Aaj baazar mein paa-ba-jaulan chalo


چشم نم جان شوریدہ کافی نہیں
تہمت عشق پوشیدہ کافی نہیں
آج بازار میں پا بہ جولاں چلو
-فیض احمد فیض

Chashm-e-nam jaan-e-shoreeda kaafi nahin
tohmat-e-ishq-e-posheeda kaafi nahin
aaj baazar meiN pa-bajaulaN chalo
-Faiz Ahmed Faiz

चश्म-ए-नम जान-ए-शोरीदा काफ़ी नहीं
तोहमत-ए-इश्क पोशीदा काफ़ी नही
आज बाज़ार में पा-बजौलां चलो
-फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़

Meaning of:

paa-ba-jaulan, पा-बजौलां , پا بہ جولاں: पैरों में ज़ंजीर , Bound in fetters
Chashm-e-nam, चश्म-ए-नम, چشمِ نم: भीगी आँखें, Tearful eyes
shoreeda, शोरीदा, شوریدہ: चिंता, परेशानी, Distress
Tohmat, तोहमत, تہمت: झूठा इल्ज़ाम, Accusations
Posheeda, पोशीदा, پوشیدہ: छिपा हुआ, Hidden, concealed

Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Member of the Order of the British Empire, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Lenin Peace Prize awardee, was an influential left-wing intellectual, revolutionary poet, and one of the most regarded poets of the Urdu language, being considered four times for the Nobel Prize in poetry. (Source : Wikipedia)

He wrote ‘Aaj baazar mein pa ba jaulan chalo’ in 1959 when he was imprisoned under Ayub Khan’s martial law. He was taken to the Lahore fort’s torture cell passing through the streets of Lahore in a horse driven cart with his fetters on. Here’s the complete Nazm along with meanings.

Aaj baazar mein paa-ba-jaulan chalo (paa-ba-jaulan – shackles on feet, like a prisoner)

Chashm-e-nam, jaan-e-shoreeda kaafi nahin (Chashm-e-nam-saltiness of tears, jaan-e-shoreeda – distressed soul )
Tohmat-e-ishq-e-posheeda baqi nahin (posheeda – hidden)
Aaj baazar mein paa-ba-jaulan chalo
Dast-e-afshaan chalo, mast-o-raqsaan chalo (dast-e-afshaan – swinging hans, mast-o-raqsaan – dancing in trance)
Khaak-bar-sar chalo, khoon-ba-damaan chalo (khaak bar sar – kicking the dust, khoon-ba-daman- blood on sleeves)
Raah takta hai sab shahr-e-janaan chalo (shahar-e-jaana – beloved city)
Aaj baazar mein paa-ba-jaulan chalo
Haakim-e-shahar bhi, majma-e-aam bhi
Teer-e-ilzaam bhi, sang-e-dushnaam bhi (sang-e-dushnam – the stones on road)
Subh-e-nashaad bhi, roz-e-nakaam bhi (roz-e-nakaam -unsucessful day)
Aaj baazar mein paa-ba-jaulan chalo
In ka damsaaz apne siwa kaun hai (damsaaz – friend)
Shahr-e-jaanan mein ab ba-safa kaun hai (ba-safa – sincere)
Dast-e-qaatil ke shaayan raha kaun hai (dast – hand, shaayan – extending)
Rakht-e-dil baandh lo, dil figaaro chalo (dil figara – broken hearted)
Phir hamin qatl ho aayen yaaro chalo.
Aaj baazar mein paa-ba-jaulan chalo

— Faiz Ahmed Faiz

Here’s a rough translation of the Nazm

Stride along in the bazaar despite shackles in your feet today

Salty tears in eyes and a distressed soul are not enough
the accusations of a clandestine love are not enough
Stride today in the bazaar despite your  shackled feet

Swing your arms, Stride merrily, feet dancing
head and hair covered with dust, clothes stained with blood
Come, your beloved city is waiting for you

For the rulers and the commoners
for the arrows of slanders and the stones of insults hurled at you

(arrows of) slanders and (stones of) insult (so what if you get slanders and insult)
depressing mornings, unsuccessful day (do it despite depressing mornings and unproductive day)
Stride today in bazaar despite shackled feet
Who is there for them if not you?
who in your beloved city can still be trusted?
who is capable of murder?
stop the rhythm of the heart, walk broken hearted
let us be murdered (martyrs), come my friend,
Stride today in the bazaar despite shackled feet

There was a movie called “In Custody” based on a novel by Anita Desai which used Faiz’s ghazals and Nazms. Here’s a video from the movie.

Photo credit: jonycunha / Foter / CC BY-SA

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