Laao, Haath Apna Laao Zara – Fahmida Riaz

Fahmida Riaz is a well known Progressive Urdu writer, poet, and feminist of Pakistan. Her poem ‘ Laao haath apna laao zara’ given below incubates in the complex warmth of female sexuality. She takes , female anatomy and reproductive biological processes, the mundane, and raises them to a cosmic level, the metaphysical.

Laao, haath apna laao zara

Laao, haath apna laao zara
Chhu ke mera badan
Apne bachche ke dil ka dhadakna suno
Naaf ke is taraf
Is ki jumbish ko mehsoos karte ho tum?
Bas yahin chhor do
Thori der aur is haath ko mere thanday badan par yahin chhor do
Mere be-kal nafs ko qaraar aa gaya
Mere Isa, mere dard ke chaara-gar
Mera har muwe-tann
Is hatheli se taskeen paane laga
Is hatheli ke neeche mera laal karwat si lene laga
ungliyoN se badan is ka pehchaan lo
tum isay jaan lo
choomne do mujhe apni ye ungliyaaN
in ki har por ko choomne do mujhe
naakhunoN ko laboN se lagaa looN zara
is hatheli mein moonh to chhupa looN zara
phool laati huwi ye hari ungliyaaN
meri aankhoN se aansu ubalte huwe
in se seenchungi main
phool laati huwi ungliyoN ki jareN, choomne do mujhe
apne baal, apne maathe ka chaand, apne lab
ye chamakti huwi kaali aankhen
mere kaanpte hont, mere chhalakti huwi aankh ko dekh kar kitni hairaan haiN
tum ko maaloom kya, tum ko maaloom kya
tum ne jaane mujhe kya se kya kar diya
mere andar andhere ka aaseb tha
Tha karaaN-ta-karaaN ek an-mit khala
yunhi phirti thi main
zeest ke zaayeqe ko tarasti huwi
dil mein aansu bhare, sab pe hansti huwi
tum ne andar mera is tarah bhar diya
phoot’ti hai mere jism se raushni
sab muqaddas kitaabeN jo naazil huweiN
sab payambar, jo ab tak utaare gaye
sab farishtay, ki hain baadaloN se paray
rang, sangeet, surr, phool, kalyaaN, shajar
subh-dam per ki jhoomti daaliyaaN
unn ke mafhoom jo bhi bataaye gaye
khaak par basnay waale bashar ko musarrat ke jitney bhi naghmay sunaaye gaye
sab rishi, sab muni, ambiya auliya
khair ke devta, husn, neki, khuda
aaj sab par mujhe
Aitebaar aa gaya, aitebaar aa gaya

Translation:

Come give me your Hand

Come give me your Hand

Touch my body

And listen to the beating of your child’s heart

On that side of the Navel

Can you feel its stirring?

Leave it here

For a little longer, this hand on my cold body

My restless being has found tranquility

My jesus the healer of my pain

Every pore of my body

Finds relief through this palm

Beneath this palm my precious child seems to turn

Let your fingers know its body

Get to know it

Let me kiss these fingers of yours

Let me kiss each and every fingertip

Let me touch your nails with my lips

Let me hide my face in this palm for a bit

These green fingers which bring flowers

With tears which bubble up in my eyes

I shall tend these

The roots of these fingers which bring flowers

Let me kiss them

The hair, the moon of your forehead, your lips

These shining back eyes

So amazed at my trembling lips and my brimming eye.

What do you know? What do you know ?

How you have transformed me?

Within me was a haunting darkness

A limitless, endless space

I wandered around aimlessly

Longing for a taste of life

With tears filling my heart, I lauhed at everyone

You filled my womb so

That light pours forth from my body

All the sacred texts that ever descened

All the prophets sent to eath

All the angles beyond the clouds

Colous, music, melody, flowers, buds and trees

At dawn the swaying branches of the trees

The meaning which was assigned to all these

All the songs of joy which have been sung to earthly beings

All the saints, all the fakirs, all the prophet, all the the visoneries

The gods of well being, beauty, goodness, God-

In all of them today

I have come to believe, I have come to believe.

Urdu Script:

Fahmida Raiz -1

Fahmida Riaz -2