thanks for the translation. i have re-read it many times both in the original urdu and in your translation and i still don't interpret it the way you do--but that is the beauty of poetry. btw, i never said Faiz was a great --or even good--Muslim. Iqbal on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish but I will open a new thread for that for the reasons you stated. Coming back to this poem don't you see it as possibly being interpreted as a plea to Allah to help the poor and downtrodden in society?
as usual, i disagree with your viewpoint. i will come to iqbal later, but this 'upfront'ness is not a sign of the righteous. agreed they were both great poets and have written some wonderful poetry, but to cite them as great muslims is an exaggeration. incidentally, i stumbled upon singh's translation and introduction to iqbal's 'shikwah' yesterday and found that he has similar ideas about iqbal. not that i consider khushwant singh to be an authority on iqbal, but i find his comments reasonable. his translation falters badly in places but it is not entirely his fault; it is his advisers. he acknowledges in the preface that he is 'helped' by people who know better urdu. but anyway, let us stick to the topic: whatever faiz was or turned out to be, this particular nazm is not a du'a. and if i translate it below here it is only to refute it [and your wrong notion] not because i find warmth in the 'du'a.' come, let us raise our hands, as well - we, the ones who do not remember the ritual of du'a we, the ones who [do not remember] anything other than the searing of love, do not know of any idol, nor any God. come, let us beseech that the Creator of existence may fill sweetness in the morrow from the poison of today those who cannot bear the burden of passing day, may their eyelids be unburdened of the day and night they, whose eyes have no bonding to the morn, may someone light a lamp in their night they, whose feet have nowhere to go, no path may someone illuminate a way to their sight they, whose religion is lies and deceit [riya'a] may they get the temerity of infidelity, and audacity to question they, whose heads await the swords that betray may get the guidance to ward of the hands that slay ---- in the second stanza, the word kufr is used as a juxtaposition to 'religion of lies and deceit' but still, the poem as a whole has a strong undertone that: 'if at all i would do du'a, then i would ask these things'. i have already said that it is a socialist/communist agenda and good poetry as well; but please don't call it a du'a. ---- Allah ta'ala knows best. ps: iqbal in another thread so as to keep this topic from drifting away.
:s1: granted Faiz was a commited socialist--he denied being a communist---and though it is possible to detect some sarcasm in this nazm, I do think it is a heartfelt prayer. He even called it 'Dua'. I think it is better to have a good opinion of a Muslim--and what he prays for--the betterment of the poor and downtrodden--surely that is a beautiful prayer even though his style and manner may not be ideal but that is poetic license, no? Even Iqbal was quite upfront with Allah in some of his poems (Shikwa comes to mind immediately but there are many others--and Iqbal was a great Muslim and lover of the Prophet. Many would even describe him as a 'fundamentalist' in today's parlance.) As for Faiz, the last poem in his Collected Works is a beautiful Persian naat which he dedicated to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and asked him for His intercession--even though he says in the poem he was a sinner and didn't deserve it. I will insha Allah try to post and translate that Farsi naat tomorrow. p.s could you (or someone else) translate this Dua into English for those who do not know Urdu? I would but haven't got time right now...
correct me if i am wrong but the poem is NOT a du'a. it brazenly voices the communist agenda and even extols kufr. in a way, as an undertone, it makes fun of 'religious' types - and joins in du'a in a sort-of sarcastic manner. i may not be an expert on poetry, but that is how i understand. -------------------------------------- wa ma du'a al-kafirina illa fi Dalal / the du'a of the infidel is but astray. Allah ta'ala knows best.
aaiiye haath uThaaye.n ham bhii ham jinhe.n rasm-e-dua yaad nahii.n ham ji.nhe.n soz-e-mohabbat ke siwaa koii but, koii Khudaa yaad nahii.n aaiiye arz guzare.n ki nigaar-e-hastii zahar-e-imaroz me.n shiiriinii-e-fardaa.N bhar de wo ji.nhe.n tabe garaa.Nbaarii-e-ayyaam nahii.n unakii palako.n pe shab-o-roz ko halkaa kar de jinakii aa.Nkho.n ko ruKh-e-subh kaa yaaraa bhii nahii.n unakii raato.n me.n koii shamaa munawwar kar de jinake qadamo.n ko kisii rah kaa sahaaraa bhii nahii.n unakii nazaro.n pe koii raah ujaagar kar de jinakaa dii.n pairavii-e-kazbo-riyaa hai unako himmat-e-kufr mile, jurat-e-tahaqiiq mile jinake sar mu.ntazir-e-teG-e-jafaa hai.n unako dast-e-qatil ko jhaTak dene kii taufiiq mile ishq kaa sarr-e-nihaa.N jaan-tapaa.N hai jis se aaj iqaraar kare.n aur tapish miT jaaye harf-e-haq dil me.n KhaTakataa hai jo ka.NTe kii tarah aaj izahaar kare.n or Khalish miT jaaye
