'Civil Service Romance'

The Letter 

Subject: Improvement of Bilateral Ties

Dear Miss:
With due respect and humble submission
I beg to welcome you to neighboring section.
I am coming the other day.
early for change
in view of new Boss
and you are also coming up the same stairway.
Power is failing as per schedule
and the lift will not move.
Not even down.
Five floors is no joke for fair sex
but still you are climbing and smiling.
I am sweating but you are glowing.
and becoming very beautiful.
Hitherto also you are pretty
needless to say. This is the face
I am saying to myself
to expedite launching of vessels.
Fair Helen, I am mentally drafting
make me immortal crew member.
You are joining as lower division assistant.
but you are Upper Division lady to me.
I was lower division initially
and rose by dint of good performance
I will teach sweet lady to follow suit
I am thinking at once: how to do
the buttering of boss. 

- Kaiser Hamidul Haq

भात दे हरामी

बेहद भूखा हूँ
पेट में , शरीर की पूरी परिधि में
महसूसता हूँ हर पल ,सब कुछ निगल जाने वाली एक भूख .
बिना बरसात के ज्यों चैत की फसलों वाली खेतों मे जल उठती है भयानक आग
ठीक वैसी ही आग से जलता है पूरा शरीर .
महज दो वक़्त दो मुट्ठी भात मिले , बस और कोई मांग नहीं है मेरी .
लोग तो न जाने क्या क्या मांग लेते हैं . वैसे सभी मांगते है
मकान गाड़ी , रूपए पैसे , कुछेक मे प्रसिद्धि का लोभ भी है
पर मेरी तो बस एक छोटी सी मांग है , भूख से जला जाता है पेट का प्रांतर
भात चाहिए , यह मेरी सीधी सरल सी मांग है , ठंडा हो या गरम
महीन हो या खासा मोटा या राशन मे मिलने वाले लाल चावल का बना भात ,
कोई शिकायत नहीं होगी मुझे ,एक मिटटी का सकोरा भरा भात चाहिये मुझे .
में तो नहीं चाहता नाभि के नीचे साड़ी बाधने वाली साड़ी की मालिकिन को
उसे जो चाहते है ले जाएँ , जिसे मर्ज़ी उसे दे दो .
ये जान लो कि मुझे इन सब की कोई जरुरत नहीं
पर अगर पूरी न कर सको मेरी इत्ती सी मांग
तुम्हारे पूरे मुल्क मे बवाल मच जायेगा ,
भूखे के पास नहीं होता है कुछ भला बुरा , कायदे कानून
सामने जो कुछ मिलेगा खा जाऊँगा बिना किसी रोक टोक के
बचेगा कुछ भी नहीं , सब कुछ स्वाहा हो जायेगा निवालों के साथ
और मान लो गर पड़ जाओ तुम मेरे सामने
राक्षसी भूख के लिए परम स्वादिष्ट भोज्य बन जाओगे तुम .
सब कुछ निगल लेने वाली महज़ भात की भूख
खतरनाक नतीजो को साथ लेकर आने को न्योतती है
दृश्य से द्रष्टा तक की प्रवहमानता को चट कर जाती है .
और अंत मे सिलसिलेवार मैं खाऊंगा पेड़ पौधें , नदी नालें
गाँव देहात , फुटपाथ, गंदे नाली का बहाव
सड़क पर चलते राहगीरों , नितम्बिनी नारियों
झंडा ऊंचा किये खाद्य मंत्री और मंत्री की गाड़ी
आज मेरी भूक के सामने कुछ भी न खाने लायक नहीं
भात दे हरामी , वर्ना मैं चबा जाऊँगा समूचा मानचित्र

---रफीक आज़ाद
Translated by Haider Rizvi

Jodi Bheste Jaite Chao - Duel of Poets ( If You Wish to Go to Heaven)

SHISHWA (Disciple)
If you wish to go to heaven
Keep fear of Allah in your heart

GURU (Teacher)
If you want to be close to Allah
Keep love within your heart

SHISHWA (Disciple)
I'm just your daughter's age
I'll assume the side of shariah
And take an anti-Sufi stance
Don't take what I say to heart
You ignore the Holy Scriptures -
What kind of Muslims are you?

Why are the mullahs
always angry with you?
Keep fear of Allah in your heart

GURU (Teacher)
You need a measure of wisdom
to grasp the Koran and Hadith
How can half-read mullahs
interpret the intricate Scriptures?

They preach to others
without knowing the texts
The dogmatic mullahs
make their living from deception
Well fed and fattened, they use
their strength to abuse us
Keep love within your heart

SHISHWA (Disciple)
You Sufis chant Allah's name
Ignoring creed and prayer

You smoke pot during Ramadan
With the excuse of meditation
What kind of Islamic creed
Sanctions this immorality?
Keep fear of Allah in your heart

GURU (Teacher)
Just showing off your rituals
Is that true namaz?
Namaz is meditation,
To attain tranquility

Fasting is self control
How many really follow that?
They skip their meals by day
And eat double by night

We don't lust for heaven
And have no fear of hell
Keep love within your heart

SHISHWA (Disciple)
You don't go on pilgrimage
You don't give charity
What do you have against
Ritual sacrifice?
Why should Muslims
Quaver at the sight of blood?

GURU (Teacher)
You're asked to sacrifice
Your dearest ones
Are these cows and goats
Your most beloved?

Nothing is dearer than yourself
The supreme sacrifice is self sacrifice
If you can, restrain your senses
Control your passions
Keep love within your heart

SHISHWA (Disciple)
You roam around with women
Without wedding them
You sing and dance together
Without shame

The outside world is for men
The woman's place is at home
Keep fear of Allah in your heart

GURU (Teacher)
Woman is the seed of life
The source of creation
Those who believe in inequality
Lock women into marriage

Woman is the vessel of love
Woman is the Mother
Without Woman we would not
Come into being

(Together)
You need both man and woman
For procreation and creation
Keep love inside your heart

If you want to be close to Allah
Keep love inside your heart

--- Source. Selected Song Texts from the Film Matir Moina and Listen to song in youtube.