Habib Jalib

This article is about the Urdu poet. For the Baloch nationalist politician, see Habib Jalib Baloch.

Habib Jalib حبیب جالب
Portrait of Habib Jalib
Born	Habib Ahmad (1928-03-24)24 March 1928 Hoshiarpur, Punjab
Died	13 March 1993(1993-03-13) (aged 64) Lahore, Pakistan
Occupation	Urdu poet
Nationality	Pakistani
Literary movement	Progressive Writers' Movement
Notable awards	Nigar Awards Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Posthumously awarded on 23 March 2009)

Habib Jalib (Urdu: حبیب جالب) was a Pakistani revolutionary poet, left-wing activist and politician who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression.Pakistan's renowned and celebrated poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz paid tributes to him by saying that he was truly the poet of the masses.

Early life

Habib Jalib was born as Habib Ahmad on 24 March 1928 in a village near Hoshiarpur, British India. He migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India and worked as a proofreader for Daily Imroze of Karachi. He was a progressive writer and soon started to grab the audience with his enthusiastic recitation of poetry. He wrote in plain language, adopted a simple style and addressed common people and issues. But the conviction behind his words, the music of his voice and his emotional energy coupled with the sensitivity of the socio-political context is what stirred the audience.

Political views

Criticizing those who supported Ayub Khan's regime, he wrote:

کہیں گیس کا دھواں ہے

کہیں گولیوں کی بارش ہے

شب عہد کم نگاہی

تجھے کس طرح سراہیں

Kahin gas ka dhuan hae

kahin golion ki baarish

Shab-e-ehd-e-kum nigahi

tujhay kis tarah sarahein

There is smoke of teargas in the air

and the bullets are raining all around

How can I praise thee

the night of the period of shortsightedness

Jalib could never reconcile with the dictatorship of Ayub Khan. So when Ayub enforced his tailor-made constitution in the country in 1962, which a former prime minister Chaudhry Muhammad Ali likened to the Clock Tower of Lyallpur, Jalib wrote the following poem:

Original Urdu	English translation
دیپ جس کا محلات ہی میں جلے چند لوگوں کی خوشیوں کو لے کر چلے وہ جو سائے میں ہر مصلحت کے پلے ایسے دستور کو، صبح بے نور کو میں نہیں مانتا، میں نہیں مانتا میں بھی خائف نہیں تختہ دار سے میں بھی منصور ہوں کہہ دو اغیار سے کیوں ڈراتے ہو زنداں کی دیوار سے ظلم کی بات کو، جہل کی رات کو میں نہیں مانتا، میں نہیں مانتا پھول شاخوں پہ کھلنے لگے، تم کہو جام رندوں کو ملنے لگے، تم کہو چاک سینوں کے سلنے لگے، تم کہو اس کھلے جھوٹ کو، ذہن کی لوٹ کو میں نہیں مانتا، میں نہیں مانتا تم نے لوٹا ہے صدیوں ہمارا سکوں اب نہ ہم پر چلے گا تمہارا فسوں چارہ گر میں تمہیں کس طرح سے کہوں تم نہیں چارہ گر، کوئی مانے، مگر میں نہیں مانتا، میں نہیں مانتا	The light which shines only in palaces Burns up the joy of the people in the shadows Derives its strength from others' weakness That kind of system, like dawn without light I refuse to acknowledge, I refuse to accept I am not afraid of execution, Tell the world that I am the martyr How can you frighten me with prison walls? This overhanging doom, this night of ignorance, I refuse to acknowledge,I refuse to accept "Flowers are budding on branches", that's what you say, "Every cup overflows", that's what you say, "Wounds are healing themselves", that's what you say, These bare-faces lies, this insult to the intelligence, I refuse to acknowledge, I refuse to accept For centuries you have all stolen our peace of mind But your power over us is coming to an end Why do you pretend you can cure pain? Even if some claim that you've healed them, I refuse to acknowledge, I refuse to accept.

Jalib was banned from official media but he remained undeterred. He rather started a tirade against the tyranny with more resolution. It reached its zenith when Fatima Jinnah decided to contest elections against Ayub Khan. All democratic forces rallied around her and at her election meetings, Jalib used to recite his fiery poems in front of an emotionally charged crowd. His most popular poem at that time was:

ماں کے پاؤں تلے جنت ہے ادھر آجائو

Maan kay paon talay jannat hai idhar aa jao

The paradise is under the feet of the mother. So come into her fold.

Habib Jalib's poems used in Pakistani films

In another incident which has become a part of the resistance folklore of the country, the Governor of West Pakistan, the Nawab of Kalabagh, invited filmstar Neelo to dance in front of Shah Reza Pahlavi of Iran. She refused and as a consequence the police was sent to force and bring her, which led to her attempting to commit suicide. This incident inspired a poem by Jalib, which was later included by Neelo's husband Riaz Shahid in the film Zarqa (1969). The poem was titled Raqs-e-Zanjeer (The dance of the chains):

تو کہ ناواقفِ ادبِ غلامی ہے ابھی

رقص زنجیر پہن کر بھی کیا جاتا ہے

Tu kay nawaqif-e-aadab-e-ghulami hae abhi

Raqs zanjeer pehan kar bhi kiya jata hai.

You are not aware of the protocol of a king's court. Sometimes one has to dance (before them) with the chains on oneself.

• The above Nazm/Song was included in film producer Riaz Shahid's film Zarqa (1969) in Mehdi Hassan's vocals which became a super-hit film song among the public in 1969 in Pakistan.There is very interesting background to this above film song.Film actress Neelo actually had an anguished real-life, above mentioned event sometimes earlier, before being selected to perform a dance while tied in chains in a jail when a sad and painful film song is being played in the background sung by Mehdi Hassan.This heart-wrenching and emotional film song was especially written by Habib Jalib for Neelo based on events in the past life of Neelo herself.So naturally she could emotionally relate to this film song.The net result was a very effective acting performance by Neelo in this film dance.To top it all off, film music director Wajahat Attre composed a superb tune befitting the occasion.
• " Zulm Rahay Aur Amn Bhi Ho,Kaya Mumkin Hai Tum Hi Kaho" Sung by both Noor Jehan and Mehdi Hassan in film Yeh Aman (1971), lyrics by Habib Jalib and music by A. Hameed. This film song also became very popular.

Bhutto's government

In 1972 Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in Pakistan after the 1971 war with India and a new independent country called Bangladesh emerged from former East Pakistan.Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power in former West Pakistan, thereafter called simply Pakistan.

After Bhutto's death, Habib Jalib wrote the following poem:

ٹوٹا ہے کہاں اس کا جادو

اک نعرہ بنا ہے اس کا لہو

ثابت ہوا دھڑکن دھڑکن پر وہ شخص حکومت کرتا تھا

لڑتا تھا وہ اپنے جیسوں سے ہم سے تو محبت کرتا تھا

His magic has not been broken

His blood became a slogan

It has been proved,that he ruled his people's hearts

He used to fight with the people like him (Feudal Lords), but with the (poor) people like us, he used to love.

Zia-ul-Haq's martial law

During General Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship, Jalib wrote a poem on Zia, in which he asked how he could write darkness as Zia ( Zia literally means light in Urdu).

ظلمت کو ضیا، صر صر کو صبا، بندے کو خدا کیا لکھنا

Darkness as light, Hot desert wind as a morning breeze

How can I write a human as God?

Benazir Bhutto's government

After General Zia-ul-Haq's death in 1988, Benazir Bhutto came to power and released Habib Jalib. Disappointed at the state of the nation, when asked if he felt any change after democracy, he said:

حال اب تک وہی ہیں فقیروں کے

دن پھرے ہیں فقط وزیروں کے

ہر بلاول ہے دیس کا مقروض

پاؤں ننگے ہیں بے نظیروں کے

Haal ab tak wahi hain faqiroan kay

Din phiray hain faqat waziroan kay

her Bilawal hai Dais ka maqrooz

paoon nangay hain Benazeeroan kay

The status of the poor is still the same

the days of the ministers have indeed changed

every Bilawal (name of the only son of Benazir Bhutto) of the country is under debt

while Benazirs (i.e the poor) of the country walk without shoes

Death

Habib Jalib died on 13 March 1993. His family refused the offer of the government to pay for his funeral expenses. Qateel Shifai expressed his sorrow and grief in these words:

اپنے سارے درد بھلا کر اوروں کے دکھ سہتا تھا

ہم جب غزلیں کہتے تھے وہ اکثر جیل میں رہتا تھا

آخر چلا ہی گیا وہ روٹھ کر ہم فرزانوں سے

وہ دیوانہ جس کو زمانہ جالب جالب کہتا تھا

Apney saarey dard bhula kar auron ke dukh sehta tha

Hum jub ghazlain kehtey thay wo aksar jail main rehta tha

Aakhir chala hee gya wo rooth kar hum farzanoun se

Wo deewana jisko zamana Jalib Jalib kehta tha

Poetry

He mainly wrote about the evils brought upon society by corruption and inequity. An example is:

فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتا

تو جینا کس قدر آسان ہوتا

میرے بچے بھی امریکہ میں پڑھتے

میں ہر گرمی میں انگلستان ہوتا

مری انگلش بھی بلا کی چست ہوتی

بلا سے جو نہ میں اردو دان ہوتا

سر جھکاکے جو ہو جاتا 'سر' میں

تو لیڈر بھی عظیم الشان ہوتا

زمینیں میری ہر صوبے میں ہوتیں

میں واللہ صدرِ پاکستان ہوتا

Farangi ka jo main darbaan hota

Tho jeena kis kadar aasaan hota

Meray bachay bhi amreeka may parthay

Main Har garmi may main Inglistaan hota

Meree English bhi balaa ki chusth hotee

Balaa say jo na main Urdu-daan hota

Sar jhuka kay jo ho jaata sir main

Tho leader bhi azeem-u-shaan hota

Zameenain meree har soobay may hoteen

May wallah sadr-e-Pakistan hota

Some poems in his own voice

• ظلمت کو ضیا Zulmat Ko Zia
• قائدِ اعظم دیکھ رہے ہو اپنا پاکستان Quaid-e-Azam Dek Rahe Ho Apna Pakistan
• فرنگی کا جو میں دربان ہوتا Farangi Ka Jo May Darban Hota
• مزارے لغارے Mazaaray Laghaaray
• وطن کو کچھ نہیں خطرہ Wathan Ko Kuch Nahi Khathra
• یہ منصف بھی تو قیدی ہیں Ye Munsif Bhi Tho Qaidi Hain
• گل سن Gal Sun (Punjabi)
• میں نے اس سے یہ کہا Mein Ne Uss Se Yeh Kaha on YouTube
• دستور – میں نہیں مانتا Dastoor (Main Nahi Manta) on YouTube

Recent tributes

Two members of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party – Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rahman – launched a music video reciting Jalib's famous poem "Musheer Se" under the band title Laal, symbolising Jalib's struggle for the workers and peasants.

Laal band remastered and remixed the revolutionary poem "Dastoor" in Habib Jalib's voice and included it in their 2009 album Umeed-e-Sahar.

On 23 March 2009, President of Pakistan has given the highest civil award (posthumously) to the legendary poet, which was received by his daughter.

Solo artist Umair Salim composed his poem "Dastoor" in a musical track to tribute the poet on his death anniversary in 2009, followed by a music video portraying Habib Jalib's life.

But as nation remembers this great poet, Pakistani channels have aired a story that Habib Jalib's wife is fighting with illness and she is deprived of the money President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister have announced for her.

See also

• Faiz Ahmed Faiz
• Communist Party of Pakistan
• Ahmed Faraz
• Mir Gul Khan Naseer
• Ustad Daman

Books

• Sir-e-Maqtal
• Zikr Behte Khoon Ka
• Gumbad-e-Bedar
• Kulyaat e Habib Jalib
• Is Shehar-e-Kharabi Main
• Goshay Main Qafas K
• Harf-e-Haqq
• Harf-e-Sar-e-Daar
• Ehad-e-Sitam

External links

• Habib Jalib bio at WhoIsWho Pakistan
• Habib Jalib at IMDb
• Habib Jalib at Kavita Kosh (Hindi font)
• Poetry of Defiance, Sung by Habib Jalib with translation in subtitles (Me Ne Us Se Ye Kaha, Zulmat ko Zia Kia Likhna, Jaag Mere Punjab, Zia Referendum)
• A collection of some of Jalib's poems
• Habib Jalib ( Great Poet of Pakistan ) Part 1' on YouTube
• Habib Jalib's Some of the Punjabi Poems