Hear My Plea:
The hypocrisy at national level is not hypocrisy. Apparently. It’s state policy. And its worse than hypocrisy because it leads to bloodshed. But it is hypocrisy. Nevertheless.
Ukraine was owned and helped by the West. America felt the pain in particular. But Palestine didn’t ring a bell to them. Not even in western mainstream media which kept on showing the butchered as butcherers.
This weekend will tell the American Government how bad Biden has messed up this time. It’s like Vietnam’s time: Stop the war. People are coming to Washington. And people will demand the government to stop being an Israel’s puppet. Bad days for Biden. The only good thing he had was his inaugural speech after being elected. Since then, tripping and falling. With bad policies all over the world and at home, Trump is rising to haunt him.
Meanwhile, the noise in Pakistan has its own hypocrisy. They are pushing 1.7 million Afghans back to Afghanistan. Including those who are born and raised in Pakistan. These people will definitely suffer for a long time, wherever the road will take them to settle. Or unsettle.
Israel is invading lands and homes of the Palestinians.
Pakistan is organizing a mass exodus of Afghans after doing all the pimped jobs.
I know you can’t compare the two, but you can. Deep down you can. Unsettling and displacing a family to an unforeseen world is nothing less of a tragedy even if you compare.
Yet, we don’t feel the two pains. One remains numb. In fact, makes us happy. The other hurts us. The one that hurts us, is the one we cant do anything about. Except… some noise.
We all have our biases. We all have our compromised ethos, pathos, and logos. Governments work that way. Militaries too. And we too.
But I do wish.
And pray.
For the arms to be twisted.
For the armies to be demolished.
For the murderers to be murdered.
For the unsettler to be unsettled.
For the civilians to rise.
For the missing ones to be found.
For the slogans to be raised.
For the fights to be won.
Against any arm. Against any military.
Be it Israel.
Or be it…
Ending this for all the tragedies, anywhere in the world with shikwa of Faiz:
موری ارج سنو دست گیر پیر
hear my plea – O protector, O Pir!
مائی ری کہوں کاسے میں اپنے جیا کی پیر
O mother, how do I describe the anguish of my soul!
ربّا سچّیا توں تے آکھیا سی
O true Lord – well, you had said
جا اوئے بندیا جگ دا شاہ ہیں توں
go, O servant – king of the world are you
ساڈیاں نعمتاں تیریاں دولتاں نیں
my bounties are all for your benefit
ساڈا نیب تے عالیجاہ ہیں توں
my viceroy and of exalted rank are you
ایس لارے تے ٹور کد پچھیا ای
after this false promise, did you ever take any notice
کیہہ ایس نمانے تے بیتیاں نیں
what a miserable time we have been passing through
کدی سار وی لئی او ربّ سائیاں
did you bother to ever inquire – O Lord Master
ترے شاہ نال جگ کیہہ کیتیاں نیں
what the world has done to your king
کِتّے دھونس پولیس سرکار دی اے
in one place, there is the menace of police and state
کِتّے دھاندلی مال پٹوار دی اے
in another, there is cheating over land and money
اینج ہڈّاں چ کلپے جان مری
my very being aches to the bone in such a way
جیویں پھاہی چ کونج کرلاوندی اے
as the Koonj (crane), caught in the snare, shrieks!
چنگا شاہ بنایا ای ربّ سائیاں
a fine king you have made – O Lord Master
پولے کھاندے وار نہ آوندی اے
keeps bearing the humiliations of shoe-beatings
مینوں شاہی نئیں چاہیدی ربّ میرے
I don’t want kingship, my Lord
میں تے عزت دا ٹکّر منگناں ہاں
I ask just for a piece of bread, honorably-earned
مینوں تاہنگ نیئں، محلاں ماڑیاں دی
I have no desire for grand things like palaces
یں تے جیویں دی نکّر منگناں ہاں
I ask just for a corner to subsist in
میری منّیں تے تیریاں میں منّاں
heed me and I will heed you
یری سونہہ جے اک وی گلّ موڑاں
I swear to you that I’ll never refuse a single command
جے ایہہ سودا نیئں پجدا تیں ربّا
if this bargain is not acceptable to Thee, O Lord
فیر میں جاواں تے ربّ کوئی ہور لوڑاں
then I shall go and get some other Lord
موری ارج سنو دست گیر پیر
hear my plea, O protector, O Pir!
اس صورت سے
in this manner
عرض سناتے
presenting the plea
درد بتاتے
recounting the anguish
نیّا کھیتے
rowing the boat
مِنّت کرتے
making entreaty
رستہ تکتے
waiting expectantly
کتنی صدیاں بیت گئی ہیں
so many centuries have passed
اب جا کر یہ بھید کھلا ہے
at long last has emerged this secret
جس کو تم نے عرض گزاری
the one you had petitioned
جو تھا ہاتھ پکڑنے والا
the one who used to grasp your hand
جس جا لاگی ناؤ تمھاری
the place your boat found its mooring
جس سے دکھ کا دارو مانگا
the one you sought the cure for grief from
تورے مندر میں جو نہیں آیا
the one who came into your temple not
وہ تو تمہیں تھے
that was none other than you
وہ تو تمہیں تھے
that was none other than you
