07stanza

HALI: "JUSTICE FOR THE SILENT" (1905)

STANZA SEVEN meter: = = - = / = = - = / = = - = / = = - =	saatvaa;N band
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1a) the age has passed when there was no sympathy for you anywhere 1b) the sky was against you, the earth was hostile to you	guzre the jug tum par kih hamdardii nah thii tum se kahii;N thaa mun;harif tum se falak bar-gashtah thii tum se zamii;N

2a) the world's wise men and sages were all trembling with fear 2b) lest somehow the shadows of knowledge would fall on you [I'd think it would be jaa))e;N ]	dunyaa ke daanaa aur ;hakiim is ;xauf se larzaa;N the sab tum par mubaadaa ((ilm kii pa;R jaa))e parchhaa))e;N kahii;N

3a) may it not be that between man and woman, no difference would remain! 3b) to acquire education and become a man is not creditable to you	aisaa nah ho mard aur ((aurat me;N rahe baaqii nah farq ta((liim paa kar aadmii bannaa tumhe;N zebaa nahii;N

4a) they sang so many songs of abuse about you in the world 4b) you yourself finally began to believe what the world was saying	yaa;N tak tumhaarii hajv ke gaa))e gaa))e dunyaa me;N raag tum ko bhii dunyaa kii kahan kaa aa gayaa aa;xir yaqii;N

5a) gradually you became despairing about knowledge and skill 5b) [urdu 9] you told your heart, 'we ourselves were not worthy of knowledge'	((ilm-o-hunar se raftah raftah ho ga))ii;N maayuus tum samjhaa liyaa dil ko kih ham ;xvud ((ilm ke qaabil nah thii;N

6a) the humiliations that are unavoidable for ignorance in the world-- 6b) you accepted for your spirit all those humiliations	jo ;zillate;N laazim hai;N dunyaa me;N jahaalat ke liye vuh ;zillate;N sab nafs par apne gavaaraa tum ne kii;N

7a) men didn't think for even one day that you were worthy of conversation/action 7b) you were called wives, but you became and remained servant-girls	samjhaa nah tum ko ek din mardo;N ne qaabil baat ke tum biiviyaa;N kahlaa))ii;N lekin lau;N;Diyaa;N ban kar rahii;N

8a) finally your silence pricked the hearts of the people with hearts 8b) it's the truth that justice to silence can't be stopped from being done [literally: justice does not remain without being done]	aa;xir tumhaarii chup dilo;N me;N ahl-e dil ke chhub ga))ii sach hai kih chup kii daad aa;xir be-mile rahtii nahii;N


9a) at length the age brought to consciousness those sunk in sleep 9b) at your endurance, the ocean of mercy began to roil	baare zamaanah niind ke maato;N ko laayaa hosh me;N aayaa tumhaare .sabr par daryaa-e ra;hmat josh me;N

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