Chand roz aur merii jaan faqat chand he roz
zulm kii chaoon mein dam lenay per majaboor hain hum
ik zaraa aur sitam seh lein, tadap lein, ro lein
apanay ajdaad ki meeras hay - maazoor hain hum jism par qaid hai jazbaat pe zanjeerien hain
fikr mahboos hai guftaar pe taazieerien hain
aur apnii himmat hay key hum phir bhi jiye jatey hain
zindagii kyaa kisi muflis kii qaba hay
jis mein har ghadii dard ke paiwand lage jaatey hain
lekin ab zulm ke miyaad ke din thore hain
ik zaraa sabr ki faryaad - ke thore hain
arsaa-e-dahar key jhulasi hui veerani mein
hum ko rahnaa hai , par yuun hi to nahin rahnaa hai
ajnabi haathon kaa benaam giraan-baar sitam
aaj sahnaa hai hameshaa to nahin sahna hai
ye teray husn se lipati hui aalaam kii gard
apanii do rozaa javaanii kii shikaston kaa shumaar
chaandanii raaton kaa bekaar dahakataa huaa dard
dil kii besuud tadap jism kii maayuus pukaar
chand roz aur merii jaan faqat chand hii roz
(Faiz Ahmed Faiz)
A few days more, my dear, only a few days.
We are compelled to draw breath in the shadows of tyranny;
For a while longer let us bear oppression, and quiver, and weep:
It is our ancestors` legacy, we are blameless;
On our body is the fetter, on our feelings are chains,
Our breaths are captive, on our speech are censorings;
It is our courage that evens then we go on living.
Is life some beggar`s gown, on which
Every hour patches of pain are fixed?
But now the days of the span of tyranny are few;
Patience one moment, for the days of complaining is few.
In the scorched desert of the space of this age
We must stay, but not stay like this;
The nameless, heavy oppression of foreign hands
Today must be borne, but not always borne.
The dust of tribulations enfolding your beauty,
Counting of the frustrations of our youth of two days,
Futile burning pain of moonlit nights,
The heart`s profitless throbbing, the body`s despairing cry
A few days more, my dear, only a few days.
translated by V.G. Kiernan
