See separate tab for the background for this poem which was written as a tribute to ram tirth upon his death by drowning.  mohammed iqbal (1877-1938) attended various colleges in lahore (1893-1899) and then taught until 1905.   gossain tirth ram (1873-1906) was born in moraliwala (now in pakistan).  He was a brilliant student, got a master’s degree in mathematics and taught at Forman Christian College.  In 1899, he left his family, profession and belongings to adopt the life of a ‘sanyasi’, took the name swami ram tirth and began teaching vedanta philosophy in and around lahore (1899-1902).  Thus there is a complete overlap with iqbal’s brief teaching career in lahore.  There is some evidence that iqbal attended some of his lectures, although I could not find any evidence of any meetings.  ram tirth spent two years (1902-1904) in Japan and the US teaching vedanta philosophy.  He returned and continued lecturing/teaching in India.  In 1906, still very young, he went into the river and never came back.  His body was not found.  In many writings, admiring this act (drowning to my rationalist mind) is termed as “giving up his body”.   iqbal writes about ram tirth in profuse admiration.
1
hum-baGhal¹ darya² se hai aye qatra³-e betaab⁴ tu
pahle gauhar⁵ tha bana ab gauhar-e nayaab⁶ tu

1.shoulder to shoulder, joined 2.river 3.drop 4.restless 5.pearl 6.rare, unequalled, unobtainable

In sufi lexicon river is god/infinite spirit and drop is the human being.  The drop mingling with the river is like becoming one with the beloved/god through ecstacy, devotion etc.  You have become one with the river, O restless drop.  iqbal characterizes ram tirth as a ‘restless drop’ seeking to become a pearl, seeking union with the beloved.  You were a beautiful pearl before, now you have become a rare pearl.  Also, in sufi lexicon, god is the ultimate unobtainable pearl.  Thus this could mean – you have become one with god and have become that pearl.  ram tirth belonged to the vedanta strain which believed that not just spirtual but even bodily ascension/union with god is possible.
2
aah! khola¹ kis ada² se tu ne raaz³-e raNg o bu⁴
maiN abhi tak huN asir⁵-e imtiaz⁶-e raNg o bu

1.opened, revealed 2.style 3.secret of 4.colour and fragrance, senses – the world which we can sense/see, life 5.prisoner of 6.(ability to) dinstinguish/understand

You revealed the secret of life is such style!  I am still a prisoner of (confined by) my ability to understand life.  iqbal seems to be envious of ram tirth’s vedanta knowledge and his ability to forget himself in his love of god – so forgetful that he drowned in the river.
3
miT ke GhoGha¹ zindagi ka shorish²-e mahshar³ bana
ye sharara⁴ bujh⁵ ke aatish-Khaana⁶-e aazar⁷ bana

1.noise 2.tumult 3.day of judgement, doomsday 4.spark 5.extinguish 6.house/temple of fire 7.ibrahim’s father who remained an idol worshipper (fire worshipper) even after his son declared a single divine being

By erasing this “noise of life” you rose to become the tumult of the day of judgement (when everything becomes one with god).  Your spark was extinguished but it transformed itself into an immense,  eternal fire.
4
nafi-e hasti¹ ek karishma² hai dil-e aagaah³ ka
laa⁴ ki darya meN nihaaN⁵ moti hai illallah⁶ ka

1.denial of existence, making being into non-being 2.miracle 3.all knowing heart 4.negation, no 5.hidden 6.except allah

This is a play on la ilaha illallah – there is go god but allah.  Thus your all knowing heart, denied its being (merged its individuality into the infinite).  In the river of non-being is hidden the pearl of unity or one-ness of god.
5
chashm-e naabina¹ se maKhfi² ma’ani³-e anjaam⁴ hai
tham⁵ gayii jis dam taRap⁶ seemab⁷ seem⁸-e Khaam⁹ hai

1.blind/ignorant eye 2.hidden 3.meaning of 4.final result 5.stopped 6.restlessness 7.mercury 8.silver 9.defective, raw

The theme of constant motion/struggle is a recurrent theme in iqbal’s compositions.  The restlessness of a drop of mercury is often used as a metaphor for restlessness/search and endeavour.  When this restlessness/motion stops then you know that it is not mercury but “defective/raw/ore of silver”.The meaning of the final result is hidden from the unseeing/ignorant eye.  The implication is that there is no “final result” only continuous struggle to become one with the beloved and when you achieve this one-ness you go into non-being.  Editorial comment – I relate strongly to the concept of continuous struggle but I am not sure I understand “becoming one and going into non-being”.  I am just mouthing words that are mysterious to me.
6
toR deta hai but-e hasti¹ ko ibrahim-e ishq²
hosh³ ka daaru⁴ hai goya⁵ masti⁶-e tasneem⁷-e ishq

1.idol of being 2.ibrahim (messenger) of love 3.awareness, sobriety 4.cure, remedy 5.as if 6.intoxication 7.river in heaven

Biblical and Quranic beliefs are that ibrahim/Abraham taught the concept of a formless god and forbade idol worship.  Here iqbal equates the formlessness of god with love of god and calls it ibrahim-e ishq, meaning the teacher/messenger of love.  Thus it is the messenger/message of love (true message) that breaks the idol (false god) of “being” (meaning all existence is majazi/illusory, only the existence of god is real and everything is one with the creator).  The intoxication of the river of love is the cure for the (disease of) awareness/knowledge/reason (hosh).

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

mohammed iqbal (1877-1938) attended various colleges in lahore (1893-1899) and then taught until 1905.   gossain tirth ram (1873-1906) was born in moraliwala (now in pakistan).  He was a brilliant student, got a master’s degree in mathematics and taught at Forman Christian College.  In 1899, he left his family, profession and belongings to adopt the life of a ‘sanyasi’, took the name swami ram tirth and began teaching vedanta philosophy in and around lahore (1899-1902).  Thus there is a complete overlap with iqbal’s brief teaching career in lahore.  There is some evidence that iqbal attended some of his lectures, although I could not find any evidence of any meetings.  ram tirth spent two years (1902-1904) in Japan and the US teaching vedanta philosophy.  He returned and continued lecturing/teaching in India.  In 1906, still very young, he went into the river and never came back.  His body was not found.  In many writings, admiring this act (drowning to my rationalist mind) is termed as “giving up his body”.   iqbal writes about ram tirth in profuse admiration.