaak1 hai ye, markaz-e-aafaaq2 nahiN hai
aijaaz-e-irteqa3 se hi insaan bana hai
ne4 kun5 ki sada6 hai na to jannat se daf’aa7 hai
joRa8 hai jo sarmaaya9 vo mehnat ka sila10 hai
raNgiini-e dhanak11 meN mila raNg-e habash12 hai
havva13 ko bhi aadam ke baraabar ka hi haq14 hai 1.pile of clay/soil 2.centre of the universe 3.miracle/amazement of evolution 4.neither 5.to be – as in “god said, be” 6.sound 7.expulsion 8.accumulation 9.wealth, capital 10.compensation, wages 11.rainbow 12.negro 13.Eve 14.rights
The earth is just a pile of clay, not the centre of the universe. Humans came from the amazing workings of evolution. Neither was there a word saying “be”, nor was there an expulsion from heaven. The capital that is accumulated is the wages of workers. The colour of the negro is part of the colours of the rainbow. Eve has the same rights as Adam.
4
jab jab bhi zamaane meN ye aavaaz uThi hai
haq1 bolne vaale ki zabaaN kaaTi to gayii hai
zaalim2 ka magar aaj nishaaN koii nahiN hai
goonji3 hai jo ab tak vo an-al-haq4 ki sada5 hai 1.truth 2.oppressor 3.echo, boom 4.I am Truth 5.sound
Whenever this voice (about evolution, capitalism etc) has been raised in the world, they have cut off the tongue of the one who spoke truth, but the names of the oppressors have been lost to history. The only sound that still echoes is the sound of resistance.
5
maana ke hai toolaani1 o tareek2 bahut raat
firaun3 hi haakim4 hai chehra5 go6 alag hai
ho Trump, ke modi ho, binyamin7 ke salmaan8
hai shakl9 juda10 un ki pe Khaslat11 to vahi hai 1.long 2.dark 3.Pharaoh 4.commander, king 5.face 6.although 7.benjamin netenyahu 8.mohammed bin salman 9.face 10.different 11.nature, character
I agree, the night is dark and very long. Pharaoh is still the king, even though he looks different. Be it Trump or Modi, Benyamin or Salman, their faces are different but their character is the same.
6
Khaamosh kyuN raheN ye zabaaN band kyuN rakheN
taKht1 o mimbar2 ki ye saazish3 kyuN na ab faash4 kareN 1.seat (of power), throne 2.pulpit 3.conspiracy 4.reveal, disclose
Why be silent, why keep the mouth shut. Why not reveal the conspiracy between throne and pulpit.
7
go1 ye taareek2 hai shab3 phir bhi guzar4 jaayegi
satyamev jaayate5 jo likha hai to vijay6 ho jaayegi 1.even though 2.dark 3.night 4.pass 5.Truth alone triumphs 6.victory
Even though the night is dark, it too will pass. It is written, “Truth alone triumphs”, it will be victorious.
This is a translation/recomposition of Raina’s poem, Truths. Badri Raina (1941- ), retired professor of English, Dehli University, poet, columnist, writer and a relentless seeker of Truth and Justice. Also see his translations of Ghalib under raina’s Ghalib, on this site. shahed (1944- ) is a retired old engineer, a beginner to urdu language, new to poetry, but never-the-less sometimes dares to venture into what he calls “shuru’aat” (beginning).
1
vo kaun the yoonaan1 meN jo haq2 se the Darte
dhamki di zabaaN-bandi3 ki phir ilzaam4 lagaaya
duniya meN nahiN naam o nishaaN un ka hai baaqi
hai amar5 vo suqraat6 jise zahr pilaaya
1.Greece 2.Truth 3.holding tongue, silencing 4.accusation 5.immortal 6.Socrates
Who were they, in Greece, who were afraid of Truth. First they threatened him, asking him to hold his tongue, then they accused him. No one knows their names, but Socrates, whom they poisoned is immortal.
2
vo kaun the jo sun ke an-al-haq1 ki sadaa2 ko
mansur3 pe patthar diye, phir daar4 chaRhaaya
avadhi5 meN jo tulsi6 ne katha7 raam ki likkhi
aazaar8 se panaah9 vo masjid hi meN paaya
qaadir10 ka reKhta meN tha qur’aaN ka tarjuma11
naNg12 o bad-naam kiya, kufr13 ka ilzaam14 lagaaya
1.I am Truth 2.sound, cry 3.mansur al-hallaj (858-922), sufi scholar 4.gallows 5.language of avadh 6.tulsidas (1532-1623) 7.story 8.torture 9.shelter 10.shah abdul qadir (1752-????) 11.translation 12.disrepute 13.non-belief 14.accusation
mansur al-hallaj was sufi scholar who traveled to India and returned to iran. He is most famously known for declaring “an-al-haq” – “I am Truth”, partly influenced by his travels in India. He was given an opportunity to recant. He refused and was stoned and hanged. mansur and ‘an-al-haq’ are used as symbols of resistance. tulsidas recomposed the ramayan in avadhi and was reviled for translating it into an “impure” language. He had to take refuge in a masjid. shah abdul qadir translated the quraan in urdu (1790), and was condemned with fatwas issued against him.
3
kurrah-e-Khaak1 hai ye, markaz-e-aafaaq2 nahiN hai
aijaaz-e-irteqa3 se hi insaan bana hai
ne4 kun5 ki sada6 hai na to jannat se daf’aa7 hai
joRa8 hai jo sarmaaya9 vo mehnat ka sila10 hai
raNgiini-e dhanak11 meN mila raNg-e habash12 hai
havva13 ko bhi aadam ke baraabar ka hi haq14 hai
1.pile of clay/soil 2.centre of the universe 3.miracle/amazement of evolution 4.neither 5.to be – as in “god said, be” 6.sound 7.expulsion 8.accumulation 9.wealth, capital 10.compensation, wages 11.rainbow 12.negro 13.Eve 14.rights
The earth is just a pile of clay, not the centre of the universe. Humans came from the amazing workings of evolution. Neither was there a word saying “be”, nor was there an expulsion from heaven. The capital that is accumulated is the wages of workers. The colour of the negro is part of the colours of the rainbow. Eve has the same rights as Adam.
4
jab jab bhi zamaane meN ye aavaaz uThi hai
haq1 bolne vaale ki zabaaN kaaTi to gayii hai
zaalim2 ka magar aaj nishaaN koii nahiN hai
goonji3 hai jo ab tak vo an-al-haq4 ki sada5 hai
1.truth 2.oppressor 3.echo, boom 4.I am Truth 5.sound
Whenever this voice (about evolution, capitalism etc) has been raised in the world, they have cut off the tongue of the one who spoke truth, but the names of the oppressors have been lost to history. The only sound that still echoes is the sound of resistance.
5
maana ke hai toolaani1 o tareek2 bahut raat
firaun3 hi haakim4 hai chehra5 go6 alag hai
ho Trump, ke modi ho, binyamin7 ke salmaan8
hai shakl9 juda10 un ki pe Khaslat11 to vahi hai
1.long 2.dark 3.Pharaoh 4.commander, king 5.face 6.although 7.benjamin netenyahu 8.mohammed bin salman 9.face 10.different 11.nature, character
I agree, the night is dark and very long. Pharaoh is still the king, even though he looks different. Be it Trump or Modi, Benyamin or Salman, their faces are different but their character is the same.
6
Khaamosh kyuN raheN ye zabaaN band kyuN rakheN
taKht1 o mimbar2 ki ye saazish3 kyuN na ab faash4 kareN
1.seat (of power), throne 2.pulpit 3.conspiracy 4.reveal, disclose
Why be silent, why keep the mouth shut. Why not reveal the conspiracy between throne and pulpit.
7
go1 ye taareek2 hai shab3 phir bhi guzar4 jaayegi
satyamev jaayate5 jo likha hai to vijay6 ho jaayegi
1.even though 2.dark 3.night 4.pass 5.Truth alone triumphs 6.victory
Even though the night is dark, it too will pass. It is written, “Truth alone triumphs”, it will be victorious.
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This is very nice Shahed.