Today is a good day to talk about ‘Pakistaniat.’
The name of this blog is ‘All Things Pakistan’ or ATP. But the title in the URL is ‘Pakistaniat’ which would loosely translate as ‘Pakistani-ness.’ The blog is named thus because it was borne out of a conversation with a friend on what makes a Pakistani a Pakistani. The purpose of this blog is to continue and broaden that conversation, to make it ongoing, and to involve more people in it.
Of course, there are many way to talk about Pakistaniat. In fact, that is all we do on ATP, all the time, and in all sorts of ways. One way to do so is through poetry. We thought maybe we should ask you to share with us a favorite verse, a sheyr, a nazm, a line from a song, anything that conveys some sense of something you would consider Pakistaniat… poetry that tugs at you on this Independence Day… the canvas is wide, choose whatever you may.
To set the ball rolling, let me offer some of my favorites.
Let me start with one of my favorite national song (see here for my all time favorite national song). It used to be played a lot around 1970 (I think the poet is Asad Muhammad Khan and was sung by Shahnaz Begum). I always thought that the essential idea behind it was quite unlike most national songs:
mauj baRhay kay aanDhi aa-aye, diya jala-aye rakhna hai
ghar ki khatir sau dukh jhailaiN, ghar tou aakir appna hai
On a more profound note, heere is a Dua (prayer) from Faiz. I absolutely love the line about “himmat-e-qufr millay, juraat-e-tehqeeq milay” (read the line before this one for context). Ameen.
I found this English translation here but not sure by whom. My hunch is that it is not from Agha Shahid Ali (The Rebel’s Shilloute), but I may be wrong:
Come, let us join our hands in prayer.
We, who can not remember the exact ritual
We, who, except the passion and fire of Love,
do not recall any god, remember no idol.Let us beseech, that may the Divine Sketcher
mix a sweet future in the present’s poison
For those who can’t bear the burden of time,
the rolling of days on their souls, may He lightenThose, whose eyes don’t have in their fate, the rosy cheek of dawn
may He set for them some flame alight.
For those, whose steps know no path
may He show their eyes some way in the night.May those whose faith is following falsehood and pomp
have the courage to deny, the boldness to discover.
May those whose heads wait for the oppressors sword
have the ability to push off the hand of the executioner.This secret of Love, which has put the soul on fire,
may we express it today and the burning be gone.
This word of Truth that pricks in the core of the heart,
may we say it today and the itching be gone.
I apologize for posting this yet again, but this seems to be an appropriate place to revisit my video rendition of Faiz’s hum daikhain gay. I have discussed this poem’s importance to ATP’s ethos here and the original and Maniza Naqvi’s translation are available here.
Click on the arrow at the center of the image below
Main picture credit: Cricket spectator in Lahore (from Daily Times).
Shehron kee dulhan was on the “Alamgir in New York LP. You missed that? I think this was from the phase when he was in the process of moving out of Pakistan. Of course, he’s now moving back…and we hope to discuss that here, soon, no?
Fawad, a belated thanks from me too for transcribing the bandar road saw kimari… song…. I lost my casette with this years ago so I have been reading your transcription again and agian and playing the song in my head ;-)
iFaqeer, I am not at al familiar with Alamgir’s “Shehron kee dulhan…â€
Adil, Fawad, thank you very much for bringing up and then reproducing the whole of “Bandar Road say Kiamari“. The other wonderful Karachi-themed song is Alamgir’s “Shehron kee dulhan…”
As I have said before, if a citizen of any city, I am a citizen of Karachi. If I belong to any ethnic or linguistic group, I am an “Urdu speaker”. But the song lines that most express “Pakistaniat” for me, the bond one has to one’s bhoomi, to use the old word now completely coopted by our neighbours, is not from Karachi at all, or in Urdu, but lines from a Siraiki (or is it Punjabi) song, which capture, to me how that bond can permeate the whole of one’s being–even that most sublime of emotions: deep, deep romantic love:
Paawan wassay thoo wileith
Asaan karain ni ni rieith
Sanoo laay kay jaana ey Mianwali!!
[of course Ataullah’s soulful crooning add that further depth to the emotion]
And while we are on Ataullah Khan Issakhailvi and Pakistaniat, maybe we should have a discussion on iconic things that have been social equalizers in our society–things that are equally “owned” by all social classes, groups, and types. I always mention Attaullah’s music as one such thing. What’s your candidate?
Roshan,
Have you noticed that our anthem is almost all in Persian! There is only one word “ka” that is plain and simple Urdu. No wonder I have difficulty in understanding most of it even though I had been singing it in school all those years.
Now Imagine, how difficult it would have been for our East Pakistani compatriots to roll their tongues around Persian words, let alone understand them. Bengali and Persian, as you know, have very little in common.
While we celebrate August 14 we should also stop and ponder over some of the inconsistencies of the past.
Hello Adil
What a great blog and what a great video you have made. Kudos to you my friend. I am so surprised that I had’nt come across your blog earlier,. Being blogging for a while and seeing a number of fellow-bloggers from Pakistan in your blog-roll, its shocking to me!! Also, I had seen your video on youtube.com many a times and I always felt that maybe it could be forwaded to GEO or ARY since its perfect to sum up alot of our history!!
Maybe you should look into this. Or if I will get hold of someone, I will try to get your video up for that. It certainly deserves a bigger audience, esp Pakistani audience.
Anyways, I have added you to my blogroll. You may like my blog too. Its a little sarcastic and I have slowed down in terms of blogging, but I try to catch up as often as I can.
A very HAPPY 14TH AUGUST!!
Pakistan Zindabad & Pakistaniat Paindabad.