nanak – mohammed iqbal

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

نانک ۔ محمّد اِقبال

۱

قوم نے پیغامِ گوتم کی ذرا پروا نہ کی

قدر پہچانی نہ اپنے گوہرِ یک دانہ کی

۲

آہ بد قسمت رہے آوازِ حق سے بے خبر

غافل اپنے پھل کی شیرینی سے ہوتا ہے شجر

۳

آشکار اُس نے کیا جو زندگی کا راز تھا

ہند کو لیکن خیالی فلسفہ پر ناز تھا

۴

شمع حق سے جو مُنوّر ہو یہ وہ محفل نہ تھی

بارشِ رحمت ہوئی لیکن زمیں قابل نہ تھی

۵

آہ شودر کے لیے ہندوستاں غم خانہ ہے

دردِ انسانی سے اس بستی کا دل بیگانہ ہے

۶

برہمن سرشار ہے اب تک مئے پندار میں

شمعِ گوتم جل رہی ہے محفلِ اغیار میں

۷

بتکدہ پھر بعد مدت کے مگر روشن ہوا

نور ابراہیم سے آذر کا گھر روشن ہوا

۸

پھِر اُٹھی آخر صدا توحید کی پنجاب سے

ہند کو اک مردِ کامل نے جگایا خواب سے

नानक – मोहम्मद इक़्बाल

क़ौम ने पैग़ाम-ए-गौतम की ज़रा परवा न की

क़द्र पहचानी न अपने गौहर-ए-यक-दाना की

आह बद-क़िस्मत रहे आवाज़-ए-हक़ से बे-ख़बर

ग़ाफ़िल अपने फल की शीरीनी से होता है शजर

आश्कार उस ने किया जो ज़िंदगी का राज़ था

हिन्द को लेकिन ख़याली फ़ल्सफ़े पर नाज़ था

शम-ए-हक़ से जो मुनव्वर हो ये वो महफ़िल न थी

बारिश-ए-रहमत हुई लेकिन ज़मीं क़ाबिल न थी

आह शूदर के लिए हिन्दोस्ताँ ग़म-ख़ाना है

दर्द-ए-इंसानी से इस बस्ती का दिल बेगाना है

बरहमन सरशार है अब तक मै-ए-पिंदार में

शम-ए-गौतम जल रही है महफ़िल-ए-अग़्यार में

बुत-कदा फिर बाद मुद्दत के मगर रौशन हुआ

नूर-ए-इब्राहीम से आज़र का घर रौशन हुआ

फिर उठी आख़िर सदा तौहीद की पंजाब से

हिन्द को इक मर्द-ए-कामिल ने जगाया ख़्वाब से

 

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed iqbal (1877-1938) went through many contradictory phases during his poetic career. Early on he was nationalistic and secular. He transformed into a religious persona pining for lost islamic glory. This developed into a hubristic sense of superiority and into a disdain for modern/western education and education for women. This nazm, an ode to nanak, can be considered from the early nationalistic, secular, accepting phase.
1
qaum ne paiGhaam-e-gautam1 ki zara2 parva3 na ki
qadr4 pahchaani na apne gauhar-e-yak-dana5 ki  
1.message of gautam buddh 2.even a little 3.care, attention 4.value 5.pearl of a single grain … when there is only grain in the oyster shell, only one pearl grows and is bigger that normal. It is considered of high value.
The community did not pay even the slightest attention to the message of gautam buddh. It did not realize the value of its unique pearl.

2
aah bad-qismat1 rahe aavaaz-e-haq2 se be-Khabar3
Ghaafil4 apne phal ki shiirini5 se hota hai shajar6  
1.unfortunate 2.voice of truth 3.unaware 4.forgetful, unaware 5.sweetness 6.tree
Alas, (Indians were) unfortunate and remained unaware of the voice of Truth (the message of gautam buddh), just like a tree remains unaware of the sweetness of its own fruit.

3
aashkaar1 us ne kiya jo zindagi ka raaz2 tha
hind ko laikin Khayali3 falsafe4 par naaz5 tha
1.reveal, show 2.secret 3.imaginary, theoretical 4.philosophy 5.pride
He (gautam buddh) revealed the secret of life but India was proud of its theoretical (impractical) philosophy.

4
sham’a-e-haq1 se jo munavvar2 ho ye vo mahfil3 na thi
baarish-e-rahmat4 hui laikin zamiN qaabil5 na thi
1.lamp/light of truth 2.brilliant, shining 3.assembly, society 4.rain of benevolence 5.capable
This was not a society that was ready to shine with the light of truth. Benevolence rained but the earth was not ready.

5
aah shuudar1 ke liye hindostaN Gham-Khaana2 hai
dard-e-insaani3 se is basti ka dil begaana4 hai
1.shudra, untouchable, lower caste 2.house of sorrows 3.pain/sorrow of humanity 4.unaware, insensitive
Alas, hindostan is a house of sorrows for the lower castes. The heart of this society is insensitive to the pain/sorrow of humanity.

6
barhaman sarshaar1 hai ab tak mai-e-pindaar2 meN
sham’a-e-gautam3 jal rahi hai mahfil-e-aGhyar4 meN
1.satiated 2.wine of hubris 3.lamp/light of gautam-buddh 4.society of foreigners, foreign lands
The brahmin is satiated with the wine of hubris. The light of gautam shines bright in foreign lands.

7
but-kada1 phir baad2 muddat3 ke magar raushan hua
noor-e-ibrahim4 se aazar5 ka ghar raushan hua
1.house of idols 2.after 3.long time 4.light of ibrahim – symbolically used to mean mono-theism 5.father of ibrahim who remained a polytheist even after ibrahim declared mono-theism
But after a long time, the house of idols lit up. Even the house of aazar shone with the light of mono-theism.

8
phir uThi aaKhir sada1 tauhid2 ki punjab se
hind ko ek mard-e-kaamil3 ne jagaaya Khwaab4 se  
1.sound 2.mono-theism 3.complete/perfect man 4.dream/sleep
At last, the sound of mono-theism rose from punjab. A good man woke hindostan up from its sleep.

mohammed iqbal (1877-1938) went through many contradictory phases during his poetic career.  Early on he was nationalistic and secular.  He transformed into a religious persona pining for lost islamic glory.  This developed into a hubristic sense of superiority and into a disdain for modern/western education and education for women.  This nazm, an ode to nanak, can be considered from the early nationalistic, secular, accepting phase.
1
qaum ne paiGhaam-e-gautam1 ki zara2 parva3 na ki
qadr4 pahchaani na apne gauhar-e-yak-dana5 ki

1.message of gautam buddh 2.even a little 3.care, attention 4.value 5.pearl of a single grain … when there is only grain in the oyster shell, only one pearl grows and is bigger that normal.  It is considered of high value

The community did not pay even the slightest attention to the message of gautam buddh.  It did not realize the value of its unique pearl.
2
aah bad-qismat1 rahe aavaaz-e-haq2 se be-Khabar3
Ghaafil4 apne phal ki shiirini5 se hota hai shajar6

1.unfortunate 2.voice of truth 3.unaware 4.forgetful, unaware 5.sweetness 6.tree

Alas, (Indians were) unfortunate and remained unaware of the voice of Truth (the message of gautam buddh), just like a tree remains unaware of the sweetness of its own fruit.
3
aashkaar1 us ne kiya jo zindagi ka raaz2 tha
hind ko laikin Khayali3 falsafe4 par naaz5 tha

1.reveal, show 2.secret 3.imaginary, theoretical 4.philosophy 5.pride

He (gautam buddh) revealed the secret of life but India was proud of its theoretical (impractical) philosophy.
4
sham’a-e-haq1 se jo munavvar2 ho ye vo mahfil3 na thi
baarish-e-rahmat4 hui laikin zamiN qaabil5 na thi

1.lamp/light of truth 2.brilliant, shining 3.assembly, society 4.rain of benevolence 5.capable

This was not a society that was ready to shine with the light of truth.  Benevolence rained but the earth was not ready.
5
aah shuudar1 ke liye hindostaN Gham-Khaana2 hai
dard-e-insaani3 se is basti ka dil begaana4 hai

1.shudra, untouchable, lower caste 2.house of sorrows 3.pain/sorrow of humanity 4.unaware, insensitive

Alas, hindostan is a house of sorrows for the lower castes.  The heart of this society is insensitive to the pain/sorrow of humanity.
6
barhaman sarshaar1 hai ab tak mai-e-pindaar2 meN
sham’a-e-gautam3 jal rahi hai mahfil-e-aGhyar4 meN

1.satiated 2.wine of hubris 3.lamp/light of gautam-buddh 4.society of foreigners, foreign lands

The brahmin is satiated with the wine of hubris.  The light of gautam shines bright in foreign lands.
7
but-kada1 phir baad2 muddat3 ke magar raushan hua
noor-e-ibrahim4 se aazar5 ka ghar raushan hua

1.house of idols 2.after 3.long time 4.light of ibrahim – symbolically used to mean mono-theism 5.father of ibrahim who remained a polytheist even after ibrahim declared mono-theism

But after a long time, the house of idols lit up.  Even the house of aazar shone with the light of mono-theism.
8
phir uThi aaKhir sada1 tauhid2 ki punjab se
hind ko ek mard-e-kaamil3 ne jagaaya Khwaab4 se

1.sound 2.mono-theism 3.complete/perfect man 4.dream/sleep

At last, the sound of mono-theism rose from punjab.  A good man woke hindostan up from its sleep.

Key Search Words:  cross-religious, cross religious, kaaba kaashi, k’aaba-kaashi, k’aaba kaashi, sant, guru, piir