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. iqbal has written many more nazm than Ghazal. This is in Ghazal format but the continuity of its theme makes it a nazm – let us call it a nazm/Ghazal modeled after Ghalib’s ‘ibn-e mariam hua kare koii’. It is linked to Ghalib naqsh-e qadam.
1
zaahir¹ ki aaNkh se na tamaasha² kare koii
ho dekhna to diida³-e dil vaa⁴ kare koii   1.apparent, material (as opposed to spritual) 2.see, observe 3.eye 4.open wide
If you want to see the truth/spirit behind the cosmos, then material/superficial observation is not enough. You need to open wide the heart’s eye i.e., the inner eye if you want to see. Personal note … this is circular logic and as a rationalist, it is difficult for me to stomach.
2
mansoor¹ ko hua lab²-e goya³ payaam⁴-e maut⁵
ab kya kisi ke ishq ka d’aava⁶ kare koii    1.mansoor-al-hallaaj (see note) 2.lips 3.speaking 4.message 5.death 6.claim, assertion
mansoor-al-hallaaj (858-922) was a sufi scholar who read, discussed and traveled extensively. Among other places he traveled to India and perhaps influenced by ‘aham brahmasmi (meaning – I am the Absolute)’, declared, ‘an-al-haq (meaning am the Truth). This was judged to be a heresy, and he was offered a chance to recant or face death. He refused to recant and was executed. Here iqbal seems to imply that mansoor’s declaration was an assertion of love of the divine – he was declaring his one-ness with the divine. But his ‘speaking lips’ brought the message of death i.e., he dared to speak and he was sentenced to death. In the face of this, how can anyone else have the courage to make an assertion of love.
3
ho diid¹ ka jo shauq² to aaNkhoN ko band kar
hai dekhna yahi, keh na dekha kare koii   1.sighting/seeing (the divine) 2.desire
If you desire to see/comprehend the divine then you need to close your eyes i.e., zaahir ki aaNkh – the eye that is meant for the material world. Seeing (the divine) means keeping the (superficial) eyes closed i.e., turn away from the material and see the spiritual with your inner eye. To the rationalist, this appears like shutting your eyes to the truth and believing in fables.
4
maiN intehaa¹-e ishq² huN, tu intehaa-e husn³
dekhe mujhe keh tujh ko tamaasha⁴ kare koii   1.culmination 2.love, devotion 3.beauty 4.seeing, observing
The poet/devotee declares himself to be the epitome of devotion (to the spiritual) and the divine to be the epitome of beauty. But those who want to see/observe are confused – should they ‘see’ me or you. The implication is that the act of devotion is of just as much value as the beauty of the divine.
5
uzr¹-aafriin²-e jurm³-e mohabbat hai husn⁴-e dost⁵
mahshar⁶ meN uzr¹ taaza⁷ na paida kare koii   1.excuse, feigned explanation 2.creating, increasing 3.crime, transgression, excess 4.beauty 5.friend, beloved (divine) 6.judgement day 7.fresh, new
There is an interesting juxtaposition of the divine beloved and the romantic beloved. In conventional earthly love, the lover is so overwhelmed by the beauty of the beloved that he commits excesses (for which he has to be punished – perhaps on judgement day). The devotee is also overwhelmed by divine beauty and commits excesses (although this raises the question of whether such excess is punishable, is a crime). The devotee does not need a fresh/new excuse for his transgression on judgement day.
6
chhupti¹ nahiN hai ye nigah²-e shauq³, ham-nashiiN⁴
phir aur kis tarah⁵ unheN dekha kare koii    1.hide-used here to mean shut 2.eye 3.desire 4.companion, friend 5.way, method
O friend, the intensity of the desire to see (the divine) is so great that I cannot shut my eyes. What other way is there to see him.
7
aR¹ baiThe kya samajh² ke bhala tuur³ par kaliim⁴
taaqat⁵ ho diid⁶ ki to taqaaza⁷ kare koii     1.insist 2.thinking 3.mount tuur 4.another name for moosa/Moses 5.strength 6.seeing 7.demand
The story is that moosa went up mount tuur and asked to see god so he might convince his followers. He heard a voice that said that he would not be able to see the divine. He insisted. There was a flash of lightning and moosa fainted. Thus, what did moosa think (of himself) that he could insist on mount tuur (to see god). One demands things only if they have the strength/capacity to see. Said Ghalib … girni thi ham pe barq-e tajalli na tuur par
dete haiN baada zarf-e qadah-Khwaar dekh kar
8
nazzaare¹ ko ye jumbish²-e mizshgaaN³ bhi baar⁴ hai
nargis⁵ ki aaNkh se tujhe dekha kare koii    1.sight, to see 2.movement 3.eyelashes 4.burden 5.narcissus
The imagery of narcissus is that it grows by the banks of streams, blooms and droops looking at its own reflection in the water. This could have been used in two ways … (a) look at yourself to understand/look at the divine or (b) be humble and lower your eyes. Thus, in order to see, moving the eyelashes up is a burden. One should look with they eye of a narcissus i.e., look at one’s own reflection/inner self or look with humility.
9
khul¹ jaaye kya maze² haiN tamanna³-e shauq⁴ meN
do chaar din jo meri tamanna³ kare koii   1.open up, revealed, become evident 2.pleasures 3.desire, longing 4.love
The meaning of ‘meri tamanna’ here is probably not someone desiring me, but someone desiring like me. Thus, if anyone were to desire the divine with the same intensity that I do, even for a few days, then the pain/pleasure of longing will be revealed to them.