Adil Najam
Back in June 2009 I had first written by Prof. Jagan Nath Azad, who had been asked by the Quaid, Mr. Mohammed Ali Jinnah, to write the very first national anthem of Pakistan. Prof. Azad’s Aé sarzameené paak was, in fact, Pakistan’s first national anthem, until it was later replaced by the current anthem. Prof. Jagan Nath Azad, a Punjabi Hindu, later migrated to India but remained a staunch advocate of Indo-Pakistan friendship (see videos here).
At that point I had not been able to find a copy of the full tarana and since then I as well as other readers have been eagerly looking for a copy. Today, reader Adil Mulki found one here and I am delighted to share it with our readers (thanks also to Heritage Online where it was posted; Reader Shahid now alerts me that thanks are also due to ATP friend Beena Sarwar who originally uncovered this via Prof. Azad’s son Chander K. Azad, here):
An English transliteration is provided below for those who cannot read Urdu. I look forward to readers helping out with an actual translation.
Aye sar zameen-i-Pak
Zare tere hain aaj sitaron se tabnak
Roshan hai kehkashan se kahin aaj teri khak
Tundi-e-hasdan pe ghalib hai tera swaak
Daman wo sil gaya hai jo tha mudaton se chaak
Aye sar zameen-i-Pak!Ab apne azm ko hai naya rasta pasand
Apna watan hai aaj zamane main sar buland
Pohncha sake ga is ko na koi bhi ab gazand
Apna alm a hai chand sitaron se bhi buland
Ab ham ko dekhtey hain atarad hon ya samaak
Aye sar zameen-i-Pak!Utra hai imtehan main watan aaj kamyab
Ab huriat ki zulf nahin mahiv-e-paich-o-taab
Daulat hai apne mulk ki be had-o-be hisaab
Hon ge ham aap mulk ki daulat se faiz yab
Maghrib se hum ko khauf na mashriq se hum ko baak
Aye sar zameen-i-Pak!Apne watan ka aaj badalne laga nizam
apne watan main aaj nahin hai koi ghulam
apna watan hai rah-e-taraqi pe tez gam
azad, bamurad jawan bakht shad kaam
ab itr bez hain jo hawain thin zehr naak
Aye sar zameen-i-Pak!Zare tere hain aaj sitaron se tabnak
Roshan hai kehkashan se kahin aaj teri khak
Aye sar zameen-i-Pak!
P.S. Would it not be really wonderful if we could also find an audio recording from when it was the national anthem!
Pl. visit the following links to read some more findings on this issue:
http://mazhar.dk/pakistan/history/Tarana1.jpg
http://mazhar.dk/pakistan/history/Tarana2.jpg
Here are the details of how Azad write the anthem and why. This report goes back to 2005 well before there was even an ATP.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=stor y_19-6-2005_pg7_31
See this article by the Chairman of the History Department of Govt College University Lahore for clarification on Azad and Jinnah.
Here is what he says:
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2009-weekly/nos- 30-08-2009/dia.htm#3
“Was Jinnah a man with a secular disposition? That question lures many scholars from far and wide. Jinnah mostly exhibited his secular self through his western attire; taste for food and over all mode of living. He had Ramu as a cook and many non-Muslim friends. He was visibly irritated by Raja Sahib Mehmudabad over his obdurate insistence to promulgate Islamic injunctions in Pakistan and as Sharif ul Mujahid puts it, Jinnah started keeping him at bay. Besides, Jinnah’s famous speech in the constituent assembly on August 11, 1947, asking Jagan Nath Azad to write a national anthem for Pakistan, signifies his secular bent of mind. Jinnah’s choice of a Hindu poet to compose the national anthem is an ample testimony of his secular vision for Pakistan. Jagan Nath Azad is spot on when he says, “Jinnah Sahib wanted to sow the roots of secularism in a country where intolerance had no place.””
I think a correction of facts and admittance of mistake is in order by all involved in spreading this false myth of the original anthem.
http://jang.com.pk/jang/jun2010-daily/06-06-2010/c ol4.htm
and also this one:
http://jang.com.pk/jang/jun2010-daily/08-06-2010/c ol2.htm
A historically documented article (not op-ed or hearsay) on Quaid i Azam, Jagan Nath and his supposed national anthem of Pakistan by renowned Pakistani historian Dr Safdar Mehmood. The writer has quoted ATP and Adil Najam too. It’s upto this blog to respond in an intellectually apt way.
By the way Dr Safdar is not a ThaRRA Chhaap Urdu/Punjabi political commentator. (Although, personally I believe that being a speaker of such beautiful languages, and knowing no or little English doesnt make a man intellectually inferior. After all Ghalib, Bullhe Shah and Shah Hussain etc stood at very high stations of intellect and wisdom) He’s authored many books and articles on Pakistan’s history and politics, and has lectured at many universities around the world, including several in the West, of course. In fact he started his career as a lecturer at Government College Lahore before joining the CSS.
Plz do read and comment appropriately.
http://jang.com.pk/jang/jun2010-daily/06-06-2010/c ol4.htm
and also this one:
http://jang.com.pk/jang/jun2010-daily/08-06-2010/c ol2.htm