laRki aur aNgrezi taaleem-iqbal

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

۱
لڑکیاں پڑھ رہی ہیں انگریزی

ڈھونڈ لی قوم نے فلاح کی راہ

۲

روشِ مغربی ہے مدّ نظر

وضعِ مشرق کو جانتے ہیں گناہ

۳

یہ ڈراما دکھائے گا کیا سین

پردہ اُٹھنے کی منتظر ہے نگاہ

लडकियां पढ़ रही हैं अंग्रेज़ी

ढून्ढ ली क़ौम ने फ़लाह कि राह

रविश-ए मग़्रिबी है मद्द-ए नज़र

वज़’अ-ए मश्रिक़ को जानते हैं गुनाह

ये ड्रामा दिखाएगा क्या सीन

परदा उठने कि मुन्तज़िर है निगाह

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. iqbal has often railed against reason vs (blind) faith and also against western education. Here he seems to pick especially on western education for girls. Is this the precursor of what happened to malaala yousufzaai?
1
laRkiyaaN paRh rahi haiN aNgrezi
DhoonD1 li qaum2 ne falaah3 ki raah4   
1.search 2.community 3.welfare, security 4.pathway, means
Rather sarcastically, iqbal says that the (muslim) community has found the means of its welfare/progress. Now girls are learning English!

2
ravish1-e maGhribi2 hai madd-e-nazar3
vaza’4-e mashriq5 ko jaante haiN gunaah
1.pathway of 2.western 3.before their eyes 4.style/ways of 5.east
They (the community) are looking at the ways of the west. They think that the style/tradition of the east is sinful.

3
ye Drama dikhaayega kya scene
parda uThne ki muntazir1 hai nigaah2 
1.waiting 2.sight
iqbal characterizes women’s education in English as a ‘drama’. I interpret this to be further demeaning … he is implying that their education is only for show and tell, only to procure a husband? You have to wait until the curtain is lifted to see what scene this creates. Is there a double meaning here to suggest that women will discard the veil/parda?

 

 

 

iqbal has often railed against reason vs (blind) faith and also against western education.  Here he seems to pick especially on western education for girls.  Is this the precursor of what happened to malaala yousufzaai?

 

1

laRkiyaaN paRh rahi haiN aNgrezi
DhoonD1 li qaum2 ne falaah3 ki raah4

1.search 2.community 3.welfare, security 4.pathway, means

Rather sarcastically, iqbal says that the (muslim) community has found the means of its welfare/progress.  Now girls are learning English!

2

ravish1-e maGhribi2 hai madd-e-nazar3
vaza’4-e mashriq5 ko jaante haiN gunaah

1.pathway of 2.western 3.before their eyes 4.style/ways of 5.east

They (the community) are looking at the ways of the west.  They think that the style/tradition of the east is sinful.

3

ye Drama dikhaayega kya scene
parda uThne ki muntazir1 hai nigaah2

1.waiting 2.sight

iqbal characterizes women’s education in English as a ‘drama’.  I interpret this to be further demeaning … he is implying that their education is only for show and tell, only to procure a husband?  You have to wait until the curtain is lifted to see what scene this creates.  Is there a double meaning here to suggest that women will discard the veil/parda?

Key Search Words: women, woman, hijab, veil