For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “Roman” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
fareha pervez
تابدار کر ۔ محمّد اِقبال
۱
گیسوئے تابدار کو اور بھی تابدار کر
ہوش و خِرد شِکار کر، قلب و نظر شِکار کر
۲
عِشق بھی ہو حِجاب میں، حُسن بھی ہو حِجاب میں
یا تو خود آشکار ہو، یا مجھے آشکار کر
۳
تو ہے محیطِ بیکراں، میں ہوں ذرا سی آبجو
یا مجھے ہمکِنار کر، یا مجھے بے کِنار کر
۴
میں ہوں صدف تو تیرے ہاتھ، میرے گہر کی آبرو
میں ہوں خذف تو تو مجھے، گوہرِ شاہوار کر
۵
نغمۂ نو بہار اگر، میرے نصیب میں نہ ہو
اِس دمِ نیم سوز کو، طائرکِ بہار کر
۶
باغِ بہشت سے مجھے حکمِ سفر دیا تھا کیوں
کارِ جہاں دراز ہے، اب مرا اِنتظار کر
۷
روزِ حساب جب میرا، پیش ہو دفترِ عمل
آپ بھی شرمسار ہو، مجھ کو بھی شرمسار کر
ताब्दार कर-मोहम्मद एक़्बाल
१
गेसू-ए ताब्दार को, और भी ताब्दार कर
होश ओ ख़िरद शिकार कर, क़ल्ब ओ शिकार कर
२
इश्क़ भी हो हिजाब में, हुस्न भी हो हिजाब में
या तू ख़ुद आश्कार हो, या मुझे आश्कार कर
३
तू है मोहीत-ए बेकराँ, मैं हूं ज़रा सी आब्जू
या मुझे हमकिनार कर, या मुझे बेकिनार कर
४
मैं हूं सदफ़ तो तेरे हाथ, मेरे गोहर कि आबरू
मैं हूं ख़ज़फ़ तो तू मुझे, गौहर-ए शाहवार कर
५
नग़्मा-ए नौ-बहार अगर, मेरे नसीब में न हो
इस दम-ए नीम-सोज़ को, ताएरक-ए बहार कर
६
बाग़-ए बेहिश्त से मुझे हुक्म-ए सफ़र दिया था क्यूं
कार-ए जहां दराज़ है, अब मेरा इन्तेज़ार कर
७
रोज़-ए हिसाब जब मेरा, पेश हो दफ़्तर-ए अमल
आप भी शर्मसार हो मुझ को भी शर्मसार कर
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 sufiyaana Ghazal of iqbal in which he uses the beloved as a metaphor for god. He wants love of god to overwhelm everything else, including reason/logic.
1
gesu1-e taabdaar2 ko, aur bhi taabdaar kar
hosh3 o Khirad4 shikaar5 kar, qalb6 o nazar7 shikaar kar 1.hair, tresses 2.shining 3.senses, awareness 4.knowledge, wisdom 5.hunt/trap/capture 6.heart 7.point of view, thinking, reason
On the surface this is addressed to the beloved talking about her shining hair. Consider this metaphor for the beauty of god. iqbal is asking god to display his/her beauty/glory even more and with it to capture all senses/awareness, (worldly) knowledge/wisdom, heart (attachments to worldly things) and reason. When the beloved/god “captures” them, the poet/lover can focus exclusively on love of god.
2
ishq1 bhi ho hijaab2 meN, husn3 bhi ho hijaab meN
ya to Khud aashkaar4 ho, ya mujhe aaskhar kar 1.love (of the poet/lover/sufi for god) 2.hidden behind a veil 3.beauty (glory of god) 4.reveal, diplsay
The situation is that god does not display his/her full glory and the poet/lover’s nature is also hidden from himself … thus humans neither understand god, nor do they understand themselves. iqbal demands/asks for a change in this – either reveal your full glory or reveal me (to myself, so that I may understand my purpose fully)
3
tu hai moheet1-e bekaraaN2, maiN huN zara si aabju3
ya mujhe hum-kinaar4 kar, ya mujhe be-kinaar5 kar 1.all encompassing, surrounding, vast ocean 2.limitless, infinite 3.river, stream 4.same boundary/shore, merge 5.without boundary/shoreline
The poet/lover seeks merger with the beloved/god. You are an infinite ocean, I am but a small stream. Either make me vast (like you) or let me merge with you
4
maiN huN sadaf1 to tere haath, mere guhar2 ki aabru3
maiN huN Khazaf4 to tu mujhe, gauhar-e-shaahvaar5 kar 1.oyster shell 2.pearl 3.glory, dignity 4.pebble/rock 5.pearl fit for royalty
If I am shell then the glory of my pearl is in your hands. If I am but a worthless rock, then change me into a pearl fit for royalty
5
naGhma1-e nau-bahaar2 agar, mere naseeb3 meN na ho
is dum4-e neem-soz5 ko taa’erak-e-bahaar6 kar 1.song 2.new spring, coming world order 3.fate 4.breath, life 5.half passionate 6.bird heralding spring
If the song of the new/just world order is not in my fate (if I am not the instrument that brings this about), then at least make me the bird (poet/singer) which heralds/announces the coming of spring/justice. In calling himself “neem-soz” – half passionate, iqbal is recognizing that he has not yet achieved the ultimate objective of the sufi … losing his identity in the divine
6
baaGh-e behisht1 se mujhe, hukm2-e safar3 diya tha kyuN
kaar4-e jahaaN5 daraaz6 hai, ab mera intezaar7 kar 1.heaven, paradise 2.order 3.journey 4.work/problems 5.world 6.long/difficult 7.wait
This has reference to the legend of expulsion of aadam from heaven. Why did you give orders that I should leave heaven (why did you separate me from yourself). Now that I am in this world, I find that the problems facing me are huge. It is not easy to achieve union with god. So you will just have to wait for me.
7
roz-e-hisaab1 jab mera, pesh ho daftar-e-amal2
aap bhi sharmsaar3 ho, mujh ko bhi sharmsaar kar 1.day of judgement/reckoning 2.book/account of actions 3.ashamed
iqbal is suggesting that god shares responsibility for the actions of humans. When on the day of reckoning an accounting of my actions will be presented, I will for sure be ashamed. But then, after all it was you who made me/banished me from heaven, so you will be ashamed too. Thus, is he asking for forgiveness ahead of time. Thus, is he asking for forgiveness ahead of time but is also mindful is limited ‘free will’.
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 sufiyaana Ghazal of iqbal in which he uses the beloved as a metaphor for god. He wants love of god to overwhelm everything else, including reason/logic.
1
gesu1-e taabdaar2 ko, aur bhi taabdaar kar
hosh3 o Khirad4 shikaar5 kar, qalb6 o nazar7 shikaar kar
1.hair, tresses 2.shining 3.senses, awareness 4.knowledge, wisdom 5.hunt/trap/capture 6.heart 7.point of view, thinking, reason
On the surface this is addressed to the beloved talking about her shining/beautiful hair. Consider this to be a metaphor for the beauty of god. iqbal is asking god to display his/her beauty/glory even more and with it to capture all senses/awareness, (worldly) knowledge/wisdom, heart (attachments to worldly things) and reason. When the beloved/god “captures” them, the poet/lover can focus exclusively on love of god.
2
ishq1 bhi ho hijaab2 meN, husn3 bhi ho hijaab meN
ya to Khud aashkaar4 ho, ya mujhe aaskhar kar
1.love (of the poet/lover/sufi for god) 2.hidden behind a veil 3.beauty (glory of god) 4.reveal, diplsay
The situation is that god does not display his/her full glory and the poet/lover’s nature is also hidden from himself … thus humans neither understand god, nor do they understand themselves. iqbal demands/asks for a change in this – either reveal your full glory or reveal me (to myself, so that I may understand my purpose fully).
3
tu hai moheet1-e bekaraaN2, maiN huN zara si aabju3
ya mujhe hum-kinaar4 kar, ya mujhe be-kinaar5 kar
1.all encompassing, surrounding, vast ocean 2.limitless, infinite 3.river, stream 4.same boundary/shore, merge 5.without boundary/shoreline
The poet/lover seeks merger with the beloved/god. You are an infinite ocean, I am but a small stream. Either make me vast (like you) or let me merge with you.
4
maiN huN sadaf1 to tere haath, mere guhar2 ki aabru3
maiN huN Khazaf4 to tu mujhe, gauhar-e-shaahvaar5 kar
1.oyster shell 2.pearl 3.glory, dignity 4.pebble/rock 5.pearl fit for royalty
If I am shell then the glory of my pearl is in your hands. If I am but a worthless rock, then change me into a pearl fit for royalty
5
naGhma1-e nau-bahaar2 agar, mere naseeb3 meN na ho
is dum4-e neem-soz5 ko taa’erak-e-bahaar6 kar
1.song 2.new spring, coming world order 3.fate 4.breath, life 5.half passionate 6.bird heralding spring
If the song of the new/just world order is not in my fate (if I am not the instrument that brings this about), then at least make me the bird (poet/singer) which heralds/announces the coming of spring/justice. In calling himself “neem-soz” – half passionate, iqbal is recognizing that he has not yet achieved the ultimate objective of the sufi … losing his identity in the divine.
6
baaGh-e behisht1 se mujhe, hukm2-e safar3 diya tha kyuN
kaar4-e jahaaN5 daraaz6 hai, ab mera intezaar7 kar
1.heaven, paradise 2.order 3.journey 4.work/problems 5.world 6.long/difficult 7.wait
This has reference to the legend of expulsion of aadam from heaven. Why did you give orders that I should leave heaven (why did you separate me from yourself). Now that I am in this world, I find that the problems facing me are huge. It is not easy to achieve union with god. So you will just have to wait for me.
7
roz-e-hisaab1 jab mera, pesh ho daftar-e-amal2
aap bhi sharmsaar3 ho, mujh ko bhi sharmsaar kar
1.day of judgement/reckoning 2.book/account of actions 3.ashamed
iqbal is suggesting that god shares responsibility for the actions of humans. When on the day of reckoning an accounting of my actions will be presented, I will for sure be ashamed. But then, after all it was you who made me/banished me from heaven, so you will be ashamed too. Thus, is he asking for forgiveness ahead of time but is also mindful is limited ‘free will’.
Key Search Words: sufiyaana
