Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. iqra Khilji is young woman from ahmedabad. Trained as a lawyer and intends to practice law in ahmedabad. She writes very well about feminist issues. She has spent time in shaheen baaGh and participated in many “ehtejaaji mushaa’era” that were held all over India around Republic Day. This quote from her Facebook page … “This one is for the self-styled saviours, the messiahs, their betrayal, their attempts to build their mansions over our graves. This one is for the both-sideists, for those who asked us to hide our pain from the world, for those who love a dead or helpless Muslim, but not one who speaks up or fights for oneself”. It is combination of sarcasm, anger and consolation. Beautifully expressed, poignant, pained and painful.
1
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
mat karo aah-o-zaari¹
ke phir Khaamosh dar-o-diivaar²
tumhaare raazdaar³ na raheNge
khaRakne lageNge darvaaze
ye gumraah⁴ lapToN⁵ se kah deNge
tumhaari KhwaabgaahoN⁶ ka pata⁷      1.sighing and wailing 2.doors and walls 3.confidant, friend 4.wandering, stray 5.gusts of wind 6.sleeping chambers, home, sanctuary 7.address, whereabouts
This too will pass. Do not show your sorrow with loud wailing and crying, otherwise these very walls will no longer keep your secret, will betray you. The doors will rattle and tell wandering gusts of wind the whereabouts of your sanctuaries (you will have no place to hide).
2
har eeNt muKhbir¹ hogi
har chiraaGh biphar² jaayega
tum Khaamosh raho
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega      1.spy, informant 2.enraged, out of control
(Do not sob loudly, otherwise) every brick will turn into an informant. Every lamp will send up flares. Be quiet, this too will pass. This too will pass.
3
unheN gumaaN¹ hai voh ibn-e-maryam² haiN
dhoke na gino, vaade na gino
shikva na karo, laasheN na gino
unse mat kaho unki shifa³ ki qeemat⁴
ke ye shikva⁵ maseehoN⁶ ko akhar⁷ jaayega
kahne do unheN “mauj’za⁸ hua hai”
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega     1.suspicion, delusion 2.son of Mary, Jesus, miraculous healer 3.cure, healing 4.price 5.complaint 6.healers 7.unpleasant, offending 8.miracle, blessing
They think that they are healers/consolers/sympathisers. Do not count the number of times you have been deceived. Do not count the false promises that have been made. Do not complain. Do not count corpses. Do not tell them the price you have to pay for their “healing” because your complaint might offend them. Let them say, “this has been a blessing”. This too will pass. This too will pass. Editorial Note – We are past the point of directing anger only at the perpetrators and their patrons. It is time to ask ourselves, what we are doing and to ask those who are committed to democratic secularim, and/or those who ask for patience.
4
mat kaho bazm-e-aam¹ se
ke humsaazoN² ne jalaaye rabaab-o-raNg³
ke ye saaz⁴-e gaNg-o-jaman⁵ bigaR jaayega
gaao na, tum ishq gaao, tum ishq gaao
inquilab⁶ ka nasha utar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega    1.public gathering 2.sympathisers, friends 3.lute/music and colour/celebration 4.music, tune 5.gaNga and jumna – their mingling is symbolic of communal harmony 6.revolution, change
Do not speak publicly, that even friends have forsaken mutual celebration. If you do, this tune/music/(façade of harmony) will be shattered. Sing, sing songs of love, you keep singing songs of love, the intoxication/yearning for change will pass. This too will pass. This too will pass.
5
yaqeenan¹ sooraj ne tumhaare lahu² se
churaai hai subh ki laali
yeh hava se bhi na kahna
ke aasmaaN ukhaR³ jaayega
Taalna⁴ hai siyah⁵ raat ko tumko
sooraj ko bari⁶ kar do
yeh din kisi tarah guzar jaayega
yeh chori bhula do
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega      1.surely 2.blood 3.lifted off, burst out 4.bear the passing 5.block 6.dismiss
Surely, the sun has stolen redness from your spilled blood to colour the dawn. Do not even tell the breeze, otherwise the sky will blow up. You have to bear the passing of this dark night. Dismiss the sun i.e. light and hope. This day will pass somehow. Forget this transgression. This too will pass. This too will pass.
6
tum waqt toh do
maseehoN¹ ko, maujza² hoga
qaatil³ bhi nikhar⁴ jaayega
maqtal⁵ bhi saNwar⁶ jaayega
jaan-e-jaanaN⁷
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega     1.healers 2.miracle 3.killer 4.freshen/change 5.slaughter house 6.embellished 7.soul of love
Give the healers some time. A miracle will happen. The killer too will change. The killing fields will be embellished. O soul of love … this too will pass. This too will pass. This too will pass.
7
aasmaaN chhat, zameeN bistar tumhaara hai
unka chiraaGh jalta ghar tumhaara hai
raNg-o-roGhan¹ Khoon-e-jigar² tumhaara hai
par kah do
kah do, ke tum bhi mujrim³ ho
adaalatoN⁴ ka dil bahal⁵ jaayega
bahut bhaari thi voh meezaan⁶
ye bojh ab utar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega     1.colour and shine/polish 2.bleeding liver/heart 3.guilty, culpable 4.courts of justice 5.consoled 6.balance, scales of justice
The have the sky for your roof and the earth your bed. That is all you need. The light of your burning houses serves as lamps of their homes. Your bleeding hearts provide the colour and polish. But say, admit, that you too are to blame. It will console/satisfy the judiciary. The burden of the scales of justice is too heavy for them to bear. This burden will lighten up (if you admit to being culpable too). This too will pass. This too will pass.
8
haaN
kal jab jab zikr¹ hoga
har zaalim² har maseeha³
zulm⁴ se mukar⁵ jaayega
tum bhi na rahoge
tumhaari baat bhi na rahegi
har ilzaam⁶ uske sar se utar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega
yeh bhi guzar jaayega    1.mention, narration 2.cruel oppressor 3.healer 4.cruelty 5.deny, walk away from 6.accusation
Yes, tomorrow when they talk about this, every cruel oppressor, every healer will deny/walk away from/get away with every accusation/transgression. You will be gone. There will be no memory of you left. They will be absolved of every accusation. This too will pass. This too will pass.