Qurbani

 [Supreme Sacrifice]
 Kazi Nazrul Islam
Oh! It’s not killing, it’s the opening
of the power of Satyagraha*
Be quiet, all that’s of the coward
and the weak!
O that’s absurd agitated mind!
There’re the words of battle cry afar!
Sheep’s head!
But the heads of the martyred people
of Rum appear most excellent today!
The heads of the martyrs’ are counted
best today!
Isn’t that Rahman’s turbulent rage?
That’s all. Keep quiet, and stop weeping!
There’s a great cry today, “Listen, Oh, give your blood, head, and life!”
Oh, it’s not killing, it’s the opening of the power of Satyagraha.
 
 Just chop the shoulder by the sword.
There’s no kindness at heart today!
The personality is curtained!
It’s the blood-thirsty mind that
has no fear in the act of killings!
Here we shall play madness of killings!
In twin in-fighting blood-letting madness
we shall bring about freedom!
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
 
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
The blood ridden-killers
Muslims are all over the world!
Two sided blade fitted ‘Julfiqar’
of the tiger of Khoda** would be unsheathed today
to play with the pure blood!And thus our mind would be pure
by blood-bathing!
O listen, the power is sleeping in mind
and that freedom is at the strong hand!
 

Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
Oh! Our destined road to freedom is not straight!
Freedom never comes in repining,
 it’s not a cheap matter like the zinc sheet!
Isn’t killing death too?
Who cries of blood-letting?
Then listen to me the powerful one-
“Ah! Ibrahim will sacrifice his most beloved son today!”
 
Oh! It’s not killing today but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
It’s not the blood of the sword of the oppressor killer’s ‘Might is right’!
It’s of Qurbani of twin lives!
This is huge blood, a huge spleen;
It’s wise and broad sacrificial mind!
Here the mother keeps
bait against her son!
So the mother Hajera(R) put sacrificial dress  
on her dearest son!
 
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
 
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
This day you go to the Meena-field
and place knife
on your son’s shoulder;
that’s to use your knife to shedding blood
and that father Ibrahim has kept up his hard promise!
Oh! No – No, not to shiver your narrow mind.
Today, there’s no executioner, like Prohllad, bloody faced Mullah stands!
 Oh! It’s not killing today
 but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
 
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
Look! Aros thrills shivering in the sky!
Does the killer mind shrink in itself?
Fear at heart? Then go away!
When that flute
of the great annihilation of the universe
would play?
 Is that the correction
of the great creation?
Oh! Hear the sound of drums
domboru tathia tathia dancing Bhairavi*** spree…
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
 
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
It’s Muslim’s battle drum
that never fears blood-letting?
The sword unsheathed by tonkar,
And that battle cries break
through the prison cells,
we shall fight life unto death!
The shield would have sounds-
Jhan Jhan Jhanan!
Oh! True freedom and independence would come through blood!
Oh! It’s not killing today but
the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
 Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
We need strength, not alms.
Aren’t you celebrating Qurbani today? Where’s your battle drum?
Where’s your battle-dress?
Isn’t our pledge today
to sacrifice our lives and properties-
declaring independence?
Say, we shall fight till life unto death!
Aren’t we pledge-bound?
Our welfare set here in this killing column,
we aim at the announcement
of our independence.
We are awakening with the sacred pledge of the Eid today!
Oh! It’s not killing today
but the opening of power of our Satyagraha!
*[Satyagraha -*It’s firm and unflinching pledge to stand
 for the cause of justice and truth upholding the true faith
 of fighting out all oppressions of the unjust.]
** Hazrat Ali (RA)’s sword is the highest repute as per Islamic history.
***Bengali musical instrument and its sound.
Translated by M. Mizanur Rahman