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 poem is a conversation between night/darkness/ignorance and shaa’er.

raat aur shaa’er – mohammed iqbal
raat
1
kyuN meri chaandni meN phirta hai tu pareshaaN¹
Khaamosh surat-e-gul², maanind-e-buu³ pareshaaN⁴      1.worried, concerned 2.like a rose 3.like fragrance 4.scattered, spread
Night/darkness/ignorance speaking to the shaa’er … why do you roam in my moonlight, looking worried. You stay silent like a rose, quietly spreading fragrance.
2
taaroN ke motiyoN ka shaa’ed hai jauhari tu
machhli hai koii mere dariya-e noor¹ ki tu    1.light
Perhaps you are jeweller stringing pearls from stars. Perhaps you are a fish from the world of light (swimming in my dark seas) i.e., in the dark world of night/ignorance the shaa’er is a fish from the shining sea of knowledge.
3
ya tu meri jabiN¹ ka taara gira hua hai
raf’at² ko chhoR kar jo, basti meN jaa basa hai     1.forehead, brow 2.heights
Perhaps you are a star fallen from my brow, leaving these heights, gone to live among the populace.
4
Khaamosh ho gaya hai taar¹-e rabaab²-e hasti³
hai mere aaiine⁴ meN tasvir-e Khwaab-e-hasti⁵       1.string 2.sitar, sarod 3.life 4.mirror, conscience, awareness 5.dream/vision of life
The strings of the sitar of life (on earth) have fallen quiet, but in my heart I hold an image of the ‘vision of life’ (life as it should be).
5
dariya¹ ki tah² meN chashm-e-girdaab³ so gayii hai
saahil⁴ se lag ke mauj⁵-e be-taab⁶ so gayii hai     1.ocean 2.layer, depth 3.eye of the whirlpool 4.shoreline 5.wave 6.restless
The eye of the whirlpool i.e. the centre of activity is asleep/lost in the depths of the ocean. Life is no longer striving/trying/active. Even the restless wave had gone to sleep next to the shoreline.
6
basti zamiN ki kaisi haNgaama¹ aafriN² hai
yuN so gayii hai jaise aabaad³ hi nahiN hai     1.tumult, activity 2.welcoming 3.populated, flourishing
How can I consider the settlement on the earth to be welcoming of tumult/change/progress. It is as if it is not flourishing, not even populated.
7
shaa’er ka dil hai laikin, na-aashna¹ sukuN² se
aazaad³ rah gaya tu kyuNkar mere fusuN⁴ se     1.unfamiliar with, unaware 2.tranquility, peace 3.free, escape 4.deception
But the poet’s heart remains unfamiliar with tranquility i.e. they are always restless. How did they escape from the grip of my deception. The illusion of the night is give people a sense of tranquility in their sleep. But the poet is awake.
raat aur shaa’er – mohammed iqbal
shaa’er
1
maiN tere chaand ki kheti meN gohar¹ bota huN
chhup ke insaanoN se maanind²-e sahr³ rota huN     1.pearls 2.like, similar to 3.dawn
I sow seeds of pearls in the field of your moonlight. Secretly hidden from humanity, I shed tears like the dawn. He is addressing night/darkness/ignorance. Sowing seeds of pearls in the field is like planting thoughts. Quietly shedding tears like the dawn might be feeling sad and trying to get the light of knowledge to end the darkness of ignorance. Dew drops of the dawn are neatly juxtaposed with tears.
2
din ki shorish¹ meN nikalte hue ghabraate² haiN
uzlat³-e shab⁴ meN mere ashk⁵ Tapak⁶ jaate haiN    1.tumult, commotion 2.scared 3.seclusion, solitude 4.night 5.tears 6.drop
My tears are fearful of the commotion of the day but during the seclusion of the night, the drop freely from my eyes.
3
mujh meN faryaad¹ jo pinhaaN² hai sunaauN kis ko
tapish³-e shauq⁴ ka nazzaara⁵ dikhaauN kis ko    1.lament, appeal for justice 2.hidden 3.fire 4.desire, love 5.scene, vision
With whom can I share the lament that is hidden inside me. Who can I show the vision of the fire of love that I see.
4
barq-e-aiman¹ mere seene pe paRi roti hai
dekhne vaali hai jo aaNkh, kahaaN soti hai    1.lightning flash of the valley of aiman i.e., mount tuur
This has reference to the story of moosa/Moses who went up mount tuur and asked to see god. There was a flash of lightning that moosa could not bear and fainted. That is used here to mean divine light. Thus, the poet carries divine light in his bosom, crying to break out. But where is the eye that can see this divine light i.e., the poet bemoans that nobody pays any attention to what he has to say.
5
sifat¹-e sham’a²-e lahd³ murda⁴ hai mahfil⁵ meri
aah! aye raat baRi duur hai manzil⁶ meri     1.of the properpties of 2.candle 3.grave 4.dead 5.gathering, audience 6.destination
A candle is lit at a grave and the mourners/friends/family leave. There is no one left to see the light of that candle. The shaa’er considers himself to have the same effect. His audience too is dead/absent. O night, my destination is still far away.
6
ahd¹-e haazir² ki hava raas³ nahiN hai us ko
apne nuqsaan ka ehsaas nahiN hai us ko    1.age, times 2.present 3.compatible, lucky
He is probably still talking about the candle that is lit at the head of the grave. The conditions/atmosphere of the present times is not agreeable to it. It (the candle) is not aware of its loss. The candle is a metaphorical representation of the poet himself.
7
zabt¹-e paiGhaam²-e mohabbat se jo ghabraata³ huN
tere taabinda⁴ sitaaroN ko suna jaata huN    1.control, hold back 2.message 3.fearful 4.shining
The poet is addressing the night. He has been controlling/holding back his message of universal love and this makes him fearful/anxious. He has to let his feelings out, so he comes out in the night and speaks of his message to the shining stars of the night.