National Anthem/s Of Pakistan

[Afzal A. Khan]

In a recent thread, mention had been made of Pakistan's National
Anthem where (supposedly) only one Urdu word ("ka") has been used.
The rest of it comprises only Faarsi and Arabic words !

ALUPers may perhaps be intrigued by my use of the plural in the
header. To resolve the issue, you will have to read my post through
--- right up to the end.

But, let me first talk about the Anthem. It was written by the well-
known Urdu poet Abul~Asar Hafeez JaalaNdhari in the early fifties.
The Anthem was officially adopted around 1954. Interestingly, it
seems the tune and music (by Ahmed Chhagla) had been composed some
two or three years earlier.

For those who may not know the full text of the Anthem, it is quoted
below (in Roman) :


Paak sarzameen shaad~baad
Kishwar-e-haseen shaad~baad
Tu nishaan-e-'azm-e-'aalishaan
Arz-e-Pakistan !
Markaz-e-yaqeen shaad~baad

Paak sarzameen ka nizaam
Qoowat-e-uKHoowat-e-'awaam
Qaum, mulk, saltanat
Paain'da taabin'da~baad !
Shaad~baad manzil-e-muraad

Parcham-e-sitaara-o-hilaal
Rehbar-e-taraqqi-o-kamaal
Tarjumaan-e-maazi, shaan-e-haal
Jaan-e-istiqbaal !
Saaya-e-KHudaa-e-zul'jalaal


And since we have been talking about translation too, here is an
English rendition :

Blessed be the sacred land
Happy be the bounteous realm
Symbol of high resolve
Land of Pakistan !
Blessed be thou, citadel of faith

The order of this sacred land
Is the might of the brotherhood of the people
May the Nation, the Country and the State
Shine in glory everlasting !
Blessed be the goal of our ambition

This flag of the Crescent and Star
Leads the way to progress and perfection
Interpreter of our past, glory of our present
Inspiration of our future !
Symbol of the protection of God, Owner of All Majesty



Now, let us resolve the "intriguing" use of the plural.

It seems that Pakistan's first Anthem was written, at the instance
of its founder Mr. Jinnah, by Jagan Nath Aazaad, a prominent man of
letters from the Punjab who had stayed on in Pakistan even after
1947. Aazaad, who died in 2004 of cancer (at the age of 86), was the
son of Tilok Chand Mehroom who himself was a renowned Urdu poet in
his own right. As the communal riots continued unabated even after
Pakistan's creation, both father and son were forced to emigrate to
India. Mehroom died in 1966. {One of his best known poems "Noor
JahaaN Ke Mazaar Par" was posted in ALUP, at my specific request,
by Raj Kumar Saheb some 12 years back. Please search the Archives;
the poem is really worth reading and one gets a lump in the throat
while reading it.}

Jagan Nath Aazaad has written several books; some of his writings are
prescribed in University text books. He is considered an authority
on Dr. Iqbal, and his writings on the "Shaa'ir-e-Mashriq" constitute
a valuable part of the vast collection of writings known as "Iqbal-
iyaat". Apart from various Awards received by him in India, the
Government of Pakistan too had given him the President's Gold Medal
for his services to Urdu Literature.

Although this issue is not without its share of controversies, it
seems the anthem written by Jagan Nath Aazaad (which had been
approved by the Quaid-e-Azam himself) had continued to be Pakistan's
National Anthem for about 1 1/2 years and was often played over
Radio Pakistan.

Here is the text of Aazaad's Anthem :



Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
Raushan hai kehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
TuNdi-e-haasidaaN pe GHaalib hai tira swaak
Daaman woh sil gaya hai jo tha muddatoN se chaak
Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !

Ab apne 'azm ko hai naya raasta pasaNd
Apna watan hai aaj zamaane men sar~bulaNd
PahuNcha sake ga is ko na koi bhi ab gazaNd
Apna 'alam hai chaaNd sitaaroN se bhi bulaNd
Ab hum ko dekhte haiN 'ataarad hoN ya Samaak
Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !

Utra hai imtehaaN men watan aaj kaam'yaab
Ab hurriyat ki zulf naheeN mehv-e-pech-o-taab
Daulat hai apne mulk ki be~hadd-o-be~hisaab
HoN ge hum aap mulk ki daulat se faiz'yaab
MaGHrib se hum ko KHauf na Mashriq se hum ko baak
Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !

Apne watan ka aaj badalne laga nizaam
Apne watan men aaj naheeN koi bhi GHulaam
Apna watan hai raah-e-taraqqi pe tez~gaam
Aazaad, baa~muraad, jawaaN~baKHt, shaad'kaam
Ab 'itr~bez haiN jo hawaaeN theeN zehr'naak
Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !

Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
Raushan hai KehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !



It is said that the Quaid-e-Azam had asked Aazaad to write the
National anthem on the 11th August 1947, i.e. three days before
its Independence. And Aazaad wrote it in five days.

And now, for its English rendition :


O, Land of the Pure !
The grains of your soil are glowing today
Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
Awe-struck is the enemy by your will-power
Open wounds are now sewn up -- we have found a cure
O, Land of the Pure !

New paths of progress, we resolve to tread
Proudly, our nation stands with high held head
Our flag is aflutter above the moon and the stars
As planets look up to us, be it Mercury or Mars
No harm will now come to us from anywhere, for sure
O, Land of the Pure !

The nation has tasted success at last
Now our struggle is a thing of the past
The wealth of our country knows no bounds
For us alone are its benefits and bounty all around
Of East and West, we have no fear
O, Land of the Pure !

Change has become the order of the day
No one is a slave in the nation today
On the road to progress, we're swiftly going along
Independent and fortunate, happy as a song
Gloomy winds are gone, sweet freedom's in the air
O, Land of the Pure !

The grains of your soil are glowing today
Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
O, Land of the Pure !


There is no denying the literary and poetic merit of Aazaad's
long-forgotten Anthem. I think the main difference between it
and the official Anthem is that the latter is much shorter and
written to suit the music (that had been composed much earlier).
Aazaad's Anthem, on the other hand, seems to have been written
as a piece to be read and recited. In all probability, he did
not have the benefit of any pre-set musical composition which
he could have clothed in a literary garb.



Afzal

[Rajiv Chakravarti]

     In a recent thread, mention had been made of Pakistan's National
     Anthem where (supposedly) only one Urdu word ("ka") has been used.
     The rest of it comprises only Faarsi and Arabic words !
     ALUPers may perhaps be intrigued by my use of the plural in the
     header.  To resolve the issue, you will have to read my post through
     --- right up to the end.
    But, let me first talk about the Anthem.  It was written by the well-
    known Urdu poet Abul~Asar Hafeez JaalaNdhari in the early fifties.
    The Anthem was officially adopted around 1954.  Interestingly, it
    seems the tune and music (by Ahmed Chhagla) had been composed some
    two or three years earlier.
    For those who may not know the full text of the Anthem, it is quoted
          Paak sarzameen shaad~baad
          Kishwar-e-haseen shaad~baad
          Tu nishaan-e-'azm-e-'aalishaan
          Arz-e-Pakistan !
          Markaz-e-yaqeen shaad~baad
          Paak sarzameen ka nizaam
          Qoowat-e-uKHoowat-e-'awaam
          Qaum, mulk, saltanat
          Paain'da taabin'da~baad !
          Shaad~baad manzil-e-muraad
          Parcham-e-sitaara-o-hilaal
          Rehbar-e-taraqqi-o-kamaal
          Tarjumaan-e-maazi, shaan-e-haal
          Jaan-e-istiqbaal !
          Saaya-e-KHudaa-e-zul'jalaal
    And since we have been talking about translation too, here is an
          Blessed be the sacred land
          Happy be the bounteous realm
          Symbol of high resolve
          Land of Pakistan !
          Blessed be thou, citadel of faith
          The order of this sacred land
          Is the might of the brotherhood of the people
          May the Nation, the Country and the State
          Shine in glory everlasting !
          Blessed be the goal of our ambition
          This flag of the Crescent and Star
          Leads the way to progress and perfection
          Interpreter of our past, glory of our present
          Inspiration of our future !
          Symbol of the protection of God, Owner of All Majesty
    Now, let us resolve the "intriguing" use of the plural.
    It seems that Pakistan's first Anthem was written, at the instance
    of its founder Mr. Jinnah, by Jagan Nath Aazaad, a prominent man of
    letters from the Punjab who had stayed on in Pakistan even after
    1947.  Aazaad, who died in 2004 of cancer (at the age of 86), was the
    son of Tilok Chand Mehroom who himself was a renowned Urdu poet in
    his own right.  As the communal riots continued unabated even after
    Pakistan's creation, both father and son were forced to emigrate to
    India.  Mehroom died in 1966.  {One of his best known poems "Noor
    JahaaN Ke Mazaar Par" was posted in ALUP, at my specific request,
    by Raj Kumar Saheb some 12 years back.  Please search the Archives;
    the poem is really worth reading and one gets a lump in the throat
    while reading it.}
    Jagan Nath Aazaad has written several books; some of his writings are
    prescribed in University text books. He is considered an authority
    on Dr. Iqbal, and his writings on the "Shaa'ir-e-Mashriq" constitute
    a valuable part of the vast collection of writings known as "Iqbal-
    iyaat".  Apart from various Awards received by him in India, the
    Government of Pakistan too had given him the President's Gold Medal
    for his services to Urdu Literature.
    Although this issue is not without its share of controversies, it
    seems the anthem written by Jagan Nath Aazaad (which had been
    approved by the Quaid-e-Azam himself) had continued to be Pakistan's
    National Anthem for about 1 1/2 years and was often played over
    Radio Pakistan.
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai kehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        TuNdi-e-haasidaaN pe GHaalib hai tira swaak
        Daaman woh sil gaya hai jo tha muddatoN se chaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Ab apne 'azm ko hai naya raasta pasaNd
        Apna watan hai aaj zamaane men sar~bulaNd
        PahuNcha sake ga is ko na koi bhi ab gazaNd
        Apna 'alam hai chaaNd sitaaroN se bhi bulaNd
        Ab hum ko dekhte haiN 'ataarad hoN ya Samaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Utra hai imtehaaN men watan aaj kaam'yaab
        Ab hurriyat ki zulf naheeN mehv-e-pech-o-taab
        Daulat hai apne mulk ki be~hadd-o-be~hisaab
        HoN ge hum aap mulk ki daulat se faiz'yaab
        MaGHrib se hum ko KHauf na Mashriq se hum ko baak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Apne watan ka aaj badalne laga nizaam
        Apne watan men aaj naheeN koi bhi GHulaam
        Apna watan hai raah-e-taraqqi pe tez~gaam
        Aazaad, baa~muraad, jawaaN~baKHt, shaad'kaam
        Ab 'itr~bez haiN jo hawaaeN theeN zehr'naak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai KehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
   It is said that the Quaid-e-Azam had asked Aazaad to write the
   National anthem on the 11th August 1947, i.e. three days before
   its Independence.  And Aazaad wrote it in five days.
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       Awe-struck is the enemy by your will-power
       Open wounds are now sewn up -- we have found a cure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       New paths of progress, we resolve to tread
       Proudly, our nation stands with high held head
       Our flag is aflutter above the moon and the stars
       As planets look up to us, be it Mercury or Mars
       No harm will now come to us from anywhere, for sure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The nation has tasted success at last
       Now our struggle is a thing of the past
       The wealth of our country knows no bounds
       For us alone are its benefits and bounty all around
       Of East and West, we have no fear
       O, Land of the Pure !
       Change has become the order of the day
       No one is a slave in the nation today
       On the road to progress, we're swiftly going along
       Independent and fortunate, happy as a song
       Gloomy winds are gone, sweet freedom's in the air
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       O, Land of the Pure !
   There is no denying the literary and poetic merit of Aazaad's
   long-forgotten Anthem.  I think the main difference between it
   and the official Anthem is that the latter is much shorter and
   written to suit the music (that had been composed much earlier).
   Aazaad's Anthem, on the other hand, seems to have been written
   as a piece to be read and recited.  In all probability, he did
   not have the benefit of any pre-set musical composition which
   he could have clothed in a literary garb.
   Afzal

Afzal saahab - aadaab 'arz hai ---

It is interesting to see the timing of your note regarding anthems of
Pakistan. Coincidentally, our local "adabi" program on the radio last
night (FunAsia 700AM, Sunday 7-9pm) had a segment dedicated to Abu-Al-
Asar Hafeez Jaalandhari and the guest was Hafeez sahab's youngest
daughter (Razaa, from his 3rd wife, one of seven children, all girls),
who spoke at length on her father. The occasion was the anniversary of
Hafeez sahab's birth (Jan 14, 1900).

Part of the conversation was regarding the national anthems of
Pakistan and she elaborated on some aspects of the creation of the
current anthem in use. As you correctly stated, Jagannath Azad wrote
the first anthem (milli taraana), but it is unclear whether this
anthem was given "official" status by the newly formed Pakistan. There
is, currently, no record of the broadcast of Azad sahab's anthem in
the archives of Radio Pakistan -- this could be politics at play too.
I have heard from some sources that there was some "discontent"
expressed at why a "Hindu" poet should be the creator of the national
anthem and perhaps this was the reason for instigating a change by the
"minds" of the time.

In any case, Razaa saahiba mentioned in brief that in order to have an
official national anthem, a contest was created in which about 22
people in all were invited to participate and write an anthem. Hafeez
sahab was one of these people. The catch was that the tune had already
been commissioned and created and now the words had to match the tune.
According to Razaa saahiba, Hafeez saahab sequistered himself in a
room for approximately 3 months while writing the current anthem.He
would listen to the composed tune for weeks at a time to get attuned
to it, and would scribble some stuff, and constantly threw out the
papers where he felt dissatisfaction with his attempts. He was also a
chain smoker and at the end of each day, there would be a pile of
discarded paper on the floor and a "mountain" of cigarette ash on the
table -- and the help [mulaazim] was then asked to come in and clean
up both. It was after 3 months that the anthem was completed and
presented to the "selection committee" and selected as a final version
by them several years after independence (Afzal sahab says 1954
above).

It is unclear also what was used as a qaumi/milli taraana between 1947
and 1954 because "official records" seem to have been wiped out in
regards to Azad-sahab's contributions.

Aside, Hafeez sahab also wrote another "qaumi taraana" for an Azad
Kashmir. Hafeez sahab spent several years of his life in Kashmir and
enjoyed its landscape and environment. He was so much in love with the
place and the vision for a "free" land that he composed an anthem for
it, with the following words: "vatan hamaara aazaad Kashmeer"

---------
Aside:

Azad has also claimed that he was awarded 'Iqbal Medal' in 1979 by the
Government of Pakistan. Again, this claim is not true as his name is
not included in the governmental record of national award holders
maintained by the Cabinet Division of Pakistan.

--------

Regards,
RC

[Naseer]

     In a recent thread, mention had been made of Pakistan's National
     Anthem where (supposedly) only one Urdu word ("ka") has been used.
     The rest of it comprises only Faarsi and Arabic words !
     ALUPers may perhaps be intrigued by my use of the plural in the
     header.  To resolve the issue, you will have to read my post through
     --- right up to the end.
    But, let me first talk about the Anthem.  It was written by the well-
    known Urdu poet Abul~Asar Hafeez JaalaNdhari in the early fifties.
    The Anthem was officially adopted around 1954.  Interestingly, it
    seems the tune and music (by Ahmed Chhagla) had been composed some
    two or three years earlier.
    For those who may not know the full text of the Anthem, it is quoted
          Paak sarzameen shaad~baad
          Kishwar-e-haseen shaad~baad
          Tu nishaan-e-'azm-e-'aalishaan
          Arz-e-Pakistan !
          Markaz-e-yaqeen shaad~baad
          Paak sarzameen ka nizaam
          Qoowat-e-uKHoowat-e-'awaam
          Qaum, mulk, saltanat
          Paain'da taabin'da~baad !
          Shaad~baad manzil-e-muraad
          Parcham-e-sitaara-o-hilaal
          Rehbar-e-taraqqi-o-kamaal
          Tarjumaan-e-maazi, shaan-e-haal
          Jaan-e-istiqbaal !
          Saaya-e-KHudaa-e-zul'jalaal
    And since we have been talking about translation too, here is an
          Blessed be the sacred land
          Happy be the bounteous realm
          Symbol of high resolve
          Land of Pakistan !
          Blessed be thou, citadel of faith
          The order of this sacred land
          Is the might of the brotherhood of the people
          May the Nation, the Country and the State
          Shine in glory everlasting !
          Blessed be the goal of our ambition
          This flag of the Crescent and Star
          Leads the way to progress and perfection
          Interpreter of our past, glory of our present
          Inspiration of our future !
          Symbol of the protection of God, Owner of All Majesty
    Now, let us resolve the "intriguing" use of the plural.
    It seems that Pakistan's first Anthem was written, at the instance
    of its founder Mr. Jinnah, by Jagan Nath Aazaad, a prominent man of
    letters from the Punjab who had stayed on in Pakistan even after
    1947.  Aazaad, who died in 2004 of cancer (at the age of 86), was the
    son of Tilok Chand Mehroom who himself was a renowned Urdu poet in
    his own right.  As the communal riots continued unabated even after
    Pakistan's creation, both father and son were forced to emigrate to
    India.  Mehroom died in 1966.  {One of his best known poems "Noor
    JahaaN Ke Mazaar Par" was posted in ALUP, at my specific request,
    by Raj Kumar Saheb some 12 years back.  Please search the Archives;
    the poem is really worth reading and one gets a lump in the throat
    while reading it.}
    Jagan Nath Aazaad has written several books; some of his writings are
    prescribed in University text books. He is considered an authority
    on Dr. Iqbal, and his writings on the "Shaa'ir-e-Mashriq" constitute
    a valuable part of the vast collection of writings known as "Iqbal-
    iyaat".  Apart from various Awards received by him in India, the
    Government of Pakistan too had given him the President's Gold Medal
    for his services to Urdu Literature.
    Although this issue is not without its share of controversies, it
    seems the anthem written by Jagan Nath Aazaad (which had been
    approved by the Quaid-e-Azam himself) had continued to be Pakistan's
    National Anthem for about 1 1/2 years and was often played over
    Radio Pakistan.
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai kehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        TuNdi-e-haasidaaN pe GHaalib hai tira swaak
        Daaman woh sil gaya hai jo tha muddatoN se chaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Ab apne 'azm ko hai naya raasta pasaNd
        Apna watan hai aaj zamaane men sar~bulaNd
        PahuNcha sake ga is ko na koi bhi ab gazaNd
        Apna 'alam hai chaaNd sitaaroN se bhi bulaNd
        Ab hum ko dekhte haiN 'ataarad hoN ya Samaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Utra hai imtehaaN men watan aaj kaam'yaab
        Ab hurriyat ki zulf naheeN mehv-e-pech-o-taab
        Daulat hai apne mulk ki be~hadd-o-be~hisaab
        HoN ge hum aap mulk ki daulat se faiz'yaab
        MaGHrib se hum ko KHauf na Mashriq se hum ko baak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Apne watan ka aaj badalne laga nizaam
        Apne watan men aaj naheeN koi bhi GHulaam
        Apna watan hai raah-e-taraqqi pe tez~gaam
        Aazaad, baa~muraad, jawaaN~baKHt, shaad'kaam
        Ab 'itr~bez haiN jo hawaaeN theeN zehr'naak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai KehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
   It is said that the Quaid-e-Azam had asked Aazaad to write the
   National anthem on the 11th August 1947, i.e. three days before
   its Independence.  And Aazaad wrote it in five days.
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       Awe-struck is the enemy by your will-power
       Open wounds are now sewn up -- we have found a cure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       New paths of progress, we resolve to tread
       Proudly, our nation stands with high held head
       Our flag is aflutter above the moon and the stars
       As planets look up to us, be it Mercury or Mars
       No harm will now come to us from anywhere, for sure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The nation has tasted success at last
       Now our struggle is a thing of the past
       The wealth of our country knows no bounds
       For us alone are its benefits and bounty all around
       Of East and West, we have no fear
       O, Land of the Pure !
       Change has become the order of the day
       No one is a slave in the nation today
       On the road to progress, we're swiftly going along
       Independent and fortunate, happy as a song
       Gloomy winds are gone, sweet freedom's in the air
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       O, Land of the Pure !
   There is no denying the literary and poetic merit of Aazaad's
   long-forgotten Anthem.  I think the main difference between it
   and the official Anthem is that the latter is much shorter and
   written to suit the music (that had been composed much earlier).
   Aazaad's Anthem, on the other hand, seems to have been written
   as a piece to be read and recited.  In all probability, he did
   not have the benefit of any pre-set musical composition which
   he could have clothed in a literary garb.
   Afzal

janaab-i-Afzal Sahib, aadaab-o-tasliimaat.

Thank you for starting this thread. It is extremely likely that a good
many people, especially of the younger generation, are not aware that
a National Anthem of Pakistan written by Jagan Naath Azad predates the
official Hafeez Jalandhari version. I have never heard Azad''s tarana
on Radio Pakistan, most probably because those broadcasts would have
been before my time. I don't know if Jamil Sahib is a witness to this
historical event or not.

Fairly recently, I remember watching a heated debate on Geo TV
concerning the two anthems. Concerns were being aired that the powers
that be of the time were not faithful to the Qaa'id's wishes. I was
aware of Azad's version but had never heard it on radio or tv nor had
I set eyes on the written form. So, thank you for reproducing it here
for all of us.

I believe that a good discussion can be had in this thread if the
focus of our debate remains fixed on the literary merits of the two
anthems. Venturing outside into the realms of politics and religion or
indeed bringing anthems of other nations into the equation is fraught
with danger.

Firstly, let's take a look at Hafeez's anthem. Like most (Pakistani)
people, I have grown up singing it in my school days and of course
listening to it on radio and tv. In addition, although I have seen
only a handful of films in a cinema in Pakistan, the anthem is played
before the film begins. At least this was the norm then. This national
anthem is so engrained in the psyche of the Pakistani nation that it
is almost impossible to think of any other anthem without being
somewhat "prejudicial" to the rival. There are many other national
songs of course, but as far as the national anthem is concerned, "paak
sar-zamiin shaad baad" is the last word. Just like in most English
knowing people's minds there is only one "James Bond" in the persona
of Sean Connery, there is only one Pakistani National Anthem in the
hearts and minds of the nation.

As you have indicated, this anthem is much shorter than Azad's and for
this reason, and in my opinion because of its inherent rhythm and
musicality, it is easy to commit to memory. Regarding the language of
the tarana, it would be fair to say that a poet hailing from any
linguistic or national background is likely to include high (sounding)
utopian ideals which need to be couched in equally high flown
language. Let me make a crude attempt to use more "down to earth and
homely" language.

ai paak dhartii, tuu hamesh Khush rahe
ai Khuub-suurat (sundar?) des, tuu hamesh Khush rahe
hai ik uuNchii shaan vaale iraade kaa nishaan
yih jo zamiin hai Pakistan
hamaarii muraadoN kaa Thikaanaa Khush rahe

Arguably, this does not have the impact that is present in the more
literary register. Let's look at this from another prospective.

Don't you think "Sikandar-i-A'zam", "Rustam-i-zamaaN", "qabl az vaqt
(premature)" seem more effective than "baRaa Sikandar", "( is ) vaqt
kaa Rustam", "vaqt se pahle"?

Let's now turn to the allegation that there is only one Urdu word
"kaa" in the tarana. This is indeed a misconception in the minds of
the ignorant. Every single word of the tarana is an Urdu word and
these words can easily be found in both prose and poetry of bygone
days and modern times. What these people are rally implying is that
"kaa" is the only "ordinary every day" word whereas the rest of the
words are "extra-ordinary". But is this really the case? Please allow
me to tabulate the ordinary and extraordinary words of this anthem.

Ordinary

paak, Hasiin, tuu, nishaan, 'aaliishaan, markaz, yaqiin, kaa, nizaam,
quvvat, 'avaam, qaum, mulk, manzil, muraad, parcham, sitaarah, rahbar,
taraqqii, kamaal, tarjumaan, maazii, Haal, jaan, saayah, Khudaa

Extraordinary

sarzamiin, shaad-baad, kishvar, 'azm, 'arz, uKhuvvat, saltanat,
paa'indah, taabindah, hilaal, istiqbaal (for future), zu_ljalaal

You will agree that the former list is longer than the latter.

Now, let me turn to janaab-i-Jagan Naath Azad's taranah. I am new to
it, so it took a bit of time to absorb the sentiments expressed in it.
There is no doubt in my mind that this tarana would be acceptable as
Pakistan's National Anthem by all fair-minded people. I don't know why
it was not accepted as the national tarana. I would purely be
guessing, and perhaps wrongly. I personally can not see why it was a
prerequisite to have words conform with an already composed piece of
music. Suitable music, surely, could have been composed for a tarana
which was Qaa'id-i-'Azam's hands, so to speak, within days of Pakistan
coming into existence. I don't know whether an national antham needs
to be of a relatively short length or not; for if this is a
requirement, then clearly this is somewhat long.

Let me put this tarana through similar "ordinary"/"extraordinary"
process. I shall only mention the so called "extraordinary" words.

sar-zamiin, taab-naak, kahkashaaN, sar-buland, gazand, 'utaarid,
samaak, maHv, tezgaam, shaad-kaam, 'itr-bez, zahr-naak, swaak ?). So,
one can not really say that this tarana employs easier or more
familiar language. It is of course true, that it has many more "kaa"
type words but viewing this tarana as a whole, it still imparts an
image of literary language.

As a side note, the "kaa gang" seem to have overlooked the word "tuu"
in Hafeez's tarana.

Let us thank both Azad and Hafeez for their services.

Naseer

[arahim]

Post by Naseer

     In a recent thread, mention had been made of Pakistan's National
     Anthem where (supposedly) only one Urdu word ("ka") has been used.
     The rest of it comprises only Faarsi and Arabic words !
     ALUPers may perhaps be intrigued by my use of the plural in the
     header.  To resolve the issue, you will have to read my post through
     --- right up to the end.
    But, let me first talk about the Anthem.  It was written by the well-
    known Urdu poet Abul~Asar Hafeez JaalaNdhari in the early fifties.
    The Anthem was officially adopted around 1954.  Interestingly, it
    seems the tune and music (by Ahmed Chhagla) had been composed some
    two or three years earlier.
    For those who may not know the full text of the Anthem, it is quoted
          Paak sarzameen shaad~baad
          Kishwar-e-haseen shaad~baad
          Tu nishaan-e-'azm-e-'aalishaan
          Arz-e-Pakistan !
          Markaz-e-yaqeen shaad~baad
          Paak sarzameen ka nizaam
          Qoowat-e-uKHoowat-e-'awaam
          Qaum, mulk, saltanat
          Paain'da taabin'da~baad !
          Shaad~baad manzil-e-muraad
          Parcham-e-sitaara-o-hilaal
          Rehbar-e-taraqqi-o-kamaal
          Tarjumaan-e-maazi, shaan-e-haal
          Jaan-e-istiqbaal !
          Saaya-e-KHudaa-e-zul'jalaal
    And since we have been talking about translation too, here is an
          Blessed be the sacred land
          Happy be the bounteous realm
          Symbol of high resolve
          Land of Pakistan !
          Blessed be thou, citadel of faith
          The order of this sacred land
          Is the might of the brotherhood of the people
          May the Nation, the Country and the State
          Shine in glory everlasting !
          Blessed be the goal of our ambition
          This flag of the Crescent and Star
          Leads the way to progress and perfection
          Interpreter of our past, glory of our present
          Inspiration of our future !
          Symbol of the protection of God, Owner of All Majesty
    Now, let us resolve the "intriguing" use of the plural.
    It seems that Pakistan's first Anthem was written, at the instance
    of its founder Mr. Jinnah, by Jagan Nath Aazaad, a prominent man of
    letters from the Punjab who had stayed on in Pakistan even after
    1947.  Aazaad, who died in 2004 of cancer (at the age of 86), was the
    son of Tilok Chand Mehroom who himself was a renowned Urdu poet in
    his own right.  As the communal riots continued unabated even after
    Pakistan's creation, both father and son were forced to emigrate to
    India.  Mehroom died in 1966.  {One of his best known poems "Noor
    JahaaN Ke Mazaar Par" was posted in ALUP, at my specific request,
    by Raj Kumar Saheb some 12 years back.  Please search the Archives;
    the poem is really worth reading and one gets a lump in the throat
    while reading it.}
    Jagan Nath Aazaad has written several books; some of his writings are
    prescribed in University text books. He is considered an authority
    on Dr. Iqbal, and his writings on the "Shaa'ir-e-Mashriq" constitute
    a valuable part of the vast collection of writings known as "Iqbal-
    iyaat".  Apart from various Awards received by him in India, the
    Government of Pakistan too had given him the President's Gold Medal
    for his services to Urdu Literature.
    Although this issue is not without its share of controversies, it
    seems the anthem written by Jagan Nath Aazaad (which had been
    approved by the Quaid-e-Azam himself) had continued to be Pakistan's
    National Anthem for about 1 1/2 years and was often played over
    Radio Pakistan.
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai kehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        TuNdi-e-haasidaaN pe GHaalib hai tira swaak
        Daaman woh sil gaya hai jo tha muddatoN se chaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Ab apne 'azm ko hai naya raasta pasaNd
        Apna watan hai aaj zamaane men sar~bulaNd
        PahuNcha sake ga is ko na koi bhi ab gazaNd
        Apna 'alam hai chaaNd sitaaroN se bhi bulaNd
        Ab hum ko dekhte haiN 'ataarad hoN ya Samaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Utra hai imtehaaN men watan aaj kaam'yaab
        Ab hurriyat ki zulf naheeN mehv-e-pech-o-taab
        Daulat hai apne mulk ki be~hadd-o-be~hisaab
        HoN ge hum aap mulk ki daulat se faiz'yaab
        MaGHrib se hum ko KHauf na Mashriq se hum ko baak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Apne watan ka aaj badalne laga nizaam
        Apne watan men aaj naheeN koi bhi GHulaam
        Apna watan hai raah-e-taraqqi pe tez~gaam
        Aazaad, baa~muraad, jawaaN~baKHt, shaad'kaam
        Ab 'itr~bez haiN jo hawaaeN theeN zehr'naak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai KehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
   It is said that the Quaid-e-Azam had asked Aazaad to write the
   National anthem on the 11th August 1947, i.e. three days before
   its Independence.  And Aazaad wrote it in five days.
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       Awe-struck is the enemy by your will-power
       Open wounds are now sewn up -- we have found a cure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       New paths of progress, we resolve to tread
       Proudly, our nation stands with high held head
       Our flag is aflutter above the moon and the stars
       As planets look up to us, be it Mercury or Mars
       No harm will now come to us from anywhere, for sure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The nation has tasted success at last
       Now our struggle is a thing of the past
       The wealth of our country knows no bounds
       For us alone are its benefits and bounty all around
       Of East and West, we have no fear
       O, Land of the Pure !
       Change has become the order of the day
       No one is a slave in the nation today
       On the road to progress, we're swiftly going along
       Independent and fortunate, happy as a song
       Gloomy winds are gone, sweet freedom's in the air
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       O, Land of the Pure !
   There is no denying the literary and poetic merit of Aazaad's
   long-forgotten Anthem.  I think the main difference between it
   and the official Anthem is that the latter is much shorter and
   written to suit the music (that had been composed much earlier).
   Aazaad's Anthem, on the other hand, seems to have been written
   as a piece to be read and recited.  In all probability, he did
   not have the benefit of any pre-set musical composition which
   he could have clothed in a literary garb.
   Afzal

janaab-i-Afzal Sahib, aadaab-o-tasliimaat.
Thank you for starting this thread. It is extremely likely that a good
many people, especially of the younger generation, are not aware that
a National Anthem of Pakistan written by Jagan Naath Azad predates the
official Hafeez Jalandhari version. I have never heard Azad''s tarana
on Radio Pakistan, most probably because those broadcasts would have
been before my time. I don't know if Jamil Sahib is a witness to this
historical event or not.
Fairly recently, I remember watching a heated debate on Geo TV
concerning the two anthems. Concerns were being aired that the powers
that be of the time were not faithful to the Qaa'id's wishes. I was
aware of Azad's version but had never heard it on radio or tv nor had
I set eyes on the written form. So, thank you for reproducing it here
for all of us. I believe that a good discussion can be had in this thread if the
focus of our debate remains fixed on the literary merits of the two
anthems.

I do remember a PTV programme from long ago on the different versions
under consideration (from which Jallindhari's version was picked). It
would be interesting to see what the other options were.

Post by Naseer
Venturing outside into the realms of politics and religion or
indeed bringing anthems of other nations into the equation is fraught
with danger.
Firstly, let's take a look at Hafeez's anthem. Like most (Pakistani)
people, I have grown up singing it in my school days and of course
listening to it on radio and tv. In addition, although I have seen
only a handful of films in a cinema in Pakistan, the anthem is played
before the film begins. At least this was the norm then. This national
anthem is so engrained in the psyche of the Pakistani nation that it
is almost impossible to think of any other anthem without being
somewhat "prejudicial" to the rival. There are many other national
songs of course, but as far as the national anthem is concerned, "paak
sar-zamiin shaad baad" is the last word. Just like in most English
knowing people's minds there is only one "James Bond" in the persona
of Sean Connery, there is only one Pakistani National Anthem in the
hearts and minds of the nation.
As you have indicated, this anthem is much shorter than Azad's and for
this reason, and in my opinion because of its inherent rhythm and
musicality, it is easy to commit to memory. Regarding the language of
the tarana, it would be fair to say that a poet hailing from any
linguistic or national background is likely to include high (sounding)
utopian ideals which need to be couched in equally high flown
language. Let me make a crude attempt to use more "down to earth and
homely" language.
ai paak dhartii, tuu hamesh Khush rahe
ai Khuub-suurat (sundar?) des, tuu hamesh Khush rahe
hai ik uuNchii shaan vaale iraade kaa nishaan
yih jo zamiin hai Pakistan
hamaarii muraadoN kaa Thikaanaa Khush rahe
Arguably, this does not have the impact that is present in the more
literary register. Let's look at this from another prospective.
Don't you think "Sikandar-i-A'zam", "Rustam-i-zamaaN", "qabl az vaqt
(premature)" seem more effective than "baRaa Sikandar", "( is ) vaqt
kaa Rustam", "vaqt se pahle"?
Let's now turn to the allegation that there is only one Urdu word
"kaa" in the tarana. This is indeed a misconception in the minds of
the ignorant. Every single word of the tarana is an Urdu word and
these words can easily be found in both prose and poetry of bygone
days and modern times. What these people are rally implying is that
"kaa" is the only "ordinary every day" word whereas the rest of the
words are "extra-ordinary". But is this really the case? Please allow
me to tabulate the ordinary and extraordinary words of this anthem.
Ordinary
paak, Hasiin, tuu, nishaan, 'aaliishaan, markaz, yaqiin, kaa, nizaam,
quvvat, 'avaam, qaum, mulk, manzil, muraad, parcham, sitaarah, rahbar,
taraqqii, kamaal, tarjumaan, maazii, Haal, jaan, saayah, Khudaa
Extraordinary
sarzamiin, shaad-baad, kishvar, 'azm, 'arz, uKhuvvat, saltanat,
paa'indah, taabindah, hilaal, istiqbaal (for future), zu_ljalaal
You will agree that the former list is longer than the latter.
Now, let me turn to janaab-i-Jagan Naath Azad's taranah. I am new to
it, so it took a bit of time to absorb the sentiments expressed in it.
There is no doubt in my mind that this tarana would be acceptable as
Pakistan's National Anthem by all fair-minded people. I don't know why
it was not accepted as the national tarana. I would purely be
guessing, and perhaps wrongly. I personally can not see why it was a
prerequisite to have words conform with an already composed piece of
music. Suitable music, surely, could have been composed for a tarana
which was Qaa'id-i-'Azam's hands, so to speak, within days of Pakistan
coming into existence. I don't know whether an national antham needs
to be of a relatively short length or not; for if this is a
requirement, then clearly this is somewhat long.
Let me put this tarana through similar "ordinary"/"extraordinary"
process. I shall only mention the so called "extraordinary" words.
sar-zamiin, taab-naak, kahkashaaN, sar-buland, gazand, 'utaarid,
samaak, maHv, tezgaam, shaad-kaam, 'itr-bez, zahr-naak, swaak ?). So,
one can not really say that this tarana employs easier or more
familiar language. It is of course true, that it has many more "kaa"
type words but viewing this tarana as a whole, it still imparts an
image of literary language.
As a side note, the "kaa gang" seem to have overlooked the word "tuu"
in Hafeez's tarana.
Let us thank both Azad and Hafeez for their services.
Naseer

[arahim]

     In a recent thread, mention had been made of Pakistan's National
     Anthem where (supposedly) only one Urdu word ("ka") has been used.
     The rest of it comprises only Faarsi and Arabic words !
     ALUPers may perhaps be intrigued by my use of the plural in the
     header.  To resolve the issue, you will have to read my post through
     --- right up to the end.
    But, let me first talk about the Anthem.  It was written by the well-
    known Urdu poet Abul~Asar Hafeez JaalaNdhari in the early fifties.
    The Anthem was officially adopted around 1954.  Interestingly, it
    seems the tune and music (by Ahmed Chhagla) had been composed some
    two or three years earlier.
    For those who may not know the full text of the Anthem, it is quoted
          Paak sarzameen shaad~baad
          Kishwar-e-haseen shaad~baad
          Tu nishaan-e-'azm-e-'aalishaan
          Arz-e-Pakistan !
          Markaz-e-yaqeen shaad~baad
          Paak sarzameen ka nizaam
          Qoowat-e-uKHoowat-e-'awaam
          Qaum, mulk, saltanat
          Paain'da taabin'da~baad !
          Shaad~baad manzil-e-muraad
          Parcham-e-sitaara-o-hilaal
          Rehbar-e-taraqqi-o-kamaal
          Tarjumaan-e-maazi, shaan-e-haal
          Jaan-e-istiqbaal !
          Saaya-e-KHudaa-e-zul'jalaal
    And since we have been talking about translation too, here is an
          Blessed be the sacred land
          Happy be the bounteous realm
          Symbol of high resolve
          Land of Pakistan !
          Blessed be thou, citadel of faith
          The order of this sacred land
          Is the might of the brotherhood of the people
          May the Nation, the Country and the State
          Shine in glory everlasting !
          Blessed be the goal of our ambition
          This flag of the Crescent and Star
          Leads the way to progress and perfection
          Interpreter of our past, glory of our present
          Inspiration of our future !
          Symbol of the protection of God, Owner of All Majesty
    Now, let us resolve the "intriguing" use of the plural.
    It seems that Pakistan's first Anthem was written, at the instance
    of its founder Mr. Jinnah, by Jagan Nath Aazaad, a prominent man of
    letters from the Punjab who had stayed on in Pakistan even after
    1947.  Aazaad, who died in 2004 of cancer (at the age of 86), was the
    son of Tilok Chand Mehroom who himself was a renowned Urdu poet in
    his own right.  As the communal riots continued unabated even after
    Pakistan's creation, both father and son were forced to emigrate to
    India.  Mehroom died in 1966.  {One of his best known poems "Noor
    JahaaN Ke Mazaar Par" was posted in ALUP, at my specific request,
    by Raj Kumar Saheb some 12 years back.  Please search the Archives;
    the poem is really worth reading and one gets a lump in the throat
    while reading it.}
    Jagan Nath Aazaad has written several books; some of his writings are
    prescribed in University text books. He is considered an authority
    on Dr. Iqbal, and his writings on the "Shaa'ir-e-Mashriq" constitute
    a valuable part of the vast collection of writings known as "Iqbal-
    iyaat".  Apart from various Awards received by him in India, the
    Government of Pakistan too had given him the President's Gold Medal
    for his services to Urdu Literature.
    Although this issue is not without its share of controversies, it
    seems the anthem written by Jagan Nath Aazaad (which had been
    approved by the Quaid-e-Azam himself) had continued to be Pakistan's
    National Anthem for about 1 1/2 years and was often played over
    Radio Pakistan.

Who sang or read it?

        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai kehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        TuNdi-e-haasidaaN pe GHaalib hai tira swaak
        Daaman woh sil gaya hai jo tha muddatoN se chaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Ab apne 'azm ko hai naya raasta pasaNd
        Apna watan hai aaj zamaane men sar~bulaNd
        PahuNcha sake ga is ko na koi bhi ab gazaNd
        Apna 'alam hai chaaNd sitaaroN se bhi bulaNd
        Ab hum ko dekhte haiN 'ataarad hoN ya Samaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Utra hai imtehaaN men watan aaj kaam'yaab
        Ab hurriyat ki zulf naheeN mehv-e-pech-o-taab
        Daulat hai apne mulk ki be~hadd-o-be~hisaab
        HoN ge hum aap mulk ki daulat se faiz'yaab
        MaGHrib se hum ko KHauf na Mashriq se hum ko baak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Apne watan ka aaj badalne laga nizaam
        Apne watan men aaj naheeN koi bhi GHulaam
        Apna watan hai raah-e-taraqqi pe tez~gaam
        Aazaad, baa~muraad, jawaaN~baKHt, shaad'kaam
        Ab 'itr~bez haiN jo hawaaeN theeN zehr'naak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
        Zarre tire haiN aaj sitaaroN se taab'naak
        Raushan hai KehkashaaN se kaheeN aaj teri KHaak
        Ai, sar~zameen-e-Paak !
   It is said that the Quaid-e-Azam had asked Aazaad to write the
   National anthem on the 11th August 1947, i.e. three days before
   its Independence.  And Aazaad wrote it in five days.
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       Awe-struck is the enemy by your will-power
       Open wounds are now sewn up -- we have found a cure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       New paths of progress, we resolve to tread
       Proudly, our nation stands with high held head
       Our flag is aflutter above the moon and the stars
       As planets look up to us, be it Mercury or Mars
       No harm will now come to us from anywhere, for sure
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The nation has tasted success at last
       Now our struggle is a thing of the past
       The wealth of our country knows no bounds
       For us alone are its benefits and bounty all around
       Of East and West, we have no fear
       O, Land of the Pure !
       Change has become the order of the day
       No one is a slave in the nation today
       On the road to progress, we're swiftly going along
       Independent and fortunate, happy as a song
       Gloomy winds are gone, sweet freedom's in the air
       O, Land of the Pure !
       The grains of your soil are glowing today
       Brighter than the stars and the galaxies
       O, Land of the Pure !
   There is no denying the literary and poetic merit of Aazaad's
   long-forgotten Anthem.  I think the main difference between it
   and the official Anthem is that the latter is much shorter and
   written to suit the music (that had been composed much earlier).
   Aazaad's Anthem, on the other hand, seems to have been written
   as a piece to be read and recited.  In all probability, he did
   not have the benefit of any pre-set musical composition which
   he could have clothed in a literary garb.
   Afzal

[Naseer]

Just a question related to the language.

In an older post I remember janaab-i-Raj Kumar Sahib stating that a
nuun-ending wording being the second word of an izaafat should always
be nasalised, in a stand alone position.

e.g dil-i-naadaaN

In Hafeez's taraanah, he seems to have broken this rule several times!

kishvar-i-Hasiin

nishaan-i-'azm-i-'aaliishaan
'arz-i-Paakistaan
markaz-i-yaqiin

Is this perhaps a flexible rule?

Naseer

[Rajiv Chakravarti]

Post by Naseer
Just a question related to the language.
In an older post I remember janaab-i-Raj Kumar Sahib stating that a
nuun-ending wording being the second word of an izaafat should always
be nasalised, in a stand alone position.
e.g dil-i-naadaaN
In Hafeez's taraanah, he seems to have broken this rule several times!
kishvar-i-Hasiin
nishaan-i-'azm-i-'aaliishaan
'arz-i-Paakistaan
markaz-i-yaqiin
Is this perhaps a flexible rule?
Naseer

Very much so, Naseer saahab - I remember very well that discussion by
RK sahab, and was probably a part of the "reason" for that discussion.
However, as you rightfully state, it is a "loose" rule, and frequently
violated even by the masters. I can't recall the poet I was reading a
couple of days ago (perhaps Josh) but I found more than one place
myself where the seeming requirement for "nooN Ghunna" instead of
"noon" in an compound word was not met.

My current conclusion is that "follow the rule if you can" but one
need not be overly concerned if the word is pronounced with a full 'n'
sound, and this is what I go by currently.

Regards,
RC

[Naseer]

Post by Rajiv Chakravarti

Post by Naseer
Just a question related to the language.
In an older post I remember janaab-i-Raj Kumar Sahib stating that a
nuun-ending wording being the second word of an izaafat should always
be nasalised, in a stand alone position.
e.g dil-i-naadaaN
In Hafeez's taraanah, he seems to have broken this rule several times!
kishvar-i-Hasiin
nishaan-i-'azm-i-'aaliishaan
'arz-i-Paakistaan
markaz-i-yaqiin
Is this perhaps a flexible rule?
Naseer

Very much so, Naseer saahab - I remember very well that discussion by
RK sahab, and was probably a part of the "reason" for that discussion.
However, as you rightfully state, it is a "loose" rule, and frequently
violated even by the masters. I can't recall the poet I was reading a
couple of days ago (perhaps Josh) but I found more than one place
myself where the seeming requirement for "nooN Ghunna" instead of
"noon" in an compound word was not met.
My current conclusion is that "follow the rule if you can"  but one
need not be overly concerned if the word is pronounced with a full 'n'
sound, and this is what I go by currently.
Regards,
RC

Thank you for this, Rajiv Sahib. I can not think for any logic behind
this though! I can't see why a poet can't say...

yalGhaar-i-tamanaa hai to hai yuurish-i-armaan
kis tarah bataa'uuN kih hai mushkil meN merii jaan
Dhaa'e hai nayaa tarz-i-sitam aaj sitam-gar
GhairoN se shinaasaa hai vuh apnoN se anjaan

Naseer

[Naseer]

Post by Rajiv Chakravarti

Post by Naseer
Just a question related to the language.
In an older post I remember janaab-i-Raj Kumar Sahib stating that a
nuun-ending wording being the second word of an izaafat should always
be nasalised, in a stand alone position.
e.g dil-i-naadaaN
In Hafeez's taraanah, he seems to have broken this rule several times!
kishvar-i-Hasiin
nishaan-i-'azm-i-'aaliishaan
'arz-i-Paakistaan
markaz-i-yaqiin
Is this perhaps a flexible rule?
Naseer

Very much so, Naseer saahab - I remember very well that discussion by
RK sahab, and was probably a part of the "reason" for that discussion.
However, as you rightfully state, it is a "loose" rule, and frequently
violated even by the masters. I can't recall the poet I was reading a
couple of days ago (perhaps Josh) but I found more than one place
myself where the seeming requirement for "nooN Ghunna" instead of
"noon" in an compound word was not met.
My current conclusion is that "follow the rule if you can"  but one
need not be overly concerned if the word is pronounced with a full 'n'
sound, and this is what I go by currently.
Regards,
RC

Thank you for this, Rajiv Sahib. I can not think of any logic behind
this restriction! Why can't a poet say..

yalGhaar-i-tamanaa hai to hai yuurish-i-armaan
kis tarah bataa'uuN kih hai mushkil meN merii jaan
Dhaa'e hai nayaa tarz-i-sitam aaj sitam-gar
GhairoN se shinaasaa hai vuh apnoN se anjaan

In this case, could it be because "anjaan" is also tied up in another
fetter?

Naseer

[Rajiv Chakravarti]

Post by Naseer
Thank you for this, Rajiv Sahib. I can not think of any logic behind
this restriction! Why can't a poet say..
yalGhaar-i-tamanaa hai to hai yuurish-i-armaan
kis tarah bataa'uuN kih hai mushkil meN merii jaan
Dhaa'e hai nayaa tarz-i-sitam aaj sitam-gar
GhairoN se shinaasaa hai vuh apnoN se anjaan
In this case, could it be because "anjaan" is also tied up in another
fetter?
Naseer

Hmm.. now where have I seen these couplets before, I wonder ;-)

Well, in the above in the "yoorish-e-armaan" at the end was to
maintain the qaafiya of course. If the compound had appeared in the
middle of the line, the preference would have been for "yoorish-e-
armaaN" instead. For this Ghazal, the "__aan" was the qaafiya
requirement.

So if "aurang-e-SulemaaN" was also used, it would "aurang-e-Sulemaan"
here then.

Regards,
RC

[Naseer]

Post by Rajiv Chakravarti

Post by Naseer
Thank you for this, Rajiv Sahib. I can not think of any logic behind
this restriction! Why can't a poet say..
yalGhaar-i-tamanaa hai to hai yuurish-i-armaan
kis tarah bataa'uuN kih hai mushkil meN merii jaan
Dhaa'e hai nayaa tarz-i-sitam aaj sitam-gar
GhairoN se shinaasaa hai vuh apnoN se anjaan
In this case, could it be because "anjaan" is also tied up in another
fetter?
Naseer

Hmm.. now where have I seen these couplets before, I wonder ;-)
Well, in the above in the "yoorish-e-armaan" at the end was to
maintain the qaafiya of course. If the compound had appeared in the
middle of the line, the preference would have been for "yoorish-e-
armaaN" instead. For this Ghazal, the "__aan" was the qaafiya
requirement.
So if "aurang-e-SulemaaN" was also used, it would "aurang-e-Sulemaan"
here then.
Regards,
RC

Sure, I understand your reasoning perfectly. What I was implying was
this. Had you used "nuun-i-Ghunnah" as the rhyme, you would have had
to exclude "anjaan", as per my query raised in the "Is there any rhyme
or reason behind this?" thread.

Naseer

[Jamil]

Post by arahim
Who sang or read it?

According to Wikipedia entry the singers of the anthem were: Ahmad
Rushdi, Shamim Bano, Kokab Jehan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema
Shaheen, Zwar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastgir, Anwar Zaheer and
Akhtar Wassi. Ali Rathore, Saif Ali Khan.

The Wikipedia entry also gives in Urdu script both the anthem and
Jagan Nath Azad's tarana, and has an audio file of instrumental
rendering of the anthem. Please see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qaumi_Tarana

The article includes the oft-repeated assertion about all the words in
the anthem being loan words from Farsi or Arabic except "kaa", as if
every single word in Urdu is not a loan word from somewhere, including
the famous "kaa", which itself is a loan word from Hindi.

Jamil

[arahim]

Post by Jamil

Post by arahim
Who sang or read it?

According to Wikipedia entry the singers of the anthem were: Ahmad
Rushdi, Shamim Bano, Kokab Jehan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema
Shaheen, Zwar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastgir, Anwar Zaheer and
Akhtar Wassi. Ali Rathore, Saif Ali Khan.

I meant who sang the Jaggannath tarana.

Post by Jamil
The Wikipedia entry also gives in Urdu script both the anthem and
Jagan Nath Azad's tarana, and has an audio file of instrumental
rendering of the anthem.  Please see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qaumi_Tarana
The article includes the oft-repeated assertion about all the words in
the anthem being loan words from Farsi or Arabic except "kaa", as if
every single word in Urdu is not a loan word from somewhere, including
the famous "kaa", which itself is a loan word from Hindi.

This is true:) I had never actually heard this kind of a claim ever
before. This must be something new in fashion:) Urdu came out of an
amalgam of languages and to date has retained the ability to absorb
words from other languages very easily especially those languages used
commonly by its users.

Post by Jamil
Jamil

[Naseer]

Jamil Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.

Post by Jamil

Post by arahim
Who sang or read it?

According to Wikipedia entry the singers of the anthem were: Ahmad
Rushdi, Shamim Bano, Kokab Jehan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema
Shaheen, Zwar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastgir, Anwar Zaheer and
Akhtar Wassi. Ali Rathore, Saif Ali Khan.
The Wikipedia entry also gives in Urdu script both the anthem and
Jagan Nath Azad's tarana, and has an audio file of instrumental
rendering of the anthem.  Please see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qaumi_Tarana
The article includes the oft-repeated assertion about all the words in
the anthem being loan words from Farsi or Arabic except "kaa", as if
every single word in Urdu is not a loan word from somewhere, including
the famous "kaa", which itself is a loan word from Hindi.
Jamil

Thank you for above. Do we have a recording (vocal) of both the
anthems? Ahmed Rushdi and the rest, I am assuming, are the people who
sang Azad's Qaumi Tarana.

Without wishing to disturb the hornet's nest, I would just like to
make one point. "Hindi" is a multi-valent word bearing several
meanings. It would be fair to say that both Urdu and modern day Hindi
take "kaa" ultimately from KhaRii-Bolii, this being the foundation of
both the languages. "kaa" therefore, strictly speaking, is not a
borrowed word but an inherited word.

Naseer

[arahim]

Post by Naseer
Jamil Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.

Post by Jamil

Post by arahim
Who sang or read it?

According to Wikipedia entry the singers of the anthem were: Ahmad
Rushdi, Shamim Bano, Kokab Jehan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema
Shaheen, Zwar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastgir, Anwar Zaheer and
Akhtar Wassi. Ali Rathore, Saif Ali Khan.
The Wikipedia entry also gives in Urdu script both the anthem and
Jagan Nath Azad's tarana, and has an audio file of instrumental
rendering of the anthem.  Please see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qaumi_Tarana
The article includes the oft-repeated assertion about all the words in
the anthem being loan words from Farsi or Arabic except "kaa", as if
every single word in Urdu is not a loan word from somewhere, including
the famous "kaa", which itself is a loan word from Hindi.
Jamil

Thank you for above. Do we have a recording (vocal) of both the
anthems? Ahmed Rushdi and the rest, I am assuming, are the people who
sang Azad's Qaumi Tarana.

No, the other one. He may have sung Azad's version but this article is
silent on it:)

Post by Naseer
Without wishing to disturb the hornet's nest, I would just like to
make one point. "Hindi" is a multi-valent word bearing several
meanings. It would be fair to say that both Urdu and modern day Hindi
take "kaa" ultimately from KhaRii-Bolii, this being the foundation of
both the languages. "kaa" therefore, strictly speaking, is not a
borrowed word but an inherited word.
Naseer- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

[Afzal A. Khan]

Post by arahim

Post by Naseer
Jamil Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai.

Post by Jamil

Post by arahim
Who sang or read it?

According to Wikipedia entry the singers of the anthem were: Ahmad
Rushdi, Shamim Bano, Kokab Jehan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema
Shaheen, Zwar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastgir, Anwar Zaheer and
Akhtar Wassi. Ali Rathore, Saif Ali Khan.
The Wikipedia entry also gives in Urdu script both the anthem and
Jagan Nath Azad's tarana, and has an audio file of instrumental
rendering of the anthem. Please see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qaumi_Tarana
The article includes the oft-repeated assertion about all the words in
the anthem being loan words from Farsi or Arabic except "kaa", as if
every single word in Urdu is not a loan word from somewhere, including
the famous "kaa", which itself is a loan word from Hindi.
Jamil

Thank you for above. Do we have a recording (vocal) of both the
anthems? Ahmed Rushdi and the rest, I am assuming, are the people who
sang Azad's Qaumi Tarana.

No, the other one. He may have sung Azad's version but this article is
silent on it:)

Ahmed Rushdi, the late Pakistani singer, actually hailed from
Hyderabad (Deccan) and his family later migrated to Pakistan.
He died tragically young at 48. But it can be asserted that he
never got to sing Aazaad's Taraana. Instead it must have been
the regular, official Anthem written by Hafeez.

BTW, I remember a beautiful song rendered by Ahmed Rushdi ---
"Kabhi to tum ko yaad aayeNgi" --- it is perhaps from the film
"Chakori". Another well-known song by Rushdi was "Ko ko korina"
which was quite peppy and perhaps written and sung for some party
scene. Maybe Jamil and Naseer Sahebaan would remember these
two songs.


I doubt if any recording of Aazaad's Taraana exists. When the
poem itself has been forgotten, who would keep its recording
intact ? My point is : one may not recognize it as an Anthem,
but why view it with so much of prejudice ? After all, there are
quite a few poems/songs which have been and continue to be sung
as "milli taraane". If an original or earlier recording doesn't
exist, someone else can make a fresh recording to keep the memory
alive.

As far as the story of "ka" is concerned, I believe someone once
narrated it on ALUP, citing a (controversial ?) comic writer of
Pakistan, Majeed Lahori who had raised this "issue". I haven't
made a search but I think Naseer Saheb (our resident expert on
old threads) can find out the relevant post/s.

Also, I do not understand this term "loan-word". It suggests
that it is a temporary borrowal and the word may, and perhaps
should, be "returned" to its original source --- the sooner the
better. Once these "loan-words" are sort of paid off, we would
all be left wondering where Urdu has vanished.



Afzal

[Naseer]

janaab-i-Afzal Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai

      BTW, I remember a beautiful song rendered by Ahmed Rushdi ---
      "Kabhi to tum ko yaad aayeNgi" --- it is perhaps from the film
      "Chakori".  Another well-known song by Rushdi was "Ko ko korina"
      which was quite peppy and perhaps written and sung for some party
      scene.  Maybe Jamil and Naseer Sahebaan would remember these
      two songs.

Yes, I do remember both these songs.

1)

2a)

2b)

The above two links are for Jamil Sahib of course!:-)

      I doubt if any recording of Aazaad's Taraana exists.  When the
      poem itself has been forgotten, who would keep its recording
      intact ?  My point is :  one may not recognize it as an Anthem,
      but why view it with so much of prejudice ?  After all, there are
      quite a few poems/songs which have been and continue to be sung
      as "milli taraane".  If an original or earlier recording doesn't
      exist, someone else can make a fresh recording to keep the memory
      alive.

We human beings, as a generality, all have our prejudices of one sort
or another. And these prejudices are not confined to any particular
land or people. With reference to Azad's tarana, we know that he
without doubt wrote one. We have no reason to disbelieve the
circumstances in which he was asked to write it. However, we do not
have the full facts at our disposal behind his taranah's disappearance
from the scene. Furthermore, as I have stated earlier, the subject is
openly discussed in Pakistani media. Here are a couple of links which
you may already have cast your eyes on. It is worth looking at both
for they are relatively short. The first has two videos with Jagan
Nath Azad reciting a Ghazal (with "kaafar"). I have no doubt that the
sentiments he is expressing are shared by the vast majority of people
from both Pakistan and India. One needs to scroll down to see the
second video which is a continuation of the first one. Both the links
have a piece mentioning a book by a respected writer called Aqeel
Abbas Ja'fari, according to whom there is no evidence to suggest that
this tarana was ever broadcast on Radio Pakistan. It goes without
saying that one would need to read his book to ascertain what evidence
he has produced for the general public.

http://pakistaniat.com/2010/04/19/anthem-jagan-nath-azad/?cp=8#comments

http://pakistaniat.com/2009/06/05/jagannath-azad/

Here is a three part report on this very subject of Hafeez/Azad
taranas, incorporating views of such persons as the poet Iftikhar
Arif.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 http://youtu.be/sWoZ3g1P5Ao

In the first part, to save time, please start from around 1:30. The
topic in question does not come into discussion until part 3, but I
believe it is worth watching all the three parts.

      As far as the story of "ka" is concerned, I believe someone once
      narrated it on ALUP, citing a (controversial ?) comic writer of
      Pakistan, Majeed Lahori who had raised this "issue".  I haven't
      made a search but I think Naseer Saheb (our resident expert on
      old threads) can find out the relevant post/s.

Yes, I remember clearly the discussions involved. I don't feel we
would gain too much from those posts. I seem to be getting one title
after another! Vijay Sahib believes I am the "resident editor" and you
have bestowed me with the "title" of "resident espert (on old
threads)". What next I wonder?!:-)

chaliye, jaate jaate hamaare ek ham-saayah mulk kii Khaatuun kii
zabaan se hamaaraa qaumii taraanah suniye.

Naseer

[Zuhra]

On Jan 23, 6:06 pm, Naseer <***@googlemail.com> wrote:

Naseer saahab, links ke liye bohat shukria magar tamaam links khul
nahi paa'e mujh se.

mujhe iss baat se pooraa ittefaaq hai ke Pakistani taraane meN shaamil
beshtar alfaaz 'aam fahm haiN. balke yeh bhi hai ke iski grammar bohat
saadah hai jise ek 'aam Pakistani baa-aasaani samajh letaa hai. jaisa
ke aap ke faraham kiye ga'e links meN bhi zikr hai, waaqe'i Pakistan
kaa qaumi tarana behad Khoobsoorat shaairee aur bohat a'laa mausiqii
kaa haseen imtezaaj hai! chooNke taraane ki dhun pehle ban chuki thi
isliye Hafeez Jalandhri ke liye taraana likhna aur bhi challenging
rahaa ho gaa kyoN ke unheN dhun ko madd e nazar rakh kar likhna thaa,
magar phir bhi unhoN ne aisaa taraana taKhleeq kiyaa jo mahabbat ke
jazbe se bharpoor hai aur adabi lehaaz se bhi shahkaar.

With reference to Azad's tarana, we know that he without doubt wrote one. We have no reason to disbelieve the circumstances in which he was asked to write it.

Naseer saahab aap yeh baat kaise itne wusooq se keh rahe haiN? Kyaa
yeh tarana Jagan Nath Azaad sahab ne kisi interview yaa mushaaire meN
paRhaa thaa? yaa yeh unki kisi kitaab meN aayaa hai? mujhe is baat
kii bilkul parwah nahi k qaumi tarana likhne waale shaair kaa mazhab
kyaa thaa yaa honaa chaahiye (thaa), magar meN haqaaiq zaroor jan'na
chaahti hooN jahaaN tak mumkin ho sake. aap ke faraham kiye ga'e links
meN mujhe Iftikhar saahab ki baatoN se ittefaaq hai. yeh baat bilkul
durust hai k agar radio Pakistan ki archives meN is taraane kaa record
nahi hai to ise us waqt ke kisi aKhbaar jareede meN to honaa chaahiye.
uss dor meN hamaare itne azeem adeeb log maujood the (jo sach bolne
kaa hoslaa rakhte the) un meN se to koi is taraane kaa zikr kartaa.
abhi to wo log bhi hayaat haiN jin ke saamne Pakistan banaa, unko to
yeh taareeKhi waqe'a yaad hotaa. mere apne buzurgoN ne 1947 meN Indian
Punjab se Pakistan hijrat ki thii, aur Pakistan kaa ibtedaai daur
unheN achchi tarha yaad hai, meN ne kabhi unki zabaani bhi Aazaad ke
taraane ke baare meN nahi sunaa. bahar-haal yeh taraana Pakistan ke
milli naGhmoN meN ek achhaa izaafah hai. Naseer saahab aap ne is
taraane ke baare meN pehli baar kab sunaa thaa? maiN sirf chand maah
pehle hi is se muta'araf hui hooN ek dost ki badaulat.

Regards,

Zuhra

However, we do not
have the full facts at our disposal behind his taranah's disappearance
from the scene. Furthermore, as I have stated earlier, the subject is
openly discussed in Pakistani media. Here are a couple of links which
you may already have cast your eyes on. It is worth looking at both
for they are relatively short. The first has two videos with Jagan
Nath Azad reciting a Ghazal (with "kaafar"). I have no doubt that the
sentiments he is expressing are shared by the vast majority of people
from both Pakistan and India. One needs to scroll down to see the
second video which is a continuation of the first one. Both the links
have a piece mentioning a book by a respected writer called Aqeel
Abbas Ja'fari, according to whom there is no evidence to suggest that
this tarana was ever broadcast on Radio Pakistan. It goes without
saying that one would need to read his book to ascertain what evidence
he has produced for the general public.
http://pakistaniat.com/2010/04/19/anthem-jagan-nath-azad/?cp=8#comments
http://pakistaniat.com/2009/06/05/jagannath-azad/
Here is a three part report on this very subject of Hafeez/Azad
taranas, incorporating views of such persons as the poet Iftikhar
Arif.
Part http://youtu.be/uFOtvdZCJXA
Part http://youtu.be/sWoZ3g1P5Ao
Part http://youtu.be/sWoZ3g1P5Ao
In the first part, to save time, please start from around 1:30. The
topic in question does not come into discussion until part 3, but I
believe it is worth watching all the three parts.

      As far as the story of "ka" is concerned, I believe someone once
      narrated it on ALUP, citing a (controversial ?) comic writer of
      Pakistan, Majeed Lahori who had raised this "issue".  I haven't
      made a search but I think Naseer Saheb (our resident expert on
      old threads) can find out the relevant post/s.

Yes, I remember clearly the discussions involved. I don't feel we
would gain too much from those posts. I seem to be getting one title
after another! Vijay Sahib believes I am the "resident editor" and you
have bestowed me with the "title" of "resident espert (on old
threads)". What next I wonder?!:-)
chaliye, jaate jaate hamaare ek ham-saayah mulk kii Khaatuun kii
zabaan se hamaaraa qaumii taraanah suniye.
http://youtu.be/rHyCAkYO5WE
Naseer

[Naseer]

Zuhra Sahiba, aadaab 'arz hai.

Post by Zuhra
Naseer saahab, links ke liye bohat shukria magar tamaam links khul
nahi paa'e mujh se.

mujhe ma'luum nahiiN kih aap ke computer par yih link kyuuN nahiiN
khul rahe. maiN ne dobaarah inheN kholaa hai aur tamaam ke tamaam khul
ga'e haiN.shaayad Khalal aap kii jaanib ho.

With reference to Azad's tarana, we know that he without doubt wrote one.
We have no reason to disbelieve the circumstances in which he was asked to > write it.

Post by Zuhra
Naseer saahab aap yeh baat kaise itne wusooq se keh rahe haiN? Kyaa
yeh tarana Jagan Nath Azaad sahab ne kisi interview yaa mushaaire meN
paRhaa thaa? yaa yeh unki kisi kitaab meN aayaa hai?

I ought to have worded my second sentence a bit more carefully. What I
intended to say was this. If Jagan Nath Azad has provided the
circumstances of his writing the taranah or if this information has
come to us via trust worthy sources, then there is no reason to
disbelieve this.

Naseer saahab aap ne is taraane ke baare meN pehli baar kab sunaa thaa?
maiN sirf chand maah pehle hi is se muta'araf hui hooN ek dost ki badaulat.

I first heard about this not too long ago on Geo TV. I can't give you
the exact time scale but I can say it was perhaps around 2-3 years
ago.

Naseer

[Zuhra]

Post by Naseer
Zuhra Sahiba, aadaab 'arz hai.

Post by Zuhra
Naseer saahab, links ke liye bohat shukria magar tamaam links khul
nahi paa'e mujh se.

mujhe ma'luum nahiiN kih aap ke computer par yih link kyuuN nahiiN
khul rahe. maiN ne dobaarah inheN kholaa hai aur tamaam ke tamaam khul
ga'e haiN.shaayad Khalal aap kii jaanib ho.

darasl meN kehnaa chah rahi thii ke kuchh links nahi khul rahe,magar
ab address bar meN paste karne se yeh masala hal ho geyaa hai.

Post by Naseer

With reference to Azad's tarana, we know that he without doubt wrote one.
We have no reason to disbelieve the circumstances in which he was asked to > write it.

Post by Zuhra
Naseer saahab aap yeh baat kaise itne wusooq se keh rahe haiN? Kyaa
yeh tarana Jagan Nath Azaad sahab ne kisi interview yaa mushaaire meN
paRhaa thaa? yaa yeh unki kisi kitaab meN aayaa hai?

I ought to have worded my second sentence a bit more carefully. What I
intended to say was this. If Jagan Nath Azad has provided the
circumstances of his writing the taranah or if  this information has
come to us via trust worthy sources, then there is no reason to
disbelieve this.

wazahat ke liye shukria. meraa maqsad behas ko tool denaa nahi hai
magar meN kuchh mazeed is mauzoo par kehnaa chaahooN gi. Aazad ke
taraane kaa jo
pas-manzar bataayaa jaataa hai wo mujhe bohat na-mumkin lagtaa hai.
Quaid e Azam bohat roshan Khayaal, Ghair-mota'assib, aur ba-asool
insaan the, aur is liye yeh baat bohat ajeeb mehsoos hoti hai ke unhoN
ne bas kisi anonymous bande ke haath shaair ko paiGhaam bhejaa ho ga
ke taraanaa likh dijiye (wo bhi aisi soorat meN jabke wo shaair se
pehle kabhi mile bhi nahi the) aur phir us taraane ko fauran National
Anthem ka darja bhi de denaa - mere nazdeek yeh bohat na-mumkin baateN
haiN. mazeed ye keh Aazad ne Khud bhi kabhi is taraane kaa elaan nahi
kiyaa (jahaaN tak meN jaan paai hooN). ab tak jo kuchh meN ne thoRaa-
bohat iss mauzu par paRhaa yaa sunaa hai is se meN is nateeje par
puNhchi hooN k agar Aazad ne waaqei koi tarana likhaa thaa to wo
shaayad unhoN ne sirf apne zaati Pakistani dostoN ke liye likhaa hogaa
bataur Khair-sagaali, warnah unhoN ne is taraane kaa elaan kiyaa
hotaa.

Post by Naseer

Naseer saahab aap ne is taraane ke baare meN pehli baar kab sunaa thaa?
maiN sirf chand maah pehle hi is se muta'araf hui hooN ek dost ki badaulat.

I first heard about this not too long ago on Geo TV. I can't give you
the exact time scale but I can say it was perhaps around 2-3 years
ago.

shukria, meN bas yeh andaazah karnaa chahti thii k is taraane kaa zikr
Jagan Naath saahab ki wafaat ke kitne arsah ba'ad logoN meN aanaa
shuroo huaa.

Regards,

Zuhra