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Recitation
sanam marvi&raahat f a KhaaN
سلطان ٹیپو کی وصیت – محمد اقبال
۱
تو رہ نوردِ شوق ہے منزل نہ کر قبول
لیلیٰ بھی ہم نشیں ہو تو محمل نہ کر قبول
۲
ائے جوئے آب بڑھ کے ہو دریائے تند و تیز
ساحل تجھے عطا ہو تو ساحل نہ کر قبول
۳
کھویا نہ جا صنم کدۂ کائنات میں
محفل گدُاز! گرمیِ محفل نہ کر قبول
۴
صبح ازل یہ مجھ سے کہا جبرئیل نے
جو عقل کا غلام ہو وہ دِل نہ کر قبول
۵
باطل دوئی پسند ہے، حق لا شریک ہے
شرکت میانۂ حق و باطل نہ کر قبول
सुल्तान टीपू की वसीयत – मुहम्मद एक़्बाल
१
तू रह ए नवर्द ए शौक़ है मंज़िल न कर क़ुबूल
लैला भी हम नशीं हो तो महमिल न कर क़ुबूल
२
अए जू ए आब बढ़ के हो दर्या ए तुंद ओ तेज़
साहिल तुझे अता हो तो साहिल न कर क़ुबूल
३
खोया न जा सनम कदा ए काएनात में
महफ़िल गुदाज़! गर्मी ए महफ़िल न कर क़ुबूल
४
सुबह अज़ल ये मुझ से कहा जिब्रईल ने
जो अक़्ल का ग़ुलाम हो वो दिल न कर क़ुबूल
५
बातिल दुई पसंद है, हक़ ला शरीक है
शिरकत मियाना ए हक़ ओ बातिल न कर क़ुबूल
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. Here he pays tribute to the courage and self-reliance of sultan Tipu, composed as his legacy for us.
1
tu rah1 navard-e-shauq2 hai manzil3 na kar qubool4
laila5 bhi ham nashiN6 ho to mahmil7 na kar qubool 1.path 2.wandering (in search of) desire (goal) 3.destination 4.accept 5.as in laila-majnuN 6.seated next to 7.a “palanquin” atop a camel
You are a traveler on the path of desire, do not accept destination (this is a call for constant struggle). Even if laila is seated next to you do not accept a seat in the mahmil (laila and mahmil are used as metaphors for temptations/rest).
2
aye joo-e-aab8 baRh ke ho darya-e tund-o-tez9
saahil10 tujhe ata11 ho to saahil na kar qubool 8.river of flowing water 9.fast and fast 10.shore 11.grant
O stream, gather strength and speed to become a mighty river. Do not even accept a shore, if it is offered to you. iqbal has often used ‘stream’ as a metaphor for struggling humans and limitless ocean as a metaphor for the divine.
3
khoya na ja sanam kada1 e kaayenat2 meN
mahfil gudaaz3! garmi-e-mahfil4 na kar qubool 1.house of idols, pleasures 2.creation 3.pleasureable/soft/luxurious gathering 4.festivities of the gathering
Don’t get lost in the house of pleasures that is this creation (the material world). However pleasurable these gatherings may be, do not accept their festive offerings.
4
subah azal5 ye mujh se kaha jibra’eel6 ne
jo aql ka Ghulam7 ho vo dil8 na kar qubool 1.dawn of the beginning (of creation) 6.Gabriel 7.slave to reason 8.literally heart, used here as a metaphor for spirituality/faith – see Iqbal’s “aql o dil”.
At the dawn of creation, Gabriel said to me, do not accept spirituality/faith that is slave to reason i.e. faith/belief is superior to reason. Editorial comment – once again iqbal puts reason down, in preference to (blind) faith!
5
baatil1 duii2 pasand hai, haq3 la-shareek4 hai
shirkat5 miyaana6 e haq o baatil na kar qubool 1.falsehood 2.duality, ambiguity 3.truth, righteousness 4.without admixture 5.mixing 6.between
Falsehood loves ambiguity, truth is absolute. Do not accept mixing between truth and falsehood. Editorial comment – “absolute truth”, at least, thinking that we know absolute truth, goes completely against the grain of skepticism … see my ‘tashkeek’.
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. Here he pays tribute to the courage and self-reliance of sultan Tipu, composed as his legacy for us.
1
tu rah1 navard-e-shauq2 hai manzil3 na kar qubool4
laila5 bhi ham nashiN6 ho to mahmil7 na kar qubool
1.path 2.wandering (in search of) desire (goal) 3.destination 4.accept 5.as in laila-majnuN 6.seated next to 7.a palanquin atop a camel
You are a traveler on the path of desire, do not accept destination (this is a call for constant struggle). Even if laila is seated next to you do not accept a seat in the mahmil (laila and mahmil are used as metaphors for temptations/rest).
2
aye joo-e-aab8 baRh ke ho darya-e tund-o-tez9
saahil10 tujhe ata11 ho to saahil na kar qubool
8.river of flowing water 9.fast and fast 10.shore 11.grant
O stream, gather strength and speed to become a mighty river. Do not even accept a shore, if it is offered to you. iqbal has often used ‘stream’ as a metaphor for struggling humans and limitless ocean as a metaphor for the divine.
3
khoya na ja sanam kada1 e kaa’enat2 meN
mahfil gudaaz3! garmi-e-mahfil4 na kar qubool
1.house of idols, pleasures 2.creation 3.pleasureable/soft/luxurious gathering 4.festivities of the gathering
Don’t get lost in the house of pleasures that is this creation (the material world). However pleasurable these gatherings may be, do not accept their festive offerings.
4
subah azal5 ye mujh se kaha jibra’eel6 ne
jo aql ka Ghulam7 ho vo dil8 na kar qubool
5. dawn of the beginning (of creation) 6.Gabriel 7.slave to reason 8.literally heart, used here as a metaphor for spirituality/faith – see Iqbal’s “aql o dil”.
At the dawn of creation, Gabriel said to me, do not accept spirituality/faith that is slave to reason i.e. faith/belief is superior to reason. Editorial comment – once again iqbal puts reason down, in preference to (blind) faith!
5
baatil1 duii2 pasand hai, haq3 la-shareek4 hai
shirkat5 miyaana6 e haq o baatil na kar qubool
1.falsehood 2.duality, ambiguity 3.truth, righteousness 4.without admixture 5.mixing 6.between
Falsehood loves ambiguity, truth is absolute. Do not accept mixing between truth and falsehood. Editorial comment – “absolute truth”, at least, thinking that we know absolute truth, goes completely against the grain of skepticism … see my ‘tashkeek’.
