Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed iqbal (1877-1938) is one of the greatest, with his literary compositions, both in urdu and in faarsi. He went through many phases in his thinking and writing – starting with an inclusive, liberal stance to a reactionary, hubristic position. Sprinkled all over are self-reliance/Khudi, sufiyaana and socialist thoughts. This is a celebration of eid-ul-fitr sprinkled with some not so admirable thoughts.
1
Ghurra¹-e shavvaal²! aye noor³-e nigaah⁴-e roza-daar⁵
aa! keh the tere liye muslim saraapa⁶ intezaar⁷    1.first day of the month, new moon 2.the month after ramazaan 3.light 4.eyes 5.roza observer 6.head to toe, embodiment 7.anticipation
The crescent moon of the month of shavvaal is the herald of eid-ul-fitr. Thus, O crescent moon of shavvaal, O light of the eyes of roza-daar. Appear, because the muslim is the embodiment of anticipation for you. For panDit anand mohan gulzar dehlavi and mohindar siNgh bedi sahr (see their posts on this site), the appears of ‘hilaal-e eid’ is a source of universal joy – for muslims as well as non-muslims. iqbal seems to take a more narrow view.
2
teri peshaani¹ pe tahriir²-e payaam³-e eid hai
shaam teri kya hai, subah aish⁴ ki tamheed⁵ hai    1.forehead, brow 2.writing 3.message 4.luxury, joy 5.preface, introduction
Written on your brow is the message of eid celebration. What is your evening if not the announcement of the morning of joy.
3
sarguzisht¹-e millat²-e baiza³ ka tu aaina hai
aye mah⁴-e nau⁵! humko tujh se ulfat⁶-e deriina⁷ hai    1.story, narrative 2.community 3.white, pure 4.moon 5.new 6.love 7.long-standing
You are the reflection of the story of the community of the pure (muslims). O new moon, we have a long-standing loving relationship with you.
4
jis alam¹ ke saaye meN teGh-aazmaa² hote the hum
dushmanoN³ ke Khoon se raNgiiN qaba⁴ hote the hum    1.flag, banner 2.trying/using the sword 3.enemies 4.robe, garments
The crescent moon is often a part of the flag of Islamic communities. This has reference to the early wars of the nascent muslim community which fought under the banner of islam. Here iqbal seems to be boasting about spilling blood of the enemy (in my view – a rather unseemly boast, when others celebrate the sighting of the crescent moon as an occasion for different communities to come together to embrace). iqbal in his early days of inclusiveness had written taraana-e hindi and later another version called taraana-e milli. One she’r from this is noteworthy …
teGhauN ke saaye meN hum, pal kar javaaN hue haiN
Khanjar hilaal ka hai, qaumi nishaaN hamaara
… thus, for iqbal, the new moon symbolically becomes a dagger.
5
teri qismat meN hum-aaGhoshi¹ usi raayat² ki hai
husn³-e roz-afzuuN⁴ se teri aabru⁵ millat⁶ ki hai    1.embrace 2.banner, flag 3.beauty 4.increasing every day, ever increasing 5.respect, dignity 6.community (muslims)
It is your fate (O crescent moon) to be embraced by that flag (under which muslim communities fought). Thus, iqbal chooses to tie the image of the crescent moon with that of the sword/scimitar and associate it with colouring robes with the enemy’s blood, rather than view it as a symbol of peace and unity that other poets emphasize. Because of your ever increasing beauty, the dignity of the muslim community is enhanced.
6
aashna-parvar¹ hai qaum² apni, vafa³ aaiiN⁴ tera
hai mohabbat-Khez⁵ ye pairaahan⁶-e siimiiN⁷ tera    1.friend nurturing, friendly 2.community 3.faith, fidelity 4.principle, tradition 5.love increasing, love creating 6.garment 7.silvery
Moonlight is like a silvery garment of the new moon and it nurtures loving natures. Our community is love-nurturing and your (O crescent moon) tradition is to keep faith. Thus, both reinforce each other.
7
auj¹-e garduuN² se zara duniya ki basti dekh le
apni raf’at³ se hamaare ghar ki pasti⁴ dekh le    1.height 2.skies 3.elevation 4.depths
From the heights of the sky, look at the people of the world. From your elevated station, look at how low we have sunk.
8
qaafile¹ dekh aur un ki barq-raftaari² bhi dekh
rahrav³-e darmaandah⁴ se manzil⁵ ki bezaari⁶ bhi dekh    1.caravans 2.lightning speed, rapid progress 3.traveller 4.tired 5.destination, goal 6.boredom, disinterest
Look at the caravans of the world (O crescent moon) and see their rapid progress. Look at the tired (muslim) traveler, and observe their disinterest in their goal.
9
dekh kar tujh ko ufaq¹ par hum luTaate² the gohar³
aye tahee-saaGhar⁴! hamaari aaj naadaari⁵ bhi dekh    1.horizon 2.give away, distribute 3.pearls 4.empty cup 5.poverty
The shape of a cresent moon might be considered to be a cup. iqbal calls it tahee-saaGhar – empty cup. There was a time when we, upon spotting the crescent moon used to give away pearls as gifts/alms. Look at us and our poverty today. iqbal is singing of the (imaginary) glories of the past and yet later in this nazm accuses others of being stuck in the same mode.
10
firqah-aaraai¹ ki zanjiiroN² meN haiN muslim asiir³
apni azaadi bhi dekh, un ki giraftaari⁴ bhi dekh    1.organized into sects, sectarianism 2.chains 3.captive 4.captivity
Look at the muslim who has become a captive of sectarianism (this appears to me about sectarianism WITHIN the muslim community, not sectarianism in the universal community). Look at how free/universal you (O crescent moon) you are and look at how narrowly bound they (muslims) are.
11
dekh masjid meN shikast¹-e rishta²-e tasbeeh³-e shaiKh
but-kade⁴ meN barhaman ki poKhta-zunnaari⁵ bhi dekh    1.breaking 2.connection 3.rosary, prayer beads 4.idol-house, temple 5.strong janev
A zunnaar is the ceremonial thread called janev worn by brahmans. iqbal implies that hindus/brahmans are strong and united in their faith and the thread of the muslim preacher’s prayer beads is cut. The comparison appears to me to strike an uncalled for note of jealousy.
12
haaN tumalluq-peshagi¹ dekh aabru² vaaloN ki tuu
aur jo be-aabru the un ki Khud-daari³ bhi dekh    1.professional flattery 2.dignity 3.self-respect
I am not sure which ‘other community’ iqbal is talking about … the western or the hindu civilization. In either case, rather loftily he says that they used to be ‘be-aabru’ i.e., undignified and now they are confident and self-respecting. Equally loftily, he asserts that muslims were ‘aabru vaale’ i.e., dignified and now they have become professional flatterers. I think that by this he means that they are boot-licking, flattering the British.
13
jis ko hum ne aashna¹ lutf-e-takallum² se kiya
us hareef³-e be-zabaaN⁴ ki garm-guftaari⁵ bhi dekh    1.familiar 2.refined speech 3.rival, enemy 4.unable to speak 5.power of speech
I think that this refers to the Renaissance in Europe after the dark age. It is generally believed that Europeans had forgotten the early scripts of Greeks and Romans and they learnt about them from arab translations and arab scholarship. Thus, it was ‘we’ (muslims) who taught them refined speech and now look at the power of speech of the enemy. Here ‘speech’ is used in the wider sense of knowledge.
14
saaz¹-e ishrat² ki sadaa³ maGhrib⁴ ke aivaanoN⁵ meN sunn
aur iraaN meN zara maatam⁶ ki tayyaari⁷ bhi dekh    1.music, harp 2.pleasure, joy 3.sound 4.west 5.halls 6.mourning 7.preparation
Listen to the sound of harp of pleasure in the halls of the west and also the preparations for mourning in iraan. Here iraan is used to symbolize muslim culture and ‘mourning’ is used to symbolize the tragedy of decline.
15
chaak¹ kar di turk²-e naadaaN³ ne Khilaafat⁴ ki qaba⁵
saadagi⁶ muslim ki dekh auroN ki ayyaari⁷ bhi dekh    1.tear, rip 2.Turk of Turkey 3.simpleton 4.the Islamic Caliphate (Khilaafat) 5.robe 6.simplicity, innocence 7.cunning, craftiness
iqbal was very active in the Khilaafat movement in India. But then they had the rug pulled from under their feet when mustafa kamaal ataturk abolished the Khilaafat and banished the Khaliif. The simpleton Turk tore the robe of Khilaafat. Look at the innocence of the muslim and look at the cunning trickery of the other (western powers).
16
soorat¹-e aaina sab kuch dekh aur Khaamosh rah
shorish²-e imroz³ meN mahv⁴-e surood⁵-e dosh⁶ rah    1.like, similar to 2.noise, confusion 3.today 4.engrossed 5.song, melody, lyre 6.past
He is still addressing the crescent moon and accusing it of being engrossed in the songs of past glory (when he himself has been doing that and has done often). Like the mirror, witness all that is going on and remain silent. Even in the confusion/noise of the day, remain engrossed in odes of past glory (which is exactly what iqbal was doing in earlier ash’aar).