It’s Veterans Day tomorrow. To celebrate brave soldiers who fight for justice and protection of the innocent, I wanted to post this piece from Sahir Ludhianvi. If you would like to share more poetry honoring soldiers, please post here.
ham amn chaahte hain magar zulm ke khilaaf
gar jang laazmee hai to phir jang hi sahi
zaalim ko jo na rokay vo shaamil hai zulm mein
qaatil ko jo na Tokay vo qaatil ke saath hai
ham sar-ba-kaf uTThay haiN ke haq fatehyaab ho
keh do usay jo lashkar-e-baatil ke saath hai -
Tum hi se Aye Mujahido! Jahan ka Sabaat hai
Tumhari Mishal bapa, Farogh-e-shash jehaat hai
Tum hi se Aye Mujhido! Jahan ka Sabaat hai
Tumhari Zau Dilnasheee'n Yaqeeni kainat hai
Wafa ki Roshni ho Tum panah Andheri raat hai
Shaheed ki jo Maut hai woh Qaum ki Hayat hai
Lahoo jo hai Shaheed ka woh Qaum ki Zakaat hai
Tum hi se Aye Mujahido! Jahan ka Sabaat hai
Nisar Jis pe Qaum ho Hawa ke Shahsawar Tum
Har Aankh ki ho Roshni Dilon ka ho Qaraar Tum
Baqa-e-Ahteraam-e-Deen-e-Haq ke Dostaar Tum
Jahan mai Amn-o-Kher ki Bina-e-Paaidaar Tum
Shaheed ki jo Maut hai Woh Qaum ki Hayat hai
Lahoo jo hai Shaheed ka Woh Qaum ki Zakat hai
Tum hi se Aye Mujahido! Jahan ka Sabaat hai
Zakat dai agr koi to ziada ho Tawangari
Bikhair dain anaaj agr to Fasal ho Hari Bhari
Chatain jo Chund Daliyan Namoo ho Nakhlistan ki
Katain jo chand gardanain to Qaum mai ho Zindagi
Shaheed ki jo Maut hai woh Qaum ki Hayat hai
Lahoo jo hai Shaheed ka woh Qaum ki Zakaat hai
Tum hi se Aye Mujahido! Jahan ka Sabaat hai
Tumhari Mishal bapa, Farogh-e-Shash Jehaat hai
Some of these I have never read or heard :) so thank you for sharing. We had a free concert in DC for Veterans Day, which I unfortunately could not attend.
The best way we can honor our veterans is to make sure war is the last resort, give peace every chance, give them nice pay (not just to the officer class and Air Force pilots), show diplomatic leadership rather than point fingers at each other, have a robust and honest media that works for the people and for truth, and political leaders who are in it to serve, and not to network.
May we all protect our veterans from unnecessary harm.