For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
آزادی افکار – محمد اقبال
جو دونیٰ فطرت سے نہیں لایقِ پرواز
اُس مر غکِ بیچارہ کا انجام ہے افتاد
ہر سینہ نشیمن نہیں جبریلِ امیں کا
ہر فکر نہین طایرِ فردوس کا صیاّد
اُس قوم میں ہے شوخیِ اندیشہ خطرناک
جس قوم کے افراد ہوں ہر بند سے آزاد
گو فکرِ خدا داد سے روشن ہے زمانہ
آزادیِ افکار ہے اِبلیس کی ایجاد
आज़ादी ए अफ़्कार – मोहम्मद इक़बाल
जो दूनी-ए फ़ित्रत से नहीं लाएक़-ए परवाज़
उस मुर्ग़क-ए बेचारा का अंजाम है उफ़्ताद
हर सीना नशेमन नहीं जिब्रील-ए अमीं का
हर फ़िक्र नहीं ताएर-ए फ़िरदौस का सय्याद
उस क़ौम में है शूख़ी-ए अंदेशा ख़तरनाक
जिस क़ौम के अफ़राद हों हर बंद से आज़ाद
गो फ़िक्र-ए ख़ुदा-दाद से रौशन है ज़माना
आज़ादी-ए अफ़्कार है इब्लीस की ईजाद
aazadi-e-afkaar – mohammed iqbal
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. Intepreted as a broad philosophical approach, this represents a elitist point of view, denigrating people of “low nature”. It also confines the use of Reason without giving an appropriate justification other than calling it the work of Satan.
jo dooni1 e fitrat2 se nahiN laa’eq-e parvaaz3
us murGhak4-e bechaara ka anjaam5 hai uftaad6
har seena nasheman7 nahiN jibreel-e amiN8 ka
har fikr9 nahiN taa’er-e firdaus10 ka sayyaad11 1.“adna”, lowly 2.nature 3.capable of flight 4.dimunitive, derogatory form of murGh – little bird 5.consequence 6.sorrow (due to falling down) 7.nest, home 8.Gabriel 9.thought, reason, philosophy 10.heavenly bird 11.hunter, one who captures
By “low nature”, iqbal means “low nature by birth”? Is it an influence of the caste system in India from a man who said, “ek hi saf meN khaRe ho gaye mahmood o ayaaz? The bird which by its low nature is not capable of flight, is doomed to fall. Every heart cannot be the abode of Jibreel (i.e.cannot receive the message of god). Every thought cannot capture this bird (angel) of heaven. Thus, only the elite can fly/think.
us qaum12 meN hai shooKhi-e andesha13 Khatarnaak
jis qaum ke afraad14 hoN har band15 se aazaad
go16 fikr-e Khuda daad17 se raushan hai zamana
aazaadi-e afkaar18 hai iblees19 ki eejad20 12.community 13.flirtation with fear (doubt) 14.members 15.bounds, restrictions 16.even though 17.god given ability to think 18.plural of fikr, thought 19.Satan 20.invention
The community that flirts/plays with doubt/questioning is in danger because its members are not bound by any rules (they THINK!). Even though god given Reason has lit up this world, freedom to reason is the work of Satan. Editorial Comment – The bottom line message is “you should not doubt, you should believe. Even though “reason” has lit up the world, it is the work of Satan. See my own “tashkeek” under shahed-shuru’aat. A well wisher of urduhakar sent me a nazm and I am desperately trying to find out who the shaa’er is. The opening she’r goes …
kaafir huN, sar phira huN, mujhe maar deejiye
maiN sochne laga huN, mujhe maar deejiye
aazadi-e-afkaar – mohammed iqbal
Intepreted as a broad philosophical approach, this represents a elitist point of view, denigrating people of “low nature”. It also confines the use of Reason without giving an appropriate justification other than calling it the work of Satan.
jo dooni1 e fitrat2 se nahiN laa’eq-e parvaaz3
us murGhak4-e bechaara ka anjaam5 hai uftaad6
har seena nasheman7 nahiN jibreel-e amiN8 ka
har fikr9 nahiN taa’er-e firdaus10 ka sayyaad11
1.“adna”, lowly 2.nature 3.capable of flight 4.dimunitive, derogatory form of murGh – little bird 5.consequence 6.sorrow (due to falling down) 7.nest, home 8.Gabriel 9.thought, reason, philosophy 10.heavenly bird 11.hunter, one who captures
By “low nature”, iqbal means “low nature by birth”? Is it an influence of the caste system in India from a man who said, “ek hi saf meN khaRe ho gaye mahmood o ayaaz? The bird which by its low nature is not capable of flight, is doomed to fall. Every heart cannot be the abode of Jibreel (i.e.cannot receive the message of god). Every thought cannot capture this bird (angel) of heaven. Thus, only the elite can fly/think.
us qaum12 meN hai shooKhi-e andesha13 Khatarnaak
jis qaum ke afraad14 hoN har band15 se aazaad
go16 fikr-e Khuda daad17 se raushan hai zamana
aazaadi-e afkaar18 hai iblees19 ki eejad20
12.community 13.flirtation with fear (doubt) 14.members 15.bounds, restrictions 16.even though 17.god given ability to think 18.plural of fikr, thought 19.Satan 20.invention
The community that flirts/plays with doubt/questioning is in danger because its members are not bound by any rules (they THINK!). Even though god given Reason has lit up this world, freedom to reason is the work of Satan. Editorial Comment – The bottom line message is “you should not doubt, you should believe. Even though “reason” has lit up the world, it is the work of Satan. See my own “tashkeek” under shahed-shuru’aat. A well wisher of urduhakar sent me a nazm and I am desperately trying to find out who the shaa’er is. The opening she’r goes …
kaafir huN, sar phira huN, mujhe maar deejiye
maiN sochne laga huN, mujhe maar deejiye
