Translations from the Urdu of Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz - IIAugust '52
Translated from the Urdu of Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz by Poorvi L. Vora
Also appeared in To Topos Poetry International, PACIFICA: PEACE & the SEA, Vol. 5, pg. 48, 2003.
Translator's note: This was written to mark the fifth anniversary of the independence of Pakistan from British rule.
The light of spring seems possible Though dark autumn is still the ruler, Night's inky darkness is unmoving, Our life's blood might burn in them, Hold your heads high for having lost all, The caged people will wake at this dawn; Though this desert remains barren, Faiz, The translator would like to thank Aruna Thakkar, S. Charusheela and Colin Danby for their suggestions Copyright © 2003 Poorvi Vora अगस्त 1952 रौशन कहीं बहार के इमकाँ हुए तो हैं अब भी खिज़ाँ का राज है लेकिन कहीं-कहीं ठहरी हुई है शब की सियाही वहीं मगर उनमें लहू जला हो हमारा केः जानो-दिल हाँ कज करो कुलाह केः सब-कुछ लुटाके हम अहले-क़फ़स की सुब्हे-चमन में खुलेगी आँख है दश्त अब भी दश्तमगर ख़ूने-पा से फ़ैज़
agast 52
raushan kahI.n bahAr ke imkA.N hue to hai.n
ab bhI KhizA.N kA rAz hai lekin kahI.n-kahI.n
TheharI huI hai shab kI siyAhI wahI.n magar
unme.n lahU jalA ho hamArA keaH jAno-dil
hA.N kaj karo kulAh keaH saba-kuchh lutAke ham
ahale-Kafas kI subhe-chaman me.n khulegI A.Nkh
hai dasht ab bhI dasht magar KhUne-pA se "faiz" Original from: Faiz Ahmed Faiz, "Saare Sukhan Hamaare" (in devanAgarI), pg. 179 Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi, second edition, 1991. Email: poorvi at ieee.org Last modified: 11 September, 2016 |