<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=“urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=” http:=“” www.paklinks.com=“” gs=“” images=“” smilies=“” redface.gif=“” border=“0” alt=“” title=“Embarrased” smilieid=“318” class=“inlineimg”></o:smarttagtype>Faiz Ahmed Faiz claimed that it was when he was being taken to a doctor in a tonga from the Lahore Central Jail in 1959 (where he was a prisinor) that this poem was concieved. His feet were in chains during the journey and he was a ‘mast malang’ near Mozang (a mohalla in Lahore) and said:
chashm-e-num, jaan-e-shooreeda kafi nahi
tohmat-e-ishq poosheeda kafi nahi
aaj bazaar maiN paa_bajolaaN chaloo
dast afshaaN chalo, mast-o-raqsaaN chaloo
Khak bar_sir chalo, Khoon bada_maaN chaloo
raah takta hai sab shehr-e-jaanaN chaloo
hakim-e-shehar bhi, majma-e-aam bhi
teer-e-ilzam bhi, saang-e-dushnaam bhi
subh-e-nashaad bhi, rooz-e-nakaam bhi
inka dum_saaz apney siva kaun hai
shehr-e-jaanaaN maiN aab ba_safa kaun hai?
dast-e-qatil ke shaayaaN raha kaun hai?
raKht-e-dil bandh lo, dil_figarooN chaloo
phir hum he qatal ho aaiN, yarooN chaloo
Translation:
A wet eye, a shaken life is not enough,
The accusation of a hidden love is not enough,
With feet in chains, Let us go in public today.
Let us go with palms exposed, with a song and dance,
with dirt in our hair, with blood on our chest,
Let us go while the entire city of lovers watches.
For the warden of the city, and the crowd of the commoners,
And the arrows of accusation, and the stones of abuse,
And the glum morning, and the failing day,
Who is there to give them life except us?
Who is ready in this city except us?
Who is honorable enough for the killer’s hand except us?
Pack up your belongings O Injured heart ones!
Let us go friends and get killed once again.