On the International Women’s Day, here is Kashmiri Bella Ciao, by Zanaan Wanaan (a “collective of Kashmiri women writing and singing their stories of resistance”). According to its creators, this “song was written on an odd night, away from home, in the aftermath of Aug 5 by a few young Kashmiri women. It is in memory of our people, our collective struggles and in hope of Azadi.” Lyrics in English translation and Kashmiri transliteration included courtesy of the collective.
Kashmiri Transliteration:
Waliv wathiv
Zaalim chu kadun
Su sahar aaw, sahar aaw, sahar aaw aaw aaw
Gul yeli phoulan
Jabir yeli chalan
Shaheed wechan, karoun kasheer azad
Sopar ti Machil, Kunan te Poshpor
Chi ni mashmith, sanyan zehnan menz che yaad yaad yaad
Yim tohi rawnaewukh,
Wapas ne anuwukh
Subhan shaaman diwan timan aes naad
Saen phoulwin goulaab
Zoon te aftaab
Qabran manz travikh, wounukh yim che namoulum afraad
Aes ne ye maanaan,
Har doh chi wouthan
Alam hyath chi pakaan kaeshir shahsawar
Chashman manz pyellet
Seenan manz bullet
Hatyan manz , tear gasesch keectha krath krath krath
Israeli tarkeeb, chuv tohi aazmaanwaan
Aes ti hyochmuth falestini intifaad
Hari Singh tuhundui, Abdullah taehndi
Tuhnedi aes tim Muftiyan hind khwaab khwaab khwaab
Dunyahas hovu, saersi phaelnevuw
Asi ti dohai preznov tuhund apzyar
Poonchimi Auguste
Phakh dravov nonui
Tuhenzi jamhuriyatuk raaz gov phaash phaash phaash
Amreeki wanaan, Landon ti wanaan
UNas manz wuznae tuhenz Nazi chaal
Paan wani koruv
Sahi accession
Sheetyik election, UN resolution fraud fraud fraud
Tuhindi article
Tuhindi agreement
Na pruchuv tyem wiz
Na pruchuv aesi aaz
Keetyov dohan pyeth chu aesi haeth cheer
Sochuv em sith gasi koshur nakaam kaam kaam
Panyov baechov nich tohi chyanraeyiv
Aes ti lyokh chithyan manz inquilaab
Doh raat gov kunui
Garich ne khabri
Zameeni yaech ne, saen ruh ti tulaan yi azaab
Aashiq te mashooq, karyiv tohi jouda
Phyeraan lari, dilas manz chukh iztiraab
AFSPA te POTA
Beyi onuv TADA
PSAyan kethya lokchaar kaer barbaad baad baad
Makaan saen zaeliyv
Ghar wujaraeyiv
Toti baagan hend tchonth karan ehtijaaj
Waqt chu gawah
Tehreek ne nav kanh
Aes dichmaov jadow
Chi muhim ye pakaan, ye rawaan
Teli dichai baang
Zitovuh jaanaan
Aaz Tulaan kanni shuer, mard te zanaan
Yeli yei azaedi
Saeni kasheeri
Yeezov qabran pyeth ti dyeezov asi naad naad naad
Wanizov Shaheedo!
Muhim waech manzil
Tuhenz shahadat waech anjaam…
English Translation:
Come, get up
We have to throw out the tyrant
The long awaited dawn is here, is here, is here
When the flowers will bloom
When the oppressor will be ousted
Our martyrs will witness
As we free Kasheer
Sopre and Machil, Kunan and Poshpora
Haven’t been forgotten
In our consciousness, they are remembered
The ones you forcefully took,disappeared
Never to be returned
From morning till evening
We keep calling their names
Our budding roses
Our moons and our suns
Were put in mass graves as unidentified people
We do not accept this
Everyday, we get up
Holding flags of remembrance, Kashmiris are marching on
Pellet ridden eyes
Bullet pierced chests
Our throats filled with tear gas choke
You adapt Israel’s tactics
But, we have also learnt Palestinian intifada
Hari Singh was yours
Abdullahs are yours
Mufti’s dreams were also yours
Flaunted and propagated
But we have always recognised your lies
On the 5th of August
You revealed your plans
The facade of your democracy was unveiled
Voiced in America, voiced in London
The UN echoed with your Nazi manoeuvres
Amongst yourselves,
You agreed upon the accession,
Elections of 1987,
The UN resolutions were fraudulent
The Articles were yours,
The Agreements were yours,
Neither were we asked then,
Nor are you asking us now
Countless days have passed, we have been throttled
Thinking, now Kashmiris will fail
You separated us from our loved one
But in our letters we penned down revolutions
Our days and nights have become one,
No news of home
Not just our land, our souls bear this anguish too
You separated lovers,
They toss and turn, their hearts are restless
AFSPA and POTA
You also introduced TADA
PSA ruined countless childhoods
You burnt down our houses
Tattered our homes
Despite that, even the apples of our orchards protest
Time is witness,
Our movement is not new-born
Passed on to us by our ancestors
This struggle is moving and ongoing
Back then, to call the Azaan
22 people gave up their lives
Today, children, men and women pick up stones
When freedom will come,
To our Kashmir
Visit our graves and call our names
Saying, O Martyrs!
The struggle has attained its course
Your martyrdom has reached its destination.