Kaifi Azmi (1919 – 2002) is considered to be one of the greatest Urdu poets of 20th century. He was a member of the Communist Party in India and subsequently of the Urdu Progressive Writers Movement.

Like most Urdu poets, Kaifi saab began as a ghazal writer, cramming his poetry with the repeated themes of love and romance in a style that was replete with clichés and metaphors. However, his association with the Progressive Writers’ Movement and Communist Party made him embark on the path of socially conscious poetry.

His progressive thinking is evident in one of his most potent poems, Aurat (Woman) which is below.

Shaukat Kaifi, his wife has beautifully summarized his progressive ideas in her book Kaifi & I: A Memoir (edited and translated by Nasreen Rehman). She recounts a mushaira she attended, much before her romance with Kaifi saab began, where he recited this stimulating poem (Aurat) and the effect it had on her. She says: “I fixed my gaze on Kaifi, convinced that he had written this poem for me, and I alone had the right to march with him. I was stubborn, proud, headstrong, and always ready to raise my voice against a perceived injustice. It became clear to me that only a man with progressive views about women could be my husband”

Aurat (Woman)

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

qalb-e-mahoul mein larzaan sharar-e-jang hain aaj

hausley waqt ke aur ziist ke yakrang hain aaj

aabgiinon mein tapaan walwale-e- sang hain aaj

husn aur ishq ham aawaaz-o-humaahang hain aaj

jis mein jaltaa huun usi aag mein jalnaa hai tujhe

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me

Flames of war are ablaze in our world today

Time and fate have the same aspirations today

Our tears will flow like hot lava today

Beauty and love have one life and one soul today

You must burn in the fire of freedom with me

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me

zindagii jehad mein hai sabr ke qaabuu mein nahiin

nabz-e-hastii kaa lahuu kaamptii aansuu mein nahii

urne khulne mein hai nakhat kham-e-gesu mein nahiin

jannat aik aur hai jo mard ke pahluu mein nahiin

uskii aazaad ravish par bhii machalnaa hai tujhe

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

Patience will not help you struggle through life

Blood, not tears, sustains the pulse of life

You will fly when you’re free and not ensnared by love

Heaven is not just in the arms of the man you love

Walk unfettered on the path of freedom with me

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me

goshey goshey mein sulagtii hai chitaa tere liye

farz kaa bhes badaltii hai qazaa tere liye

qahar hai terii har narm adaa tere liye

zahar hii zahar hai duniyaa kii havaa tere liye

rut badal daal agar phuulnaa phalnaa hai tujhe

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

Wherever you go sacrifice awaits you

To surrender is a way of life for you

All your charms condemn you

The ways of the world are poison for you

Change the seasons to flourish and be free

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me.

qadr ab tak terii tarriikh ne jaanii hii nahiin

tujh mein shole bhii hain bas ashkfishaanii hii nahiin

tu haqiiqat bhii hai dilchasp kahaanii hii nahiin

terii hastii bhii hai ik chiiz javaanii hii nahiin

apnii tarrikh kaa unvaan badalnaa hai tujhe

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

History has not known your worth thus far

You have burning embers too, not merely tears

You’re reality too, not a mere amusing anecdote

Your personality is something too, not just your youth

You’ve to change the title of your history

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me.

tod kar rasm ke but bare qadamat se nikal

zof-e-ishrat se nikal, vaham-e-nazaakat se nikal

nafs ke khiinche hue halq-e-azmal se nikal

yeh bhii ek qaid hii hai, qaid-e-muhabbat se nikal

raah kaa khaar hii kyaa gul bhii kuchalnaa hai tujhe

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

Emerge out of ancient bondage, break the idols of tradition,

the weakness of pleasure, this mirage of fragility

these self-drawn boundaries of imagined greatness

the bondage of love, for this too is a bondage

Not merely the thorns on the path, you have to trample on flowers too

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me.

tod yeh azm-shikan dagdag-e-pand bhii tor

terii khaatir hai jo zanjiir vah saugandh bhii tor

tauq yeh bhii zammruud kaa gulband bhii tor

tod paimana-e-mardaan-e-khirdmand bhii tor

banke tuufaan chhalaknaa hai ubalnaa hai tujhe

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

Shatter these resolve breaking suspicions of sermons

these vows that have become shackles

this too, this necklace of emeralds

these standards set by the wise men

You have to turn into a tempest, bubble and boil over

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me.

tuu falaatuno-arastuu haii tuu zohraa parviin

tere qabze mein hai garduun, terii thokar mein zamiin

haan, uthaa, jald uthaa paae-muqqadar se jabiin

main bhii rukne kaa nahii waqt bhii rukne kaa nahiin

larkharaayegii kahaan tak ki sambhalnaa hai tujhe

uth merii jaan mere saath hii chalnaa hai tujhe

You are Aristotle’s philosophy, Venus, Pleiades

You control the sky, the earth at your feet

Yes, raise, fast, raise your forehead from the feet of fate

I too am not going to pause, nor will the time

How long would you falter, you have to be firm

Arise, my love, for now you must march with me.

(The first three verses are translations by Nasreen Rehman in ‘Kaifi & I’ by Shaukat Kaifi)

A recitation of the poem in Kaifi saab’s voice – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjcWr2TPZdE