“Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha, usko bhi apnay khuda hone pe itna hi yaqeen tha” (translation: The one who sat on this throne before you, he too believed that he was a god).
In 1969, during the early days of Yahya Khan’s dictatorship, Habib Jalib recited these verses at a mushaira held in Murree.
The story goes that Jalib wrote his famous poem Dastoor in response to the 1962 Constitution, drafted by Manzoor Qadir during the military rule of Ayub Khan. At the mushaira, a judge, aiming to dilute the impact of Jalib’s poetry, schemed to have the poet Dilawar Figar perform before Jalib, as Figar’s poems were humorous and no one could steal his thunder. But Jalib came to the podium after Figar and looking at Yahya Khan’s picture (which had succeeded Ayub Khan’s photo) read out the following couplet:
Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha, usko bhi apnay khuda hone pe itna hi yaqeen tha
Since the poem remains incredibly relevant even today (in 2026), we have decided to revisit it and translate it into English, to make it more accessible and understood.
Note:
As a rule of thumb, we will have the full original version first — so it retains its literary and artistic expression fully and those who understand the language can experience its rhythm and structure uninterrupted — followed by its translation into English and/or other languages so those who do not read the original language fluently, or are learning, easily understand the context.
Moreover, while have tried to translate ‘tum say pehle woh jo aik shakhs’ into English, it must, however, be noted that a translated poem may carry the message, but it can never fully capture its essence — the depth of thought, the layered emotions, and the beauty of the language that make the original poem so powerful.
Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-e-nasheen tha by Habib Jalib
ِتم سے پہلے وہ جو اک شخص یہاں تخت نشیں تھا
اُس کو بھی اپنے خدا ہونے پہ اتنا ہی یقیں تھا
کوئی ٹھہرا ہو جو لوگوں کے مقابل تو بتاؤ
وہ کہاں ہیں کہ جنہیں ناز بہت اپنے تئیں تھا
آج سوئے ہیں تہِ خاک نہ جانے یہاں کتنے
کوئی شعلہ کوئی شبنم کوئی مہتاب جبیں تھا
اب وہ پھرتے ہیں اسی شہر میں تنہا لیے دل کو
اِک زمانے میں مزاج ان کا سرِ عرشِ بریں تھا
چھوڑنا گھر کا ہمیں یاد ہے جالبؔ نہیں بھولے
تھا وطن ذہن میں اپنے کوئی زنداں تو نہیں تھا
Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-e-nasheen tha by Habib Jalib with English translation
Verse 1 – Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha
ِتم سے پہلے وہ جو اک شخص یہاں تخت نشیں تھا
اُس کو بھی اپنے خدا ہونے پہ اتنا ہی یقیں تھا
The one who sat on this throne before you,
He too believed that he was a god.
Verse 2 – Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha
کوئی ٹھہرا ہو جو لوگوں کے مقابل تو بتاؤ
وہ کہاں ہیں کہ جنہیں ناز بہت اپنے تئیں تھا
Tell me if there was anyone who managed to stand against the people.
Where are those who took immense pride in themselves?
Verse 3 – Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha
آج سوئے ہیں تہِ خاک نہ جانے یہاں کتنے
کوئی شعلہ کوئی شبنم کوئی مہتاب جبیں تھا
Today, countless lie buried underneath the dust,
Some were like flames, some dew, and some radiant as moonlight.
Verse 4 – Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha
اب وہ پھرتے ہیں اسی شہر میں تنہا لیے دل کو
اِک زمانے میں مزاج ان کا سرِ عرشِ بریں تھا
Now they wander this city, clutching their hearts in solitude,
Once, their demeanor was as lofty as the throne of the heavens
Verse 5 – Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha
چھوڑنا گھر کا ہمیں یاد ہے جالبؔ نہیں بھولے
تھا وطن ذہن میں اپنے کوئی زنداں تو نہیں تھا
We still remember leaving our home, Jalib; we have not forgotten.
It was our homeland that we thought of, not a prison.
Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-e-nasheen tha by Habib Jalib in Roman Urdu
Tum se pehle woh jo ek shakhs yahan takht-nasheen tha,
Us ko bhi apne khuda hone pe itna hi yaqeen tha.
Koi thehra ho jo logoun ke muqabil tou batao,
Woh kahan hain ke jinhein naaz bohot apne tayi’n tha.
Aaj soye hain tah-e-khaak na jane yahan kitne,
Koi shola koi shabnam koi mahtaab jabeen tha.
Ab woh phirte hain isi shehar mein tanha liye dil ko,
Ek zamane mein mizaaj unka sar-e-arsh-bareen tha.
Chorrna ghar ka humein yaad hai Jalib, nahin bhoole,
Tha watan zehan mein apne koi zindaan to nahin tha.
