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 Ghazal has sufi overtones. iqbal makes a strong distinction between ‘material’ and ‘spiritual’ knowledge. Editorial comment – as a dialectical materialist/rationalist (hopefully), I have to observe that such derision of Khirad/reason is not balanced and carries the possible birth of extremist boko haraam attitudes. There is much more to be learnt in dialectical materialism.
1
Khirad¹ ke paas Khabar² ke siva³ kuchh aur nahiN
tera ilaaj⁴ nazar⁵ ke sivaa kuchh aur nahiN   1.knowledge, rationality, mind 2.awareness (of material things/processes) 3.except for 4.cure 5.sight, spirituality
The mind can take you no further than knowledge of the material world, the mechanics of its working. The cure (of your thirst for knowledge) is nothing but vision (to see hidden/spiritual things).
2
har ek maqaam¹ se aage maqaam hai teraa
hayaat² zauq³-e safar⁴ ke siva⁵ kuchh aur nahiN   1.place, stage 2.life 3.taste for 4.travel, struggle 5.except for
Every goal is just a stage beyond which there is another stage (towards your goal). Life is nothing except for a taste for this continuous struggle.
3
giraaN-bahaa¹ hai to hifz²-e Khudi³ se hai varna⁴
guhar⁵ meN aab⁶-e guhar ke sivaa⁷ kuchh aur nahiN 1.high value, precious 2.protection 3.self-respect, dignity 4.otherwise 5.pearl 6.lustre, shine 7.except for
Pearl has high value because of its lustre. If it loses that then it loses its value. Its value lies in safeguarding its lustre/dignity. Of course, pearl is the human soul and lustre is its dignity/self-respect.
4
ragauN¹ meN gardish²-e KhooN hai agar to kya haasil³
hayaat⁴ soz⁵-e jigar⁶ ke sivaa kuchh aur nahiN   .veins 2.circulation 3.product, use 4.life 5.fire/passion 6.liver/life, symbol of fortitude
Blood circulating through veins is like simply being alive for the sake of being alive. What is the use of that? There is nothing in life if it does not have passion/desire (fortitude to do something). Said Ghalib …
ragauN meN dauRte phirne ke hum nahiN qaa’el
jab aaNkh hi se na Tapke to phir lahu kya hai
5
uroos-e-laala¹ munaasib² nahiN hai mujh se hijaab³
ke maiN nasim⁴-e sahar⁵ ke sivaa kuchh aur nahiN   .Tulip Bride 2.suitable, becoming 3.hiding 4.breeze 5.dawn
Poetic tradition is that morning breeze wakes buds up and makes them bloom. This could be an analogy for human spiritual search (the breeze) yielding knowledge/spirituality (blooming of flowers). Thus “Tulip Bride” – personified spiritual knowledge, whom the poet/lover/morning breeze seeks, should not hide from him. After all he is the one who can make it bloom – there is a symbiotic relationship between the two.
6
jise kasaad¹ samajhte haiN taajiran²-e-faraNg³
vo shai³ mataa⁴-e hunar⁵ ke sivaa kuchh aur nahiN   .of no value, useless 2.traders 3.Europe, western civilization 3.thing 4.treasure 5.talent, art
In iqbal’s eyes western civilization does not value spirituality. But that is exactly what is of high value – the treasure of talent (of spiritual/sufi love).
7
baRaa karim¹ hai iqbal-e be-navaa² laikin
ataa³-e shola⁴ sharar⁵ ke sivaa kuchh aur nahiN   .benevolent 2.without sound, without anything to say 3.grant 4.flame 5.spark
iqbal characterizes himself as “be-navaa” – voice-less i.e. with nothing worthwhile to say/give. But he is still benevolent with whatever little he has. His grant (to his readers/audience) of a flame is nothing but a spark (to initiate their thinking).