Neither Hindu Nor Muslim

Sahir Ludhianvi*

you won't become a Hindu nor a Muslim you will become
a human progeny you are and a human being you will become

it is wonderful that so far no name you have
and no association with any religion you have
the knowledge that has divided the human beings
no blame on you, for none of that you have

the harbinger of changed times you will become
a human progeny you are and a human being you will become

each one of the human being Lord created
and out of that Hindu or Muslim we created
nature had blessed us with just one land
but here India and Iran there we created

the storm that breaks every barrier is what you will become
a human progeny you are and a human being you will become

which teaches hatred, that religion is not yours
the step that tramples human being is not yours
that temple** which has no Quran, yours, it is not
where there is no Gita, that mosque is not yours

an inspiration of peace and compromise you will become
a human progeny you are and a human being you will become

these merchants of religion one's own country they sell
and also the shrouds of the human corpses they sell
those slayers and looters sitting in the palaces
for the price of thorns, the gardenÇs soul they would sell

for them, the declaration of death you will become
a human progeny you are and a human being you will become

you won't become a Hindu nor a Muslim you will become
a human progeny you are and a human being you will become

==

* South Asian poet Sahir Ludhianvi (1921-1980), whose real name was Abdul Hai, was born in Ludhiana, Punjab. He wrote poetry on a wide variety of a subjects, including social and humanitarian issues, and received many awards, in addition to the Padma Shri from the Indian government and the Soviet Land Nehru Award from the government of the then Soviet Union. He also wrote songs for commercial films without compromising either the quality or his own conscience. He once said: "Whatever is to be said, inclusion of conscience is necessary, that is, one should also feel it from inside".
Sahir considered great South Asian poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz as his mentor.
The above song is from the early 1960's film "Dhool ka Phool" (or Flower of Dust). The song is filmed on a man raising a child whom he had found abandoned.
** Temple is a Hindu place of worship, Quran is a Muslim scripture, Gita is a Hindu scripture, and mosque is a Muslim place of worship.

Please accept my humble translation from the Hindi/Urdu language.
Badruddin R. Gowani [14 April 2003]

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