"ḳhudā-e bar-tar,
yih dāriyūsh-e buzurg kī sar-zamīñ,
yih naushīrvān-e ʿādil kī dād-gāheñ,
taṣavvuf-o-ḥikmat-o-adab ke nigār-ḳhāne,
yih kyoñ siyah-post dushmanoñ ke vujūd se
āj phir ubalte huʾe se nāsūr ban rahe haiñ?"
"ham is ke mujrim nahīñ haiñ, jān-e ʿajam nahīñ haiñ
vuh pahlā angrez
jis ne hindūstāñ ke sāḥil pah
lā-ke rakkhī thī jins-e saudāgarī
yih us kā gunāh hai
jo tire vat̤an kī
zamīn-e gul-posh ko
ham apne siyāh qadmoñ se rauñdte haiñ!
yih shahr apnā vat̤an nahīñ hai,
magar farangī kī rah-zanī ne
usī se nā-chār ham ko vā-bastah kar diyā hai,
ham us kī tahżīb kī bulandī kī chhipkalī ban-ke rah gaʾe haiñ!
vuh rāh-zan jo yih sochtā hai:
"kih eshiyā hai koʾī ʿaqīm-o-amīr bīvah
jo apnī daulat kī be-panāhī se mubtalā ik fashār meñ hai,
aur us kā āġhosh-e ārzū-mand vā mire intiz̤ār meñ hai,
aur eshiyāʾī,
qadīm ḳhvājah-sarāʾoñ kī ik nazhād-e kāhil,
ajal kī rāhoñ pah tez-gāmī se jā rahe haiñ"——
magar yih hindī
gurisnah-o-pā barahnah hindī
jo sālik-e rāh haiñ
magar rāh-o-rasm-e manzil se be-ḳhabar haiñ
gharoñ ko vīrān kar-ke,
lākhoñ ṣuʿūbatoñ sah-ke
aur apnā lahū bahā-kar
agar kabhī sochte haiñ kuchh to yihī,
—kih shāyad uñhī ke bāzū
najāt dilvā sakeñge mashriq ko
ġhair ke be-panāh biphre huʾe sitam se—
yih sochte haiñ:
—yih ḥādiṡah hī kih jis ne pheñkā hai
lā-ke un ko tire vat̤an meñ
vuh āñch ban jāʾe,
jis se phuñk jāʾe,
vuh jarāṡīm kā akhāṛā,
jahāñ se har bār jang kī bū-e tund uṭhtī hai
aur dunyā meñ phailtī hai!—
maiñ jāntā hūñ
mire bahut se rafīq
apnī udās, be-kār zindagī ke
dirāz-o-tārīk fāṣiloñ meñ
kabhī kabhī bheṛiyoñ ke mānind
ā nikalte haiñ, rah-guzāroñ pah
justajū meñ kisī ke do "sāq-e ṣandalīñ" kī!
kabhī darīchoñ kī oṭ meñ
nā-tavāñ patangoñ kī phaṛphaṛāhaṭ pah
hosh se be-niyāz ho-kar vuh ṭūṭte haiñ;
vuh dast-e sāʾil
jo sāmne un ke phailtā hai
is ārzū meñ
kih un kī baḳhshish se
pārah-e nān, man-o-salvâ kā rūp bhar le,
vuhī kabhī apnī nāzukī se
vuh rah sujhātā hai
jis kī manzil pah shauq kī tishnagī nahīñ hai!
tū in manāz̤ir ko dekhtī hai!
tū sochtī hai:
——yih sang-dil, apnī buz-dilī se
farangiyoñ kī muḥabbat-e nā-ravā kī zanjīr meñ bañdhe haiñ
uñhī ke dam se yih shahr ubaltā huʾā sā nāsūr ban rahā hai——!
muḥabbat-e nā-ravā nahīñ hai
bas ek zanjīr,
ek hī āhanī kamand-e ʿaz̤īm
phailī huʾī hai,
mashriq ke ik kināre se dūsre tak,
mire vat̤an se tire vat̤an tak,
bas ek hī ʿankabūt kā jāl hai kih jis meñ
ham eshiyāʾī asīr ho-kar taṛap rahe haiñ!
muġhūl kī ṣubḥ-e ḳhūñ-fishāñ se
farang kī shām-e jāñ-sitāñ tak!
taṛap rahe haiñ
bas ek hī dard-e lā-davā meñ,
aur apne ālām-e jāñ-guzā ke
is ishtirāk-e girāñ-bahā ne bhī
ham ko ik dūsre se ab tak
qarīb hone nahīñ diyā hai!
§12. Tel ke saudāgar
I Too Have Some Dreams: N. M. Rashed and Modernism in Urdu Poetry
A translation of this Urdu poem by N. M. Rashed as well as this transliteration appears in the appendix of I Too Have Some Dreams. The transliteration is intended for people who can understand Urdu/Hindi or related languages. I hope to soon add performances of these poems as well.
