Born
Habib Ahmad
March 24, 1928
Hoshiarpur, Punjab
Died
March 12, 1993 (aged
64)
Lahore, Pakistan
Occupation
Urdu poet
Nationality
Pakistani
Literary movement
Progressive Writers'
Movement
Notable award(s)
Nigar Awards
Nishan-i-Imtiaz
(Posthumously
awarded on 23 March
2009)

Early life
Habib Jalib was born as
Habib Ahmad on 24
March 1928[1] 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.[2]
Jump back a section
Political views
Jalib was a Marxist-
Leninist and aspired to
the ideals of
Communism.[citation
needed] He was initially
a member of the
Communist Party of
Pakistan
(CPP), but joined the
National Awami Party
(NAP) in 1957 following
the ban on the CPP in
1954[citation needed].
His views led to
imprisonment.
Ayub Khan's martial
law
Jalib was first
imprisoned during the
martial law regime of
Ayub Khan due to his
opposition of Khan's
policies. He wrote his
poem Dastoor during
those days.[citation
needed]
Criticizing those who
supported Khan's
regime, he wrote:







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[3]
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










































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,
thats what
you say,
Every cup
overflows,
thats what
you say,
Wounds are
healing
themselves,
thats 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
youve 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:


Maan kay paon talay
jannat hai idhar aa jao
The paradise is under
the feet of the
mother. So come into
her fold.
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 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 Zerqa. The
poem was titled Raqs-
e-Zanjeer (The dance of
the chains) [4] :




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
fetters on.

Bhutto's government
In 1972 Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto came to power.
According to sources
[ who?] close to Zulfiqar
Ali Bhutto, one day
Habib Jalib went to
Bhutto's place to meet
him. When Bhutto on
invited him to join his
political Party, Jalib
asked, Have the
oceans ever fallen in
rivers?[this quote
needs a citation
]
After Bhutto's death,
Habib Jalib wrote the
following poem[5]:








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 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,[6]
in which he asked how
he could write darkness
as Zia ( Zia literally
means light in Urdu).



Darkness as light,
Hot desert wind as a
morning breeze
How can I write a
human as God?
Be r Bhutto's
government
After General Zia-ul-
Haq's death in 1988,
Be r Bhutto came to
power and released
Habib Jalib.[citation
needed] Disappointed at
the state of the nation,
when asked if he felt
any change after
democracy, he said:








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
Be r Bhutto) of
the country is under
debt
while Be rs
(literally the poor) of
the country walk
without shoes
Jump back a section
Death
Habib Jalib died on March
12, 1993. His family
refused the offer of
the government to pay
for his funeral
expenses.[citation
needed]Qateel Shifai
expressed his sorrow
and grief in these
words:












Apney saarey dard
bhula kar auron ke
dukh sehta tha
Hum jub ghazlain
kehtey thay wo
aksar jail main rehta
tha
Aakhir kaar chala hee
gya wo rooth kar
hum farzanoun se
Wo deewana jisko
zamana Jalib Jalib
kehta tha[7]
Jump back a section
Poetry
He mainly wrote about
the evils brought upon
society by corruption
and inequity. An
example is:













''






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
Zulmat
Ko Zia

Quaid-
e-Azam Dek Rahe Ho
Apna Pakistan

Farangi Ka
Jo May Darban Hota

Mazaaray Laghaaray

Wathan Ko
Kuch Nahi Khathra

Ye Munsif Bhi
Tho Qaidi Hain
Gal Sun
(Punjabi)

Mein Ne Uss Se Yeh
Kaha
-
Dastoor (Main
Nahi Manta)
Jump back a section
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, symbolizing Jalib's
struggle for the
workers and peasants.
[ citation needed]
Laal band remastered
and remixed the
revolutionary poem
Dastoor in Habib Jalib's
voice[8] 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.[9]
But as nation
remembers this great
poet, Pakistani channels
have aired a story that
Habib Jalibs wife is
fighting with illness and
she is deprived of the
money President Asif
Ali Zardari and Prime
Minister have
announced for her. [10]

With my recent love for
Habib Jalib sahab heres
one of his finest poems.
The fact that it pretty
much implies for every
era is commendable.
The poem was originally
written In 1962, when
Field Marshal Ayub Khan
formulated the new
constitution and was
playing the flute of his
administrative
capabilities, Jalib called it
faulty. He called it a tool
of exploitation and
wrote his most
memorable poem
Dastoor which
shattered the
manipulated intentions
of the government.
Deep jis ka sirf
mehellaat hi main jalay,
Chand logon ki khushyon
ko lay ker chalay,
Wo jo saye main har
maslihat kay palay;
Aisay dastoor ko,
Subh e bay noor ko,
Main naheen maanta,
Main naheen jaanta.
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
Main bhee khaif naheen
takhta e daar say,
Main bhee Mansoor
hoon, keh do aghyaar
say,
Kyun daraatay ho
zindaan ki divar say,
Zulm ki baat ko,
Jehel ki raat ko,
Main naheen maanta,
Main naheen jaanta.
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
Phool shaakhon pay
khilnay lagay tum kaho,
Jaam rindon ko milnay
lagay tum kaho,
Chak seenon kay silnay
lagay tum kaho,
Iss khulay jhoot ko,
Zehan ki loot ko,
Main naheen maanta,
Main naheen jaanta.
Flowers are budding
on branches, thats
what you say,
Every cup
overflows, thats
what you say,
Wounds are healing
themselves, thats
what you say,
These bare-faces
lies,
this insult to the
intelligence,
I refuse to
acknowledge,
I refuse to accept
Tum nay loota hai
sadyon hamara sakoon,
Ab na hum per chalay
ga tumhara fasoon,
Chara gar main tumhain
kiss tara say kahoon?
Tum naheen charaagar,
Koi maanay magar,
Main naheen maanta,
Main naheen jaanta.[/i]
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 youve healed
them,
I refuse to
acknowledge,
I refuse to accept.

HABIB JALIB

Deep jis ka mehlaat hi
mein jaley,
Chand logon ki
khushiyon ko le kar
chaley,
Wo jo saaye mein har
maslehat ke paley,
Aisey dastoor ko,
Sub-he-be-noor ko,
Main nahein maanta,
Main nahein jaanta.
Main bhi khaaif nahein
takhta-e-daar se,
Main bhi Mansoor hoon,
keh do aghyaar se,
Kyun daraatey ho
zindaan ki deevar se,
Zulm ki baat ko,
Jehl ki raat ko,
Main nahein maanta,
Main nahein jaanta.
Phool shaakhon pe
khilne lagey tum kaho,
Jaam rindon ko milne
lagey tum kaho,
Chaak seenon kay silne
lagey tum kaho,
Iss khule jhooth ko,
Zehn ki loot ko,
Main nahein maanta,
Main nahein jaanta.
Tum nay loota hai
sadyon hamaara
sukoon,
Ab na hum per chalega
tumhara fasoon,
Charaagar mein tumhein
kis tarah se kahoon?
Tum nahein charaagar,
Koi maane magar,
Main nahein maanta,
Main nahein jaanta.