A third world war is coming
Doosri Dunya by E Sharp, translated into English
Ever since 2020, the internet has periodically returned to WWIII jokes. No worries, it’s a human thing to joke about a serious situation, to laugh at a funeral, to minimize a big scary monster, so we can understand the players at hand, look it in the eye, brace our shoulders, and face the unknown. It’s not a Gen Z thing, as much as the big tabloids would have you believe, the “foreign affairs” experts seriously discuss it too; after all, our world is a grim and dull place to be in.
On that topic, I present Doosri Dunya from E Sharp, from their very-indie-rock album titled Choti Khushiyan or Little Happinesses. E Sharp made a Music Film of the album, playing the songs on their rooftop, sitting around on sofas and talking between friends. It gives the nostalgia of getting together with friends, snacking on the food you brought with crunched-up bank notes scavenged from back pockets, and talking about everything and nothing under the gradually changing skies. Being in the moment makes you feel young and eternal but the only thing you end up having at the end is memories of long ago.
A Parallel World
Doosri Dunya from the album Choti Khushiyan (2020) by E Sharp
look, where the superior beings have brought the universe to— there is a war on every step raising an air of destruction a third world war is coming if you and i can't do anything— a parallel world has been built we have to take everyone there let's go where the language of not fear but love rules— a place away from all the hate where not sorrow but happiness rains what solution have we found to all these problems— to this beautiful world we have given nothing but sorrow this snow on the top of mountains now asks us questions— is this nothing but an example of wrecking your own home a third world war is coming if you and i can't do anything— a parallel world has been built we have to take everyone there let's go where the language of not fear but love rules— a place away from all the hate where not sorrow but happiness rains that is where we'll make a parallel world that is where we'll live the parallel world
Urdu Lyric
دیکھو اشرف المخلوقات لے آئیں ہیں کہاں کائنات کرتے ہیں ہر قدم پہ جنگ دیتے ہیں بربادی کا سماں تیسری جنگِ عظیم آئی کر سکے نہ کچھ اگر میں اور تم دوسری دنیا ہے جو بسائی لے کر جانا ہے اس میں سب کو خود چلو ہم چلیں ایک ایسی جگہ جہاں خوف کی نہیں پیار کی چلتی زبان جہاں دور ہیں سبھی نفرتیں وہاں غم نہیں خوشیاں برستی ہیں ہر جگہ ان ساری مصیبتوں کا کیا حل تالاش ہم نے کیا ہے پیاری اس دنیا کو ہم نے بس غم ہی دیا ہے یہ پہاڑوں کی برف اب پوچھتی ہم سے سوال ہے اپنے ہی گھر کو اجاڑنے کی یہ مثال ہے تیسری جنگِ عظیم آئی کر سکے نہ کچھ اگر میں اور تم دوسری دنیا ہے جو بسائی لے کر جانا ہے اس میں سب کو خود چلو ہم چلیں ایک ایسی جگہ جہاں خوف کی نہیں پیار کی چلتی زبان جہاں دور ہیں سبھی نفرتیں وہاں غم نہیں خوشیاں برستی ہیں ہر جگہ وہیں پہ تو ہم تم بنائیں گئے دوسری دنیا وہیں پہ تو ہم تم گئے بسائیں گئے دوسری دنیا
Transliteration
dykho ashraf-ul-makhluqat lay ayien hain kahan kainat krty hain har qadam par jang daytay hain barbadi ka saman teesri jang-e-azeem ayi kar saky na kuch agr mein aur tum doosri dunya hai jo basai lay kr jana hai os mein sab ko khud chlo hum chlien ek aisi jaga jahan khauf ki nahi pyar ki chalti hai zuban jahan dour hain sabhi nafrat'ien wahan ghum nahi khush'ian barasti hain har jaga in sari musibat'on ka kya hal talash hum nay kya hai pyari is dunya ko hum nay bas ghum he dya hai ye pahar'on ki baraf ab pochti hum sy sawal hai apnay ne ghar ko ojarnay ki ye misal hai teesri jang-e-azeem ayi kar saky na kuch agr mein aur tum doosri dunya hai jo basai lay kr jana hai os mein sab ko khud chlo hum chlien ek aisi jaga jahan khauf ki nahi pyar ki chalti hai zuban jahan dour hain sabhi nafrat'ien wahan ghum nahi khush'ian barasti hain har jaga wahien pay tu hum tum bana'ien gyien doosri dunya wahien pay tu hum tum basa'ien gyien doosri dunya
Word of the Day
اشرف المخلوقات — ashraf-ul-makhlooqat (adjective, masculine)
meaning: noblest of all creations, man
The Arabic-origin adjective ‘ashraf-ul-maklooqat’ denotes the superiority of mankind over other creatures/creations—much like the English idea of ‘man being a rational animal’ that marks it different from everyone inhabiting the earth. In Urdu literature, it is used to refer to man and, sarcastically, his shortcomings. Like daring to call himself the superior being but falling short at many turns: a constant reminder of setting an ideal and never being able to reach it.
i was just thinking about the whole wwiii jokes too! love the connection you made and the translation. the song is so beautiful!