For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زنجیرِ طِلائی باقی ہے ۔ پنڈت آنند نرائن مُلّاؔ
۱
خورشید گہن سے چھوٹ چکا، بدلی سے رہائی باقی ہے
طوفاں سے تو کشتی کھے لائے، ساحل پہ لڑائی باقی ہے
۲
وہ پیشِ نظر ہے وادیِ گل، ہمت سے ذرا اک اور قدم
اب کوہ تو تم سر کر ہی چکے، تھوڑی سی ترائی باقی ہے
۳
پیروں کی کٹی بیڑی جس دم، قیدی سمجھا آزاد ہوا
یہ بھول گیا گردن میں ابھی، زنجیرِ طِلائی باقی ہے
۴
رہرو دونوں خطروں سے اگر، بچ نکلا منزل پائے گا
اب راہ زنی تو ختم ہوئی، ہاں راہ نمائی باقی ہے
۵
اک جنگ پہ آمادہ دنیا، یہ راز نہ کب تک سمجھے گی
طاقت کی دُہائی فانی ہے، انساں کی اِکائی باقی ہے
۶
گردوں کے ستارے بجھنے دو، دنیا سے کہو ماتم نہ کرے
ذرّوں سے شعائیں پھوٹیں گی، مٹی کی خدائی باقی ہے
۷
اغیار کے قبضے سے چھٹ کر، خرمن میں تو اپنی فصل آئی
اس فصل کی مُلّا اب خالی، ہموار بٹائی باقی ہے
ज़ंजीर-ए तिलाई बाक़ी है – पंडित आनन्द नरायन मुल्ला
१
ख़ुर्शीद गहन से छूट चुका, बदली से रेहाई बाक़ी है
तूफ़ाँ से तो कश्ती खे लाए, साहिल पे लढाई बाक़ी है
२
वो पेश-ए नज़र है वादी-ए गुल, हिम्मत से ज़रा एक और क़दम
अब कोह तो तुम सर कर ही चुके, थोढी सी तराई बाक़ी है
३
पैरों की कटी बेढी जिस दम, क़ैदी समझा आज़ाद हुआ
ये भूल गया गरदन में अभी, ज़ंजीर-ए तिलाई बाक़ी है
४
रहरव दोनों ख़तरों से अगर, बच निकला मंज़िल पाएगा
अब राहज़नी तो ख़त्म हुई, हाँ राहनुमाई बाक़ी है
५
एक जंग पे आमादा दुनिया, ये राज़ न कब तक समझेगी
ताक़त की दहाई फ़ानी है, इंसाँ की एकाई बाक़ी है
६
गर्दूं के सितारे बुझने दो, दुनिया से कहो मातम न करे
ज़र्रों से शुआएँ फूटेंगी, मिट्टी की ख़ुदाई बाक़ी है
७
अग़्यार के क़ब्ज़े से छुट कर, ख़िर्मन में तो अपनी फ़सल आई
इस फ़सल की मुल्ला अब ख़ाली, हमवार बटाई बाक़ी है
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), lukhnow, thoughtful and thoughtprovoking shaa’er. MA English Literature. Learnt urdu and faarsi at home. First venture into poetry translation of parts of iqbal’s ‘payaam-e mashriq’ into English. First urdu nazm published 1925. Ardent urdu lover as a language of the people. High court justice, parliamentarian and strong secularist and rationalist/atheist. This nazm, about the incompleteness of independence/freedom is linked to other similar nazm under ‘India-pakistan’ on the Theme Index page.
1
Khursheed1 gahan2 se chhuuT chukaa, badlii3 se rehaaii4 baaqi5 hai
tuufaaN se to kashti khay6 laaye, saahil7 pe laRaaii baaqi hai 1.sun 2.eclipse 3.clouds 4.release 5.remaining 6.row, steer 7.shore
The sun has emerged out of the shadow of the eclipse; release from dark clouds still remains i.e., the homeland is free from the yoke of conolonialism, but the social system is still unjust. We have steered the boat out of the storm, the struggle at the shore (for equality, communal harmony) remains.
2
voh pesh1-e nazar2 hai vaadii3-e gul4, himmat5 se zaraa ek aur qadam6
ab koh7 to tum sar8 kar hi chuke, thoRii sii taraaii9 baaqi hai 1.before, in front of 2.eyes 3.valley 4.flowers 5.courage 6.step 7.hill 8.climbed to the top of 9.wetland, valley, delta, field
There before you is the valley of flowers, just one more courageous step away. You have topped the hill now; just a field remains to be crossed. The difficult (hilly) task of driving out the colonizer is done, the more even path to equality (communal harmony) remains.
3
pairoN1 ki kaTii beRii2 jis dam3, qaidii4 samjha aazaad hua
ye bhuul gaya gardan meN abhi, zanjir5-e tilaa’ii6 baaqi hai 1.feet 2.fetters 3.moment 4.prisoner 5.chain 6.golden
The moment the fetters on his feet were cut, the prisoner thought he was free but he forgot that a golden chain still shackles his neck.
4
rahrau1 donoN KhatroN2 se agar, bach3 niklaa manzil4 paa’egaa5
ab raahzanii6 to Khatm huii, haaN raahnumaaii7 baaqi hai 1.traveler 2.dangers 3.safe, unharmed 4.destination, goal 5.reach, achieve 6.highway robbery 7.leadership, guidance, showing the way
If the traveler emerges unharmed from both dangers, then he will achieve his goal. What are the two dangers … highway robbery-colonialism and misguided, politically motivated leadership. Thus, highway robbery has ended but misguided leadership remains.
5
ek jaNg pe aamaada1 duniyaa, ye raaz2 na kab tak samjhegii3
taaqat4 kii duhaa’ii5 faani6 hai, insaaN kii ekaa’ii7 baaqi8 hai 1.inclined towards, bent upon 2.secret 3.understand 4.power 5.call for help 6.transitory, impermanent 7.one-ness, equality 8.(from baqaa) long lasting, permanent
When will this world, bent upon war, will understand this secret that the result of calling upon power to resolve issues is only transitory. Solutions based on human one-ness, equality are the only lasting solutions.
6
garduuN1 ke sitaare bujhne2 do, duniyaa se kaho maatam3 na kare
zarroN4 se shuaa’eN5 phuuTeNgii6, miTTii kii Khudaa’ii7 baaqi8 hai 1.sky 2.extinguish 3.lament 4.particles, grains of sand/dust 5.rays of light 6.burst out 7.reign 8.lasting, permanent
‘Stars of the sky’ are symbolic of the privileged few and the earth and grains of sand represent the common people. Thus, tell the world not to lament if the stars of the sky are extinguished because rays of light will burst out of the grains of sand. The reign of the earth is lasting. Of course, the dimming/extinguishing of stars is symbolic of the rise of a new dawn/social justice.
7
aGhyaar1 ke qabze2 se chuT kar, Khirman3 meN to apnii fasl4 aaii
is fasl kii mulla5 ab Khaalii6, hamvaar7 baTaa’ii8 baaqi hai 1.foreigners 2.control, possession 3.grain storage 4.harvest, yield 5.pen-name of the poet 6.only 7.even, equal, harmonious 8.division, distribution
Freed from the control of foreigners, our harvest arrives into our grain silos. O mulla, the only thing that remains to be done is to distribute the yield harmoniously and equitably.
panDit anand narain mulla (1901-1997), lukhnow, thoughtful and thoughtprovoking shaa’er. MA English Literature. Learnt urdu and faarsi at home. First venture into poetry translation of parts of iqbal’s ‘payaam-e mashriq’ into English. First urdu nazm published 1925. Ardent urdu lover as a language of the people. High court justice, parliamentarian and strong secularist and rationalist/atheist. This nazm, about the incompleteness of independence/freedom is linked to other similar nazm under ‘India-pakistan’ on the Theme Index page.
1
Khursheed1 gahan2 se chhuuT chukaa, badlii3 se rehaaii4 baaqi5 hai
tuufaaN se to kashti khay6 laaye, saahil7 pe laRaaii baaqi hai
1.sun 2.eclipse 3.clouds 4.release 5.remaining 6.row, steer 7.shore
The sun has emerged out of the shadow of the eclipse; release from dark clouds still remains i.e., the homeland is free from the yoke of conolonialism, but the social system is still unjust. We have steered the boat out of the storm, the struggle at the shore (for equality, communal harmony) remains.
2
voh pesh1-e nazar2 hai vaadii3-e gul4, himmat5 se zaraa ek aur qadam6
ab koh7 to tum sar8 kar hi chuke, thoRii sii taraaii9 baaqi hai
1.before, in front of 2.eyes 3.valley 4.flowers 5.courage 6.step 7.hill 8.climbed to the top of 9.wetland, valley, delta, field
There before you is the valley of flowers, just one more courageous step away. You have topped the hill now; just a field remains to be crossed. The difficult (hilly) task of driving out the colonizer is done, the more even path to equality (communal harmony) remains.
3
pairoN1 ki kaTii beRii2 jis dam3, qaidii4 samjha aazaad hua
ye bhuul gaya gardan meN abhi, zanjir5-e tilaa’ii6 baaqi hai
1.feet 2.fetters 3.moment 4.prisoner 5.chain 6.golden
The moment the fetters on his feet were cut, the prisoner thought he was free but he forgot that a golden chain still shackles his neck.
4
rahrau1 donoN KhatroN2 se agar, bach3 niklaa manzil4 paa’egaa5
ab raahzanii6 to Khatm huii, haaN raahnumaaii7 baaqi hai
1.traveler 2.dangers 3.safe, unharmed 4.destination, goal 5.reach, achieve 6.highway robbery 7.leadership, guidance, showing the way
If the traveler emerges unharmed from both dangers, then he will achieve his goal. What are the two dangers … highway robbery-colonialism and misguided, politically motivated leadership. Thus, highway robbery has ended but misguided leadership remains.
5
ek jaNg pe aamaada1 duniyaa, ye raaz2 na kab tak samjhegii3
taaqat4 kii duhaa’ii5 faani6 hai, insaaN kii ekaa’ii7 baaqi8 hai
1.inclined towards, bent upon 2.secret 3.understand 4.power 5.call for help 6.transitory, impermanent 7.one-ness, equality 8.(from baqaa) long lasting, permanent
When will this world, bent upon war, will understand this secret that the result of calling upon power to resolve issues is only transitory. Solutions based on human one-ness, equality are the only lasting solutions.
6
garduuN1 ke sitaare bujhne2 do, duniyaa se kaho maatam3 na kare
zarroN4 se shuaa’eN5 phuuTeNgii6, miTTii kii Khudaa’ii7 baaqi8 hai
1.sky 2.extinguish 3.lament 4.particles, grains of sand/dust 5.rays of light 6.burst out 7.reign 8.lasting, permanent
‘Stars of the sky’ are symbolic of the privileged few and the earth and grains of sand represent the common people. Thus, tell the world not to lament if the stars of the sky are extinguished because rays of light will burst out of the grains of sand. The reign of the earth is lasting. Of course, the dimming/extinguishing of stars is symbolic of the rise of a new dawn/social justice.
7
aGhyaar1 ke qabze2 se chuT kar, Khirman3 meN to apnii fasl4 aaii
is fasl kii mulla5 ab Khaalii6, hamvaar7 baTaa’ii8 baaqi hai
1.foreigners 2.control, possession 3.grain storage 4.harvest, yield 5.pen-name of the poet 6.only 7.even, equal, harmonious 8.division, distribution
Freed from the control of foreigners, our harvest arrives into our grain silos. O mulla, the only thing that remains to be done is to distribute the yield harmoniously and equitably.
