This powerful declaration conveys a sense of imposed suffering and a rejection of personal blame. It highlights external forces—societal, political, or systemic—as the cause of hardship, emphasizing victimhood while subtly hinting at a collective experience of oppression.
Quote by Faiz Ahmad Faiz: “We have not fallen by our own choice. / The world has crushed us.”
We have not fallen by our own choice. / The world has crushed us.
Insight
Historical Context
From 'Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain Tere' (Speak, For Your Lips Are Free), written during a period of political unrest and state suppression in Pakistan. Faiz himself was imprisoned for his political views, making this a direct reflection of personal and national struggle.
About the Author
One of the most celebrated Urdu poets of the twentieth century, born in Sialkot in 1911. His poetry wove together romantic longing and political resistance, earning him the Lenin Peace Prize in 1962 and a Nobel Prize nomination.
View all quotes by Faiz Ahmad Faiz