Tuesday, June 29, 2010

My Rejected Body, Your Rejected Soul!

Meherzaidi, the poet.
Mere Is Jism Ke Peechey
Aik Rooh Bhi Hai
Aye farsooda insaan, kiya Usey dekh Pao ge?
Mere is Tilism ke peechey
Aik Wujood bhi hai
Kiya usey dekh pao ge
Aye murda Shaitaan?

Haan yeh tumhare zulm-o-jabr
Wehshiana Raqse Besehar
Barjamane mehfil-e Meh -wa-shar
Abhi aur sahee, par ab naheen
Ab Aagayee hai woh Khabar
Ke bas Huwee Umeed-e-Sehr
Ayaan, Zofishan
Ba kull-o -Makaan
Uthaa hai hisaab ba mahshar
Tera wujood ab Hil gaya
Aye zanjeer-e-Rizwan-pa, Shar
Dey hisaab, Dey jawaab
Tere wajood ki azmaaish ki gharhi guzar gayee
Aye Sharri insaan
Ab Chal, abla pa, nang sar,
Tu nahin hai qabile rahm
Apne Khuda ke Huzoor
Wohi Khuda jo sab ka hai
Teri ghari guzar gayee
Ab faisla bhi ho gaya
Yeh Zulum ab khatam hua
Teri gharee guzar gayee
Kiya tu ne socha na tha?
Ye aazmaish-e- jism wa -Jaan
Yuheen nahi hai ham par ayaan
Bas ab na ro, bas ab na dhoondh
Tera raasta bhi band hua
Woh jo zindagi mein ayaan bhi tha
Tera zulm jab fashan bhi tha
Tu to mard tha, khuda bana
Akar, akar ke chalta tha
Aur deewaar mein chunta tha
Mera yeh wujood-e-zarfishan
Tu to mard tha , khuda bana
Bas ab Faisla tau ho chuka
Tera Maqbara tau ban gaya
Tera zulm hai tau likha huwa
Woh waqt gaya, woh waqt gaya
Ke  tu bhi hota maa'fi ka haqdar
Ab woh waqt gaya
Bas ab chal  Suwe Daar
Tere jurm hain ab beshumar
Aur naheen hai ab
Rahe Tauba Khulee

Aye marde-kul, bujha huwa
hai woh diya
Joh jala tha Umeed-e-roshan liye
Ke shayad tu hota sarbakaf
Ba Rahe Taqwa!

Translation :

Can your old, prejudiced eyes see
The soul behind my body?
Can you see clearly
O, corpsed Satan
My existence behind this adorned, magical facade?

Oh yes, you may continue
Your tyrannical savage dance
Imposed in the evil "Mehfil"
But no, not now
Now the news has come
The light of Dawn breaks
All over the universe
A light of Hope!
The apocalypse has arrived
The day of judgement is here
Now shakes the existence of your bieng
That whose feet are now shackled
By the Guardian 'Rizwaan'
Angel of the Heavens
Because of your evil dance.
Give account!
Give an answer!
Passed is the moment of Redemption
O, evil man
Now walk with blistered feet,
Bare -headed in scorching heat
You are forsaken
No mercy.
Present yourself before God
Who is the God of everyone
Your moment of redemption has passed
The judgement is given
Your tyranny has ended
Did you not think before?
Of this exam of body and soul?
Was not in vain!

Do not shed tears now
Do not seek forgiveness
Its late
Your path is sealed
That path which was lightened in your life
When your tyranny was evident
You were a man , pretending to be god
You walked in false pride
And you forsaked me in a brick wall.
You were a man, pretending to be god

Now the judgement is given
Your grave dug
Your tombstone written
Engraved with an obituary
Of tyranny that was your forte.
The time has passed
That time has passed
That you would have been redeemed
Now walk the Cross
Your sins many, uncountable
The path to redemption closed
O, all male
Extinguished is th 'Diya' that burnt bright
With a hope
That you may be ' Sarbakaf'
In the path of fear of God.

"Diya" means oil lamp, "sarbakaf" means ready to die from fear of God that is "Taqwa", "Rizwaan" is guardian angel of heaven. I have included metaphors as references , for example in the story of 'Anarkali" an Indian servant girl with whom the Prince Saleem, son of Emperor Akbar  was put inside the brick wall alive as was custom of punishment in olden India. The fear of God in Islam is known as "Taqwa" out of which man has to do justice and refrain from injustice.
"Mehfil " is the party.
I have written this poem in honour of all the women, children and men and others who have died unsung, unredeemed by us cruel people , who have been hanged, brick layered, murdered , killed , burnt and maimed in the name of honour, in the name of not bearing a male child, in the name of studying and educating, of all the NGO workers especially drivers and poor men and women who were killed by terrorists recently for carrying out their duties to help poor Pakistanis improve their lives, in health and educating. My list will go on and on. There is only hope for people who believe in God that the fear of God may forsake them from injustice , from Karo Kari and other honour killings, from rape and violence and child abuse, from giving unfair treatment to the poor, infirm and the needy. The list goes on and on.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Broken Heart, Shattered Dreams!

My heart is shattered into a thousand splinters
Each splinter sharper than a diamond razor
My life is spread like a splintered crystal goblet
Like pearls of dreams, splintered, shattered
My bleeding feet burn numb into my journey
of fires raging , with hatred and curse
My heart is shattered into a thousand splinters
Each splinter sharper than the sharpest "Khanjar"
I walk this thorne laden path alone,
I weep incessantly
Yet my screams fall on deaf ears
false values, fake smiles, broken promises
And then the world is only a make believe
We think we are "normal" ? O you male and female?
Do we not have to find a living, snatch a respectable life?
Then why this prejudice and false pretension
Always, everywhere love is pure
Pure like a mountain spring
falling, sparkling,
Nurturing, benefitting all who care
And yet there is silence and hate and prejudice
My broken heart and a thousand splinters shattered!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Dil Darwaza Aur Singhar...Heart Door and Vanity!

Aur jab us ne dil darwaza kharkhaya
Woh hone lagi tayyar, karne lagi singhar
Aankh ka kaajal,
Paon ki payal
Haath ki mehndi
Kaan ki baali
Dene lagi gawahee
Surkh labon ki Muskan
Zulfun ka haijan
Uth,tha girta aanchal
Machane laga ek shorish zada halchal
Woh gaal ka til bhi bol raha hai
Ek uljhan zada daastan

Kabhi hanstee thee, kabhi rotee thi
Kabhi jaagti thee , kabhi sotee thi
Aur har lamha sochtee rehtee thi
Aaye ga woh is ko sab kehne
Aur kare gee woh bhi iqraar
Yunhee jaari tha intezar
Har lamha har pal tha beqarar
Thee us ke gulshan mein ajab si bahar
Pur umeed , pur waqar

Aur phir woh kabhee na aya!
Shayad woh  bhool gaya
ke karti thi woh uska intezar!

Woh saare khat jo arsaal huey the
Woh saare parche phaar diye
Kuch roshan daan se phaink diye
Kuch angeethee mein dagh diye

Sab surma daani , hont ki laali
Sab choori mehndi,
Sab paoon ki payal
Sab pethi mein hain bandh diye.
Sab dafan huey hain 
ek heuwla ban kar!

Ab jab bhi sawan aata hai
Aur papeeha shor machata hai
Ek baarish dil par girtee hai
Har boondh hai bojhal zakhmon se
Har soo ek gehra saya hai
 Aur cheekh raha hai sannata
Khamosh hai payal
Gum sum hai bahaar.
Aur band hai dil ka darwaza
Weeran hai piyar ka suna mandir
Hain Umeed ke saye jaala jaala
Jape hai woh bas ek dukh ki maala
Jogan jogan, Raanjha Raanjha
Bhool gayee hai woh Sohni, Heer
Ban ke Sassui, ban ke Shireen
Kitne sawan beet chuke hain
Jab Khula tha dil ka darwaza!

English Translation:

He knocked the door to her heart
She started adorning.
Kohl in her eyes, Anklet in her feet,
Henna in her hands
Earrings bejewelled.
Spoke thus
The sweet smile on her pink lips
The movement of her tresses
Her falling, moving scarf
Evidence of storm ridden torment
Thus speaks the the mole on the cheek
Of the hidden torment!

She laughed and she cried
She lay awake and slept sometimes
And all the while she thought 
That he would come to express his love
And that she would acknowledge
her sweet passion
Thus continued her wait
Each moment a torment, a tempest.
So was her heart's garden in bloom
In a stange elegant anticipation.

But he never came.
Maybe he forgot that she waited.
And all the  letters  were torn to pieces.
Some thrown out of the ventilator
Some burnt in the chimney.
All kohl container,lip stainer,
All bangles, henna,
All anklet, earrings
Put away in the box.
All buried  like ghostly apparitions

And now when the rains arrive
and the Robin tweets endlessly
The rain falls in her heart
each drop heavy with eternal sadness
All around is endless darkness
And screams the eternal silence
Quiet is the anklet,
Silent , the spring.
Closed is her heart's door.
Empty, abandoned
her heart's unadorned mandir.
Her hopes like spider webs
She "japaays" her "dukh maala".
She's the gypsy of love like "Raanjha"
She has forgotten that she is
"Sohni" , "Heer".
She is like "Sasui", "Shireen".
She has forgotten the endless rain seasons that have passed
Since the heart's door was open to love.