Okay i’ve been reading a lot of Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali’s work lately. i know next to nothing about who he was, except he was born in Panipat, India in the late 1800s. He was influenced by, and friends with (among others), Ghalib and Sir Saiyad Ahmed Khan (considered one of the founders of the Aligarh movement). It was under the influence of Sir Saiyad Ahmed Khan that Hali wrote his famous “Musaddas” - a very, very long poem about the weak condition of Muslims. During the late 19th century, India was obviously under British occupation - the Mughal empire had completely collapsed, and there was a general feeling of apathy and hopelessness amongst Muslims, especially after the 1857 Mutiny. So the Musaddas was written partly out of a desire to awaken the Muslim ‘qaum’. When Hali had finished it, Sir Syed famously stated, “If Allah asks me what I have brought from the world, I will say that I brought Musaddas from the pen of Hali.”
Here are some excerpts from this amazing poem… it’s just an amazing read. It’s massively long, more than 30 pages at the very least. Of course, my Urdu being so weak, i had to dig out an English translation for it as well otherwise i would NEVER have appreciated its beauty - the English-translation-for-dummies is included below after the Urdu verses
ghaTa sar pai adbar ki cha rahi hai
falakat samaan apna dikhla rahi hai
nahoosat pas wa paish manDla rahi hai
chap aur ast sai yeh sada rahi hai
kai kal kaun thai aaj kia ho gaye tum
abhi jaagtay thai abhi so gaye tum [wah wah - love these last two lines]
^ Transl:
The raincloud of adversity is spreading over their heads
Calamity is showing itself
Inauspiciousness is hovering behind and in front
From left and right is coming the cry,
Who were you yesterday, and what have you become today
Just now you were awake, and now you have gone to sleep
par uss qaum ghafil ki ghaflat wohi hai
tanazzal pai apnay qanayat wohi hai
milay khak mai par raoonat wohi hai
hui subah aur khawb-e rahat wohi hai
na afsos inhain apni zallat pai hai kuch
na rashk aur qaumon ki izzat pai hai kuch
^Transl:
But the obliviousness of that heedless community is still the same
Their contentment with their decline is still the same
They have been reduced to dust, but their arrogance is still the same
Morning has come, and their comfortable sleep is still the same
They feel not the slightest sorrow at their degradation
nor envy of the prestige of other communities
This is one of Hali's descriptions of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him):
jataai unhain waqt ki qadr wa qeemat
dalaai unhain kaam ki hars wa raghbat
kaha choR dain gai sab aakhir rafaqat
ho farzmazwazn iss mai ya maal wa daulat
na choRay ga par saath har giz tumhara
bhalaai mai jo waqt tum nai guzara
^ Transl:
He made them realize the value and worth of time
and imparted to them the keen desire and urge to work
He told them, Everything will abandon your company at last
whether this comprises wifea nd children or wealth and property
But the one thing that will never leave your side
is the time which you have spent in doing good
sikhaai unhain noo-e insaan pai shafqat
kaha hai yeh islamiyon ki alamat
kai humsaya sai rakhtay hain woh muhabbat
shab wa roz pahaunchtay hain usko rahat
woh jo haq sai apnay liyay chahtay hain
wohi har bashar kai liyay chahtay hain
^Transl:
He taught them loving kindness to mankind, saying
It is the mark of Muslims that they bear love to their neighbour
and promote his welfare day and night
They desire the same thing for every man
as they desire from God for themselves.
hehe thanks you two i guess this thread isn’t that popular, but i dunno - his work reallyyyy touches a chord in me. Here’s some more of my favourites from his Musaddas:
woh bijli ka kaRka tha ya soot-e hadi
arab ki zameen jis nai saari hila di
nayi ik lagan dil mai sai kai laga di
ik awaz mai soti basti jaga di
paRa har taraf ghul pai piyam-e haq sai
kay goonj uTThay dasht wa jabl naam-e haq sai
…] kai hai zaat wahid ibadat kai laiq
zabaan aur dil ki shahadat kai laiq
ussi kai hain farmaan ata’at kai laiq
ussi ki hai sarkar-e khidmat kai laiq
lagao tau lo uss sai apni lagao
jhukao tau sar uss kai agay jhukao
ussi par hamesha bharosa karo tum
ussi kai sada ishq ka dam bharo tum
ussi kai ghazab sai Daro gar Daro tum
ussi ki talab mai maro gar maro tum
…] yahi hai ibadat yahi deen wa imaan
kai kaam ayye dunya mai insaan kai insaan
This is about the state of religious figures in Muslim countries:
…] koi masla poochnai unn sai jaye
tau gardan pai bar-e giraan lai kai aaye
agar badnaseebi sai shak issmai laaye
tau qataayi khataab ahl-e dozakh ka paaye
agar itraaz uss ki nikla zabaan sai
tau aana salaamat hai dushwaar waan sai
jo chahay kai khush unn sai mil kar ho insaan
tau hai shart woh qaum ka ho musulman
nishaan sijdah ka ho jabeen par numayaan
tashra mai uss kai na ho koi nuqsaan
baseen baRh rahi hon na daRhi chaRhi ho
iraaz apni had sai na agay baRhi ho
shariat kai ahkaam thai woh gawara
kai sheeda thay un par yahood aur nasara
gawah un ki narmi ka Quran hai saara
khud ad-deenu yusrun Nabi nai pukara
magar yaan kia aisa dushwar un ko
kai momin samajhnai lagay baar un ko
hali is indeed one of the greatest poets of all times…
