Translator’s note: The Battle of Karbala occupies a hallowed place not only in the annals of Islam, but in the long struggle of the values of truth and justice against the tyranny of lies and injustice since time immemorial.In this respect, it is illuminating to consider what the subcontinent’s Urdu poets have written over time, not about the tragedy of Karbala – for that is a time-tested topic in Urdu literature – but the aftermath of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and most of his family on the 10th of the Islamic month of Muharram today – commemorated as Ashura – by the army of the reigning Umayyad monarch, Yazid ibn Muawiya.One of the legendary moments passed down from oral folklore is the rousing sermon which the heroine of Karbala, Hazrat Zainab, the daughter of the slain fourth Caliph Hazrat Ali and grand-daughter of Prophet Muhammad, gave in the court of Yazid after the martyrdom of her brother Imam Hussein. This historical moment has not been captured as frequently in Urdu poetry. Therefore, it was an interesting experience to come across two recent poetic tributes to Hazrat Zainab’s sermon in the works of two of Pakistan’s greatest feminist poets.The late Fahmida Riaz did so in her last collection of poems before she passed away, Tum Kabeer (You Kabeer, Oxford University Press, Karachi, 2017). Her poem was titled ‘Hazrat Zainab ka Khutba Shaam ke Darbaar Mein’ (‘The Address of Hazrat Zainab in the Court of Syria’). Kishwar Naheed has a poem titled ‘Yazid ke Darbaar Men Hazrat Zainab ka Khitaab’ (‘Hazrat Zainab’s Address in the Court of Yazid’) from her latest collection of poetry published last year, Shireen Sukhni se Paray (Away from Sweet Talk, Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, 2018).Also read | Review: The Book of MemoriesIt is also interesting how different the approaches of the two poets are to the same historical event. Naheed’s is a short and pithy poem, which concerns itself only with Hazrat Zainab’s address itself; while Riaz’s poem is very long and descriptive on detail of the events leading up to the sermon itself, and only arrives at its proper subject in the penultimate stanza of the poem.Since the latter poem is very long, I have only translated the particular stanza relating to Hazrat Zainab’s address itself. Also interesting is the fact that while Naheed’s shorter poem ends in a declaration of defiance from Hazrat Zainab, in Riaz’s version the defiance is immediately followed in the final couplet by a call to feminism, thus making Hazrat Zainab a feminist icon of our times, true to Riaz’s own calling.What is also surprising is the intensity with which both Riaz and Naheed have versified the tragedy of Karbala and Hazrat’s sermon, despite not being born within the Shia faith itself, thus proving that events like these defy the limitations of time, place and religion.My translation of Naheed’s full poem is given below, followed by the extract from Riaz.§Hazrat Zainab’s Address in the Court of Yazid (Kishwar Naheed)Though the story of the Lord’s face has six facetsI who am the inheritor of the LordArrive to stand with naked head among the riot of enemiesNow you are facingThe progeny of Haidar-e-KarrarI will narrate the facts about the thirsty onesHow darkness became a permanent abodeI also clarify and examine the army of tyrannyI take the oath upon death not to take mercy on meThese daughters of the Prophet have come with heads uncoveredIn your court todayAfter the journey to Kufa and SyriaI know you are not destined for victoryI ask based on what arrogance after all did youSeverThe blessed neck of the sovereign kingFor the offering of the seventy-two martyrs of NinevehYou are not about to be elevatedThe Judge on Doomsday recognizes your register of deedsThe collar of humiliation indeed knows your crueltyWe are SyedanisDo not consider us helplessWe possess the desire for the power of enduranceBy the grace of Asadullah this pride we possessWe cannot be the ones slain on the path of the huntedWe are oppressed, but cannot be afflictedYou dare not remember the Prophet’s family’s sinceritySellers of truth! Neither did you remember shame and modestyYou indeed let the children die of thirstYou made the sovereign king restless, by isolating himLife will not let you rest YazidI am indeed the sister of the oppressed, look at meYou Yazids will never rest in peaceThe faith of the Muslims will never taste defeatAlso read | Romila Thapar on Whether There is a Pattern in History§The Address of Hazrat Zainab in the Court of Syria (Fahmida Riaz)You perpetrated a horrible crime O murderer YazidDo not think it is glad tidings of victory decreedBut the very end of the low which you think to be a highThe men and women you over-ran with your army were a handfulThe Gracious Lord from the sky watched the unjust slaughterYou have caused yourself a huge lossThe wrath you visited, your oppression upon our broodYou cut your own jugular, drank your own bloodThe Prophet’s family have embraced martyrdomTheir heads held high, departing successfully from this kingdomThey shine on the firmament, will be remembered by this earthThe darkness of your face is now indelible, you accursedThere is great noise in every quarter over your tyrannyYou deserve curses, and are worthy of penalty …Humanity presents her a golden tributeShe elevated the world of femininity with a crowning attribute.Raza Naeem, the translator, is a social scientist and an award-winning translator currently based in Lahore. He has been trained in political economy from the University of Leeds in the UK and in Middle Eastern history and anthropology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, USA. He is also the president of the Progressive Writers Association (PWA) in Lahore. He may be reached at razanaeem@hotmail.com.
