Recitation
لالۂ صحرا – محمد اقبال
یہ گنبدِ مینائی ، یہ عالمِ تنہائی
مجھ کو تو ڈراتی ہے اِس دشت کی پہنائی
بھٹکا ہوا راہی میں ، بھٹکا ہوا راہی تو
منزل ہے کہاں تیری ، ائے لالۂ صحرائی
خالی ہے کلیموں سے یہ کوہ و کمر ورنہ
تو شعلۂ سینائی، میں شعلۂ سینائی
تو شاخ سے کیوں پھوٹا، میں شاخ سے کیوں ٹوٹا
اک جذبۂ پیدائی، اک لذّتِ یکتائی
غواص محبت کا اللہ نگہباں ہو
ہر قطرۂ دریا میں، دریا کی ہے گہرائی
اِس موج كے ماتم میں، روتی ہے بھنور کی آنکھ
دریا سے اٹھی لیکن، ساحل سے نہ ٹکرائی
ہے گرمیِ آدم سے، ہنگامۂ عالم گرم
سورج بھی تماشائی، تارے بھی تماشائی
ائے بادِ بیابانی مجھ کو بھی عنایت ہو
خاموشی و دل سوزی، سرمستی و رعنائی
लाला-ए सेहरा – मोहम्मद इक़बाल
ये गुंबद-ए मीनाई, ये आलम-ए तन्हाई
मुझ को तो डराती है इस दश्त की पहनाई
भट्का हुआ राही मैं, भट्का हुआ राही तू
मंज़िल है कहां तेरी, अय लाला-ए सेहराई
ख़ाली है कलीमौं से ये कोह-ओ कमर वरना
तू शोला-ए सीनाई, मैं शोला-ए सीनाई
तू शाख़ से क्यूं फूटा, मैं शाख़ से क्यूं टूटा
एक जज़्बा-ए पैदाई, एक लज़्ज़त-ए यकताई
ग़वास मोहब्बत का अल्लाह निगहबां हो
हर क़तरा-ए दरया में, दरया की है गहराई
इस मौज के मातम में, रोती है भंवर की आंख
दरया से उठि लैकिन, साहिल से ना टकराई
है गर्मी-ए आदम से, हंगामा-ए आलम गर्म
सूरज भी तमाशाई, तारे भी तमाशाई
अय बाद-ए बियबानी मुझ को भी इनायत हो
ख़ामोशी ओ दिल-सोज़ी, सरमस्ती ओ रा’नाई
lala-e sehra – mohammed iqbal
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. iqbal compares himself to “lala-e sehra”, tulip/poppy of the wilderness … like natural or divine Beauty that no one is around to observe and enjoy similar to the poet’s compositions which not many people understand/appeciate.
ye gunbad1-e meenaaii2, ye aalam3-e tanhaaii4
mujh ko to Daraati hai is dasht5 ki pahnaaii6 1.dome 2.blue 3.condition of 4.loneliness 5.wilderness 6.expanse
The poet/philosopher feels himself utterly lonely under the blue dome of the sky. The expanse of the wilderness (the unknown) strikes fear in him.
bhaTka1 hua raahi2 maiN, bhaTka hua raahi tu
manzil3 hai kahaaN teri, aye lala-e sehraaii41.lost, wandering 2.traveler 3.destination, goal, purpose (purpose of life) 4.tulip/poppy of the wilderness i.e. Beauty (personified)
I am lost and wander around, just like you (O Wild Tulip). Neither you nor I, O Beauty, know our destination.
Khaali hai kaleemauN1 se ye koh2-o kamar3 varna4
tu shola5-e seenaaii6, maiN shola-e seenaaii1.kaleem is another name of moosa (Moses) 2.hill 3.valley 4.otherwise 5.flame/brilliance 6.Sinai
Bibilical/Quranic story is that Moses went up Mt. Tur (Sinai) asking to see god or a manifestation of god. He was shown a brilliance or a “burning bush”. Thus the poet/philosopher laments that in the hills and valleys there are no longer any likes of Moses left – not anyone desirous of/trying to see divine light/Beauty, although both the wild tulip and the poet/philosopher have that divine light burning in their bosom.
tu shaaKh se kyuN phooTa1, maiN shaaKh se kyuN TooTa2
ek jazba3-e paidaaii4, ek lazzat5-e yaktaaii61.broke out, blossomed 2.broke away, came into existence 3.desire of 4.birth 5.pleasure of 6.uniqueness, individuality
The poet/philosopher rhetorically asks … why did you bloom/emerge out of your branch and why did I break out of my non-existence. The answer … we both have a passion to be born, to come into existence. We take pleasure in our uniqueness.
Ghawwaas1-e mohabbat ka allah nigahbaaN2 ho
har qatra3-e darya meN, darya ki hai gahraaii4 1.diver 2.keeper, guardian 3.drop 4.depth
May god save the one who dives into Love (because it is an impossible task). The (sufi) concept of Love is very difficult to understand and follow. Each drop of the ocean has the depth of the ocean i.e. the part carries the whole in it.
is mauj1 ke maatam2 meN, roti hai bhaNwar3 ki aaNKh
darya4 se uThi laikin, saahil5 se na Takraaii1.wave 2.mourning 3.whirlpool 4.sea/ocean 5.shore
We see a spray of droplets with every wave. These are really tears of the eye of the whirlpool. It is mourning because even though the wave rose from the ocean, it got destroyed in the whirlpool and could not reach its destination – the shore.
hai garmi1-e aadam2 se, haNgaama3-e aalam4 garm5
suraj bhi tamashaaii6, taare bhi tamashaaii1.heat/work of 2.man 3.activity of 4.world 5.warm/alive 6.spectator
The world is warm/alive with the work/activity of man. The sun and stars are mere spectators. Thus the poet/philosopher is calling upon his audience to act/do something.
aye baad1-e biyabaani2 mujh ko bhi inaayat3 ho
Khaamoshi o dil-sozi4, sarmasti5 o ra’anaaii6 1.breeze 2.wilderness 3.grant 4.burning/passionate heart 5.intoxication 6.grace, beauty
The implication here is that the breeze of the wilderness has granted the tulip these qualities – remaining silent/steadfast (displaying its beauty whether there is anyone to see it or not), passion, intoxication of love and beauty. The poet/philosopher is begging to be granted the same qualities.
lala-e sehra – mohammed iqbal
iqbal compares himself to “lala-e sehra”, tulip/poppy of the wilderness … like natural or divine Beauty that no one is around to observe and enjoy similar to the poet’s compositions which not many people understand/appeciate.
ye gunbad1-e meenaaii2, ye aalam3-e tanhaaii4
mujh ko to Daraati hai is dasht5 ki pahnaaii6
1.dome 2.blue 3.condition of 4.loneliness 5.wilderness 6.expanse
The poet/philosopher feels himself utterly lonely under the blue dome of the sky. The expanse of the wilderness (the unknown) strikes fear in him.
bhaTka1 hua raahi2 maiN, bhaTka hua raahi tu
manzil3 hai kahaaN teri, aye lala-e sehraaii4
1.lost, wandering 2.traveler 3.destination, goal, purpose (purpose of life) 4.tulip/poppy of the wilderness i.e. Beauty (personified)
I am lost and wander around, just like you (O Wild Tulip). Neither you nor I, O Beauty, know our destination.
Khaali hai kaleemauN1 se ye koh2-o kamar3 varna4
tu shola5-e seenaaii6, maiN shola-e seenaaii
1.kaleem is another name of moosa (Moses) 2.hill 3.valley 4.otherwise 5.flame/brilliance 6.Sinai
Bibilical/Quranic story is that Moses went up Mt. Tur (Sinai) asking to see god or a manifestation of god. He was shown a brilliance or a “burning bush”. Thus the poet/philosopher laments that in the hills and valleys there are no longer any likes of Moses left – not anyone desirous of/trying to see divine light/Beauty, although both the wild tulip and the poet/philosopher have that divine light burning in their bosom.
tu shaaKh se kyuN phooTa1, maiN shaaKh se kyuN TooTa2
ek jazba3-e paidaaii4, ek lazzat5-e yaktaaii6
1.broke out, blossomed 2.broke away, came into existence 3.desire of 4.birth 5.pleasure of 6.uniqueness, individuality
The poet/philosopher rhetorically asks … why did you bloom/emerge out of your branch and why did I break out of my non-existence. The answer … we both have a passion to be born, to come into existence. We take pleasure in our uniqueness.
Ghawwaas1-e mohabbat ka allah nigahbaaN2 ho
har qatra3-e darya meN, darya ki hai gahraaii4
1.diver 2.keeper, guardian 3.drop 4.depth
May god save the one who dives into Love (because it is an impossible task). The (sufi) concept of Love is very difficult to understand and follow. Each drop of the ocean has the depth of the ocean i.e. the part carries the whole in it.
is mauj1 ke maatam2 meN, roti hai bhaNwar3 ki aaNKh
darya4 se uThi laikin, saahil5 se na Takraaii
1.wave 2.mourning 3.whirlpool 4.sea/ocean 5.shore
We see a spray of droplets with every wave. These are really tears of the eye of the whirlpool. It is mourning because even though the wave rose from the ocean, it got destroyed in the whirlpool and could not reach its destination – the shore.
hai garmi1-e aadam2 se, haNgaama3-e aalam4 garm5
suraj bhi tamashaaii6, taare bhi tamashaaii
1.heat/work of 2.man 3.activity of 4.world 5.warm/alive 6.spectator
The world is warm/alive with the work/activity of man. The sun and stars are mere spectators. Thus the poet/philosopher is calling upon his audience to act/do something.
aye baad1-e biyabaani2 mujh ko bhi inaayat3 ho
Khaamoshi o dil-sozi4, sarmasti5 o ra’anaaii6
1.breeze 2.wilderness 3.grant 4.burning/passionate heart 5.intoxication 6.grace, beauty
The implication here is that the breeze of the wilderness has granted the tulip these qualities – remaining silent/steadfast (displaying its beauty whether there is anyone to see it or not), passion, intoxication of love and beauty. The poet/philosopher is begging to be granted the same qualities.
