For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
نوعِ انساں کی محبت ۔ محمد اقبال
۱
نوعِ اِنساں کی محبت میں ہے مذہب کا کمال
اِمتیازِ کاسۂ شیخ و برہمن میں نہیں
۲
خاک اگر ناپاک بھی چھونے سے ہو جائے تو کیا
پاک ہے جو چیز وہ آب و گلِ تن میں نہیں
۳
ہند والے بھی کبھی رکھتے تھے جانِ درد مند
وائے حرماں اب وہ طائر اِس نشیمن میں نہیں
۴
یاد ہے تجھ کو کہ تو گُل در گریباں تھا کبھی
آج خاشاکِ چمن بھی تیرے دامن میں نہیں
۵
وہ کرامت شیشۂ دل جس سے ہو جائے دراز
آج کل کے ساقیانِ سامری فن میں نہیں
۶
رونقِ میخانہ باقی گردشِ صہبا سے ہے
گردشِ صہبا وصالِ ساغر و مینا سے ہے
नौ-ए इन्सां कि मोहब्बत – मोहम्मद इक़्बाल
१
नौ-ए इन्सां कि मोहब्बत में है मज़्हब का कमाल
इम्तियाज़-ए कासा-ए शैख़ ओ बरहमन में नहीं
२
ख़ाक अगर नापाक भी छूने से हो जाए तो क्या
पाक है जो चीज़ वो आब ओ गिल-ए तन में नहीं
३
हिन्द वाले भी कभी रखते थे जान-ए दर्द-मन्द
वाए हिर्मां अब वो ताएर इस नशेमन में नहीं
४
याद है तुझ को के तू गुल-दर-गरेबां था कभी
आज ख़ाशाक-ए चमन भी तेरे दामन में नहीं
५
वो करामत, शीशा-ए दिल जिस से हो जाए दराज़
आज कल के साक़ियान-ए सामेरी फ़न में नहीं
६
रौनक़-ए मै-ख़ाना बाक़ी गर्दिश-ए सहबा से है
गर्दिश-ए सहबा विसाल-ए साग़र ओ मीना से है
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. This nazm was published in a magazine in 1905 but iqbal chose not to include it in his collections ‘baaNg-e dara’ or others. It belongs to a phase when iqbal had not yet started into his pan-Islamism but had moved on from his intensely nationalistic phase of ‘naya shivala’ and ‘qaumi taraana’ to an inclusive communal harmony of the universal sufi kind. Thus, instead of extolling nationalism he talks about universal love of all humankind.
1
nau-e-insaaN1 ki mohabbat meN hai mazhab ka kamaal2
imtiaaz3-e kaasa4-e shaiKh o brahman meN nahiN 1.human species, humankind 2.completion, perfection, epitome, climax 3.differentiation 4.begging bowl, cup
The high point of religion is in (the adoption of) universal love, not in the discrimination between the begging bowls of the shaiKh and the brahman.
2
Khaak1 agar naapaak2 bhi chhoone se ho jaaye to kya
paak3 hai jo cheez vo aab-o-gil4-e tan5 meN nahiN 1.dust, clay 2.impure, unclean, defiled 3.pure, clean 4.water and clay 5.body
Conventional thinking (Islamic) says that human beings were created out of clay and water. The second misra says that the thing which makes humans pure/exalted is not in the body of clay and water. Presumably he means the soul which may reside in the body but is not a part of the body. Thus, if the body is made impure because of being in or because of being touched by something in the material world, it does not matter, because the soul remains pure. It is just possible that he is talking about untouchability. He wrote about it in his ‘naya shivaala’ also.
3
hind vaale bhi kabhi rakhte the jaan1-e dard-mand2
vaa’e3 hirmaaN4 ab to taa’er5 is nasheman6 meN nahiN 1.life, heart 2.pain-feeling, loving 3.alas 4.dejection, deprivation 5.bird 6.nest
There was a time when people of India had loving hearts. Alas, the deprivation, now that bird has flown this coop.
4
yaad hai tujh ko keh tu gul-dar-garebaaN1 thaa kabhi
aaj Khaashaak2-e chaman bhi tere daaman3 meN nahiN 1.rose worn as a collar, rose garland 2.straw, dirt 3.apron, cloak
Do you remember that once you wore a rose garland around your neck. Today even dry straw of the garden is not available to you. He may be talking about communal strife and/or caste discrimination.
5
vo karaamat1, sheesha2-e dil jis se ho jaaye daraaz3
aaj kal ke saaqiyaan4-e saameri-fun5 meN nahiN 1.great power, miracle 2.mirror/conscience 3.open 4.wine server 5.miracle worker
‘saamer’ was an ancient Egyptian magician who persuaded the Israelis to worship the golden calf and is supposed to have performed miracles/magic tricks. ‘saaqi’-wine server is symbolic of the universal love/liberal space of the tavern. There was a time when the saaqi of old could serve up the wine of love and open up hearts and minds to universal/sufi love. Today’s miracle workers (leadership) do not seem to have those powers.
6
raunaq1-e maiKhaana2 baaqi gardish3-e sahba4 se hai
gardish-e sahba visaal5-e saaGhar6 o meena7 se hai 1.glory, beauty 2.tavern, inclusive/liberal space 3.circulation, sharing 4.wine 5.union 6.cup 7.flask
The glory of the tavern lies in circulating/sharing wine (of love) and wine can circulate only with the union of the cup and flask – union of various communities.
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. This nazm was published in a magazine in 1905 but iqbal chose not to include it in his collections ‘baaNg-e dara’ or others. It belongs to a phase when iqbal had not yet started into his pan-Islamism but had moved on from his intensely nationalistic phase of ‘naya shivala’ and ‘qaumi taraana’ to an inclusive communal harmony of the universal sufi kind. Thus, instead of extolling nationalism he talks about universal love of all humankind.
1
nau-e-insaaN1 ki mohabbat meN hai mazhab ka kamaal2
imtiaaz3-e kaasa4-e shaiKh o brahman meN nahiN
1.human species, humankind 2.completion, perfection, epitome, climax 3.differentiation 4.begging bowl, cup
The high point of religion is in (the adoption of) universal love, not in the discrimination between the begging bowls of the shaiKh and the brahman.
2
Khaak1 agar naapaak2 bhi chhoone se ho jaaye to kya
paak3 hai jo cheez vo aab-o-gil4-e tan5 meN nahiN
1.dust, clay 2.impure, unclean, defiled 3.pure, clean 4.water and clay 5.body
Conventional thinking (Islamic) says that human beings were created out of clay and water. The second misra says that the thing which makes humans pure/exalted is not in the body of clay and water. Presumably he means the soul which may reside in the body but is not a part of the body. Thus, if the body is made impure because of being in or because of being touched by something in the material world, it does not matter, because the soul remains pure. It is just possible that he is talking about untouchability. He wrote about it in his ‘naya shivaala’ also.
3
hind vaale bhi kabhi rakhte the jaan1-e dard-mand2
vaa’e3 hirmaaN4 ab to taa’er5 is nasheman6 meN nahiN
1.life, heart 2.pain-feeling, loving 3.alas 4.dejection, deprivation 5.bird 6.nest
There was a time when people of India had loving hearts. Alas, the deprivation, now that bird has flown this coop.
4
yaad hai tujh ko keh tu gul-dar-garebaaN1 thaa kabhi
aaj Khaashaak2-e chaman bhi tere daaman3 meN nahiN
1.rose worn as a collar, rose garland 2.straw, dirt 3.apron, cloak
Do you remember that once you wore a rose garland around your neck. Today even dry straw of the garden is not available to you. He may be talking about communal strife and/or caste discrimination.
5
vo karaamat1, sheesha2-e dil jis se ho jaaye daraaz3
aaj kal ke saaqiyaan4-e saameri-fun5 meN nahiN
1.great power, miracle 2.mirror/conscience 3.open 4.wine server 5.miracle worker
‘saamer’ was an ancient Egyptian magician who persuaded the Israelis to worship the golden calf and is supposed to have performed miracles/magic tricks. ‘saaqi’-wine server is symbolic of the universal love/liberal space of the tavern. There was a time when the saaqi of old could serve up the wine of love and open up hearts and minds to universal/sufi love. Today’s miracle workers (leadership) do not seem to have those powers.
6
raunaq1-e maiKhaana2 baaqi gardish3-e sahba4 se hai
gardish-e sahba visaal5-e saaGhar6 o meena7 se hai
1.glory, beauty 2.tavern, inclusive/liberal space 3.circulation, sharing 4.wine 5.union 6.cup 7.flask
The glory of the tavern lies in circulating/sharing wine (of love) and wine can circulate only with the union of the cup and flask – union of various communities.
