This song describes the plight of the common man through the words of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, one of the most incisive and celebrated poets of Pakistan. In this Punjabi 'nazm', he questions the Creator in the voice of a common man and finally exhorts Him to fulfil just one wish of his-'a morsel of respect'. 

I composed this piece during the lockdown. Little did I know then that it would become a mirror of the farmers' movement in India. This song and its music video is dedicated to the farmers!  

Vocals & Composition | Radhika Sood Nayak
Music Production & Guitar | Neil Mukherjee
Lyrics | Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Album cover | Gurjeet Singh Designs
Picture courtesy | Jaskaran Singh (JK Photography)
Music Video | The Project Punjab & Rajveer Kaur

RABBA SACHEYA
Lyrics | Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Rabba Sacheya tuN te aakheya si
Ja oye bandeya jag da Shah aeN tuN
SaddiyaaN nemataaN teriyaaN daulataaN ne
Sadda naib te aalijaaN aeN tuN

Aes laare te tor kad puchheya ee
Ki aes nimaane te beetiyaaN ne
Kadi saar vi layi O Rab saeeyaaN
Tere Shah naal jag ki keetiyaaN ne

Kitey dhauns police Sarkar di ae
Kitey dhaandali maal patwaar di ae
ainveiN haddaaaN ch kalpe jaan meri
jiveiN phahi ch koonj kurlaavandi ae

Changa Shah banaaya ae Rab SaeeyaaN
Pole khaandeyaN vaar na aavandi ae
Mainu Shahi nahiN chahidi Rab mere
Mein te izzat da tukkar mangna haaN
Mainu taang nahiN mehlaaN maadiyaaN di
MaiN te jeeveeN di naggar manganaa haaN

Meri manne te teriyaaN meiN mannaaN
Teri sauN je ik vi gal modaaN
Je eh mang nai pujhdi teiN Rabba
Pher meiN jaavaaN  te Rab koi hor lodaaN

TRANSLATION
True Lord
My true Lord, you had said
Go man, you are the master of the world
My bounties on earth are your treasure
You are the viceroy of your Creator

You set me out on this false promise,
did You ever find out what became of this humble one 
did you ever enquire about my well being
about what the world did with your ‘master’

The police and the Government bully me,
There is mess around property and land
I am tormented right through to my bones
Like a bird shrieking when it is being strangulated

You made a fine king, my sweet Lord,
All I have gotten are endless beatings,
I do not desire kingship, Lord,
All I need is a morsel of respect
I have no desire to live in palaces
I just want a small nook to live my life

If you agree with me, I will agree with you,
I won’t decline any of your demands, no matter how unreasonable.
But, Lord, if this request is too much for You,
Then I shall go and seek for myself another God

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