Sansaar se bhaage phirte ho (Ye, the renouncers of the world!)---Sahir

About the Poet: "Sahir" Ludhianvi (real name Abdul Hayee) (1921-1977) was born in Ludhiana, Punjab in a wealthy landlord family. However his mother's desertion of his father meant that Sahir had to live in extreme poverty throughout his childhood. He moved to Bombay in his youth where he composed songs for Indian movies, many of which became classics and spread his fame as a lyricist par excellence far and wide. A member of the Progressive Writers' Association, Sahir, much like his contemporary Faiz, looks at both the romantic as well as depressing aspects of his scoiety, but it is for his tender love poetry that he is best known. The novelist, Amrita Pritam was one of Sahir's most ardent admirers and freely admitted to his influence both on her private as well as literary life.

"Sansaar se bhaage phirte ho" was written by Sahir as a song for the movie, Chitralekha, in 1963. Sung by Lata Mangeshkar, the song was widely popular. It reflects Sahir's contempt for ascetecism and his inherent atheism.

Sansaar se bhaage phirte ho (O ye, renouncers of the world!)
Bhagwaan ko tum kya paaoge (How do you seek to reach God?)

Is lok ko bhi apna na sake (You never could enjoy this world)
Us lok me bhi pacchtaaoge! (And you are going to repent it in the hereafter too)

Ye paap hai kya, ye punya hai kya? (What is sin and what's virtue?)
Reeton par dharm ki muhren hain (But the sanctions of religion on deeds!)

Har yug mein badalte dharmon ko (How will you follow the (sanctions of a) religion?)
Kaise adarsh banaoge? (That takes on a new shape in every age?)

Ye bhog bhi ek tapasya hai (Even this materialism is a form of worship!)
Tum tyaag ke maare kya jaano? (How would you folks, crazy after renunciation, know that?)

Apmaan rachyita ka hoga (Wouldnt you insult the creator,)
Rachna ko agar thukraaoge! (by renouncing his creation?)

Hum kahte hain yeh jag apna hai (We say this world is true)
Tum kahte ho jhoota sapna hai (You say, "Nay! It's but an illusion!")

Hum janm bitaakar jaayenge (We'll die happy and content)
Tum janm ganwaakar jaaoge (And you, unhappy at having wasted this life)


The full video of the song can be found here

Baghee (The Revolutionary)----Makhdum

About the Poet: Makhdum Mohiuddin (d:1977) was another famous poet whose work primarily deals with Socialist and revolutionary ideals. He was born in and lived much of his life in Hyderabad (Deccan). An avid admirer of the Soviet Union and a lifelong member of the Communist Party of India, he adapted Russian eulogies of Stalin to Urdu. Some of his most touching works describe the landscape and the peasant women of his native Telangana.

A poem filled with incitement and provocation, Baghee asks the exploited masses to wake and unleash their strength on their oppressors. The Naxal influence is crystal clear in this poem.

Raad hoon, barq hoon, bechain hoon, paara hoon main.
(I am thunder. I am lightning. I am restless mercury, never still)

Khud Parastar, khud aagah, khud aara hoon main.
(Self respecting, self appraising, bending others to my will)

Gardane zulm kate jis se woh aara hoon main.
(I am the sword that cuts the throat of the Tyrant)

Khirmane Jaur jalade, woh sharara hoon main
(I am the spark that will burn down his wheat stock)

Meri faryaad pe ahle-dawil angusht baagosh
(The rich hear my cry and thrust their fingers in their ears)

Laa tabar khoon ke dariya mein nahane de mujhe.
(Bring the sword and I shall bathe in the streams of their blood)

Sare pur nakhuwate arbaabe zamaan todunga
(I shall crack the heads of those who take pride in their estate)

Shore naala se dare arzo saman todunga
(My shout of lamentation shall brook no barrier)

Zulm parwar rawishe ahle jahaan todunga
(The fame of tyrants shall lie in tatters)

Ishrat abaad imaarat ka makaan todunga
(The Lords of opulent palaces shall bow to me)

Tod daalunga mein zanjeere aseerane kafas
dahar ko panjye usrat se chudane de mujhe
(I shall break down the prison chains and free the birds,
I will release my world from grief and infamy)

Barq bankar but-e-maazi ko giraane de mujhe
(I shall be the lightning that will strike down the graven idols of the past)

Rasm-e-kuhna ko tahe khaaq milaane de mujhe
(I shall inter caste, creed and traditions in the lowly dust)

Tafrike mazhab-o-millat ke mitaane de mujhe
(I shall erase the false barriers of religion)

Khwaabe farda ko bas ab haal banane de mujhe
(All that I have dreamt of, I want to accomplish it now!)

Aag hoon aag hoon haan ek dahakti hui aag
Aag hoon aag hoon bas ab aag lagaane de mujhe
(Yes, I am blazing, burning and scorching with my belief
Let my kindled fire burn you all without relief)

Aaj Bazaar mein ----Faiz Ahmed 'Faiz'

About the Poet: Faiz Ahmed 'Faiz' (1912-1984) was born in Sialkot, West Punjab. A journalist for much of his life, he was also a communist and a firm believer in the freedom of speech. His bitter critiques of Pakistan did not go down well with the ruling establishment there and he was imprisoned many times, a theme that he freely alludes to in his verse. He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the USSR in 1962. He spent quite a significant portion of his life in the Middle East and was a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army during World War II. Today he is widely regarded as the finest Urdu poet of the 20th century.

An excellent ghazal by Faiz Ahmed Faiz written on his arrest and other excesses committed during the Zia regime. On another level, it also deals with the rise of Fundamentalism in Pakistan.

Chashm e nam, jaan e shoreeda kaafi nahin
(The tearful eye and the noisy spirit are not enough)

Tohmat e Ishq e posheeda kaafi nahin
(The accusation of hidden love is not enough)

Aaj Bazaar mein pa bajaulan chalo
(Today let's walk to the bazaar in chains)

Dast Afshan chalo, mast o raqshan chalo
(Let's go with hands waving and mood drunk with joy)

Khaaq bar sar chalo, khoon ba daaman chalo
(Let's go with dust on our heads and blood on our sleeves)

Raah takta hai sab shahre jaana chalo
(The city of our beloved awaits us)

Haakim e shahr bhi, majma e aam bhi
(They wait for us: The ruler and the ruled)

Subh e nashaad bhi; roz e nakaam bhi
(The unhappy morning, the purposeless day)

Teere ilzaam bhi, sang e dushnaam bhi
(The arrow of accusation and the stones of infamy)

Unka damsaaz apne siwa kaun hai?
(Who is their mate save us?)

Shahr e jaana me ab ba safaa kaun hai?
(Who is the one still left with an open heart in my beloved's city?)

Dast e qaatil ke shayaan raha kaun hai?
(Who else is left who deserves the executioner?)

Rakht e dil baandh lo, dil figaaron chalo
(Summon your hearts and let's go O heartbroken ones)

Phir hamin qatl ho aayen, yaaron chalo!
(Let's get killed once more, mates. Let's go!)

To listen to this nazm in Faiz's own voice and an excellent rendition of the same by the famous singer, Nayyara, do check out the following video: