I am a great fan of Faiz and having seen many leading personalities such as Maulana Bhashani, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Faiz Ahmed Faiz etc. branded as traitors over the years, my reaction on the charge of treason is cynicism. Accusing someone of treason has always been selective. For example Musharraf, is being tried for treason and his property confiscated on the orders of the court because Nawaz Sharif as well as the ex CJ Ch. Iftekhar are extremely vindictive & shallow persons. However, Zia-ul Haq, who committed the same crime and even hanged the ZA Bhutto, is considered a ‘hero of Islam’ by his bigoted supporters despite the fact that nearly all the extremism in today’s Pakistan society is the direct result of his policies. If Nawaz Sharif appointed a potential traitor as the Army Chief; isn't Nawaz Sharif equally culpable?
Faiz Ahmad Faiz served 4 years in jail as a result of 1951 Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case. In 1958 he was detained again and Progressive Papers Ltd belonging to Mian Iftikharuddin where Faiz was editor was nationalized. Does anyone call him a ‘Traitor’ now? I have never cared much for Achakzai, however he is a member of National Assembly and I would not call him ‘ghaddar’ or traitor.
The following poetry was written by Faiz Ahmad Faiz before the partition, but when I read it today, it aptly describes feelings of many liberals including myself with Pakistan being my “Mehboob” or beloved.
Mujh se pehli si muhabbat mere mehboob na maang
by
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Mujh se pehli si muhabbat mere mehboob na maang
Maine samjhaa tha ke tu hai to darakhshaan hai hayaat
Tera gham hai to gham-e-dehar ka jhagdaa kyaa hai
Teri surat se hai aalam mein bahaaron ko sabaat
Teri aankhon ke siwaa duniyaa mein rakhkhaa kya hai
Tu jo mil jaaye to taqdir nigoon ho jaaye
Yoon na thaa maine faqat chaahaa thaa yoon ho jaaye
Aur bhi dukh hai zamaane mein muhabbat ke siwaa
Raahatein aur bhi hain vasl ki raahat ke siwaa
Anginat sadiyon ki taareeq bahemaanaa tilism
Resham-o-atlas-o-kamkhwaab mein bunvaaye hue
Ja-ba-ja bikte hue koochaa-o-baazaar mein jism
Khaak mein lithade hue, khoon mein nehlaaye hue
Jism nikle hue amraaz ke tannooron se
Peep behti hui galte hue naasooron se
Laut jaati hai udhar ko bhi nazar, kya keeje?
Ab bhi dilkash hai tera husn, magar kya keeje?
Aur bhi dukh hai zamaane mein muhabbat ke siwaa
Raahatein aur bhi hain vasl ki raahat ke siwaa
Mujh se pehli si muhabbat mere mehboob na maang
English transaltion.
My love, do not ask from me the love we shared before
translated by
Mustansir Dalvi
My love, do not ask from me
the love we shared once before.
If you were here, I always thought
life would shine, eternally.
We share our grief, so why argue
over the sorrows of the world?
Your countenance is the assurance
of perennial spring, everywhere.
For what is the worth of this world
but the sight of your eyes?
If only I found you, the fates
would be enthralled.
This wasn’t how it should have been,
except that I wanted it to be;
there are more sorrows in this world
beyond the anguish of love.
There is more to happiness
than the relief of reunion;
the blight of dark magic
of years beyond counting,
while draped in silk,
satin and brocade; everywhere,
in alleys and marketplaces,
young flesh is up for sale.
Dragged in the dirt,
bathed in blood, bodies
emerge from furnaces
of pestilence.
Pus flows untapped
from leaking ulcers.
My eyes can't look away,
what should I do?
Your beauty still allures, but
what can I do?
There are sorrows in this world
beyond the pleasures of love.
There is more to happiness
than the relief of reunion;
so my love, do not ask from me
the love we shared once before.
Translation and Transliteration © Mustansir Dalvi, 2012, All rights reserved.