Kazi Nazrul Islam

24 May 1899 - 29 August 1976 / Bardhaman / India

The Martyr's Eid

The martyr's Eid has come today.
On the martyr's head rests his blood-stained cap.
In the name of God he begs of us all;
Make your offerings of God
who is more dear to you than your most
precious jewellery.
I want no false pearls,
no cheap trickery

I want no cow, no lamb, no camel.
What, after all, do such gifts mean?
They are petty and false.
I want true Korbani,
I do not want any hypocritical offerings.
What is needed to uphold Islam's prestige
is your life and the life of your son.
Can you offer these?
Is there anywhere a true Muslim?

You cheat, you swindler,
do not shame yourself any more.
Do you want to acquire virtue
by offering cows as bribes?
Even if you somehow manage
to cross the Pulserat with your cows
what answer will you give
to your prophet Mohammad?

When he will ask you, O unfaithful,
what have you done for Islam?
Letting Islam go to hell
you have come to heaven yourself!
O demon, greedy for false sanctity,
utterly selfish to the core!
Don't let me ever see your face.
I blush at your shameless conduct.

You help cows to cross the bridge to Heaven
while your own children you lead to Hellfire.
Through false affection you send your sons
to Hell.
Your sacrifice goats and cows
and make them blessed.
They go to Heaven
while you bemoan your cursed fate!

One who saves only his own skin
is not a true Muslim.

He is a cheat, a terrible hypocrite.
Islam says, Let us all be saved,.
Live and let live!
Sacrifice for God your life and soul
and all your riches,
earn truly and honestly the blessing of heaven!
Heaven has no room for selfishness.

Allowing Islam to go to the dogs
You boast that you are a Muslim!
Truly you are Godless, a hypocrite.
You lick the boots of those .
who butcher-Islam,
You are nothing but their vile slaves.
Your fasts and your prayers are all soulless shows.
With not an ounce of sacrifice
You only masquerade as Godfearing men.
Money and wealth you can amass
with great diligence,
but when you are asked to make a sacrifice
you cringe and look pale
What price your prayers then?
You have gorged your food like pigs,

You have grown fat, ugly and stupid.
Now, please, offer yourselves as sacrifice,
only thus can Islam and you be saved.
Only through your sacrifice
can Islam break the shackles of its bondage
and rise up glorious and free.
This is the song that Kemal Pasha sings!

Carefully shielding your children
You look longingly at Paradise.
You think you will smoothly cross the bridge to Heaven,
because you have sacrificed
one full cow for seven men.
You think that that is enough.
You think that that will take care
of all your sins!

You treacherous rogue!
Don't you know that God is all-powerful,
that He sees through all your machinations?
You fool, do you want to trick God
with your false trappings?

On the Day of Judgement will you meet
your final humiliation!

Islam is about to sink.
A dark cloud engulfs it today.
Come, like Ibrahim.sacrifice again
what you hold dearest to your heart.
Let your sons be zabihullah,
let everything go overboard,
only hold fast to truth.
Let all mothers be like mother Hajera of old!

It was only in his dream
that Ibrahim heard God's command
to offer a sacrifice to Him;
while you are now witnessing
in broad daylight
Islam's pitiable plight.
God is testing you today.
He has laid a wager with His friend.

As long as you are a flock of stupid sheep,
as long as you remain a slave nation,
timid and weak, .
please offer no animal to God as sacrifice.
That will go in vain,
and you will remain viler
than the beasts you kill.

Rather put to death the beasts
that lurk in your heart.
It will give a respite to the animals,
and will be a noble deed on your part.
How can a butcher talk of holy sacrifice?
The Eid is not for the likes of us,
It is for those valiant sons
who are themselves valiant martyrs.
Please offer animals as sacrifice
only when you are again free and independent,
only when Islam will be once more free
of all tyranny and oppression.
Let all the blood spilled at the time of Korbani
rise like a flame
and burn all tyrants to cinders,
leaving not the slightest trace!
Ameen, Rabbul Alameen!
Ameen, Rabbul Alameen! !
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