Maine usse yeh kaha (I said this to him)

This is one of my favorite poems, it's a satirical poem by Habib Jalib who was a revolutionary poet, politician and part of National Awami Party during Gen.Ayub Khan's regime in 1950s. Known for his blunt expression of beliefs, he spent most of his life in prisons. Jalib wrote this in response to Hafiz Jalandari (a poet, a writer and composer of Pakistan National Anthem) about his response to a conversation with President Ayub Khan during the time of Ayub Khan’s dictatorship.



me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)
ye jo das crore hain, (These hundred million)
jehl ka nichor hain (Are the epitome of ignorance)
inki fikr so gayi (Their conscience has gone to sleep)
har umeed ki kiran (Every ray of hope)
zulmaton me kho gai (Is lost in the darkness)
ye khabar darust hai (This news is true)
inki mot ho gai (They are the living dead)
be shaoor log hain (Completely mindless)
zindagi ka rog hain (A disease of life)
aur tere paas hai (And you hold in your hand)
inke dard ki dawa (the cure of their disease)

me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)
tu khuda ka noor hai (You are the light of God)
akl hai shaoor hai (Wisdom and knowledge personified)
qaum tere saath hai (The nation is with you)
tere hi wajood se (It is only through your grace)
mulk ki nijaat hai (That the nation can be saved)
tu hai mehr-e-subh-e-nau (You are the light of a new morning)
tere baad raat hai! (After you there is only night)
bolte jo chand hain (The few who speak out)
sab ye shar pasand hain! (Are all trouble makers)
inki khainch le zabaan (You should tear out their tongues)
inka ghoont de gala (You should throttle their throats)

me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)
me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)
jin ko tha zaban pe naaz (Those proud of their eloquence)
chup hain wo zaban daraaz (Their tongues are completely silent)
chain hai samaaj me (The land is calm)
bemisaal fark hai (There is an unexampled difference)
kal me aur aaj me (Between yesterday and today)
apne kharch par hain qaid (Only at their own expense)
log kaid tere raaj me (Are people in prison, under your rule)
me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)
me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)

cheen apna yar hai (China is our friend)
us pe jan nisar hai (We’d give our lives for her)
par wahan jo hai nizaam (But the system that they have)
us taraf na jaayio (Steer well clear of that)
us ko door se salaam (From far away say “salaam”)
das crore ye gadhe (These hundred million fools)
jin ka naam hai awaam (That are named the masses)
kia banain ge hukmaran (Could surely never become rulers)
tu!, tu!, tu! yaqeen hai ye gumaan (You are the truth; they’re an illusion)
apni to dua hai ye (My prayer is that)
sadr tu rahe sada (You remain our President forever)

me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)
me ne us se ye kaha (I said this to him)