Faiz - Nisaar Me Teri Galiyon Ke Ae Watan

The despairing history of our 60 some years of confusion has less for us to boast about. But this despair has led to some of this land's brightest stars to shine everso brightly. Faiz saahib's piece Nisar Me Teri Galiyon rings true today ever more than it did when it was originally written, and tomorrow, maybe even moreso.

Here is a youtube of Zia Mohyeddin reciting this piece by Faiz (though I'm not too fond of the display pictures used). I have added below the original piece with translation for those interested.



Nisaar main teri galiyon peh ai watan, keh jahan
Chali hai rasm keh koi na sar utha keh chale
Jo koi chahane wala tawaaf ko nikale
Nazar chura keh chale, jism-o-jan bacha keh chale

Hai ahel-e-dil ke liye ab yeh nazm-e-bast-o-kushaad
Keh sang-o-khisht muqayyad hain aur sag aazad

Bahut hain zulm keh dast-e-bahana-ju keh liye
Jo chund ahel-e-junoon tere naam leva hain
Baney hain ahel-e-hawas muddai bhi, munsif bhi
Kise wakil karen, kis-se munsifi chahen

Magar Guzaarane walon ke din guzarate hain
Tere firaq mein yun subah-o-shaam karate hain

Bujha jo raozan-e-zindan to dil yeh samajha hai
Keh teri maang sitaron se bhar gai hogi
Chamak uthe hain salasil to humne jaana hai
Keh ab sahar tere rukh par bikhar gai hogi

Gharaz tasavur-e-shaam-o-sahar mein jeete hai
Giraft-e-saaya-e-diwaar-o-dar mein jeete hain

Yuhin hamesha ulajhati rahi hai zulm se khalq
Na unki rasm nai hai, na apni reet nai
Yuhin hamesha khilaye hain humne aag mein phool
Na unki haar nai hai na apni jeet nai

Isi sabab se falak ka gilaa nahin karate
Tere firaq mein hum dil bura nahin karate

Gar aaj tujhse juda hain to kal baham hongey
Yeh raat bhar ki judai to koi baat nahin
Gar aaj auj peh hai taal-e-raqib to kya
Yeh chaar din ki khudai to koi baat nahin

Jo tujhse ahad-o-wafa ustuvaar rakhate hain
Ilaaj-e-gardishe lailo-nihaar rakhate hain.

--

I give my life to your alleys, o nation, where
custom now dictates that one walk with head bowed,
when a lover leaves on a pilgrimage to love,
he must guard his eye, his body, his life.

Here, then, is the new order of freedom, O heart
Stones and bricks are in captivity and dogs run free.

Many are the pretenses for the oppressor’s hand
for the few who, in madness, take your name
the ones crazed by lust are both the accusers and the judges
who can we get to make our case? from whom can we seek justice?

Yet the days go by for those who can,
in your separation, turn dusk to dawn.

Now that the prison’s window has turned off
we know that stars must have decorated your hair.
Now that these chains are sparkling
we know that the day must have illuminated your face.

And so we live, imagining dawns and dusks
And so we live, gripped by the shadow of these prison walls

Such has always been, this struggle between oppressor and oppressed
Neither are their customs new, nor our paths new
Such has always been, that we grew flowers amid fire
Neither is their defeat new, nor is our triumph new.

Which is why, we don’t offer complains to the sky
Which is why, we don’t mourn being away from you

If today we are apart, tomorrow we will be together
this separation for a night is nothing,
If today the rival’s sun is high, so what?
this god for four days is nothing.

Those who maintain their oath of fidelity to you
they possess the cure for the circulation of night and day.