Recitation
tasveer-e-dard mohammed iqbal
Overview
“tasveer-e dard” is a beautiful sample of Iqbal’s “universalism” (inclusiveness of the Hindu-Muslim community of the subcontinent) before he adopted a more reactionary position. It is also a fine example of how the tradition of ambiguity and multiple meaning in Urdu poetry came in useful to elude censorship. It is a long composition and can be cosidered divided into seven sections/Ghazals strung together. Each section has its own radeef-qaafiya with a concluding she’r in a different radeef-qaafiya. Themes between sections overlap quite a lot and each excels the other in beauty of composition.
The first section focuses on proclaiming the universality of his message and how it is inevitable that it will spread in spite of its painful content and in spite of the powers to stop/restrict this message.
The second section is a tongue in cheek expression of humility and an expression of mysticism about existence and of “self”. I am a hidden treasure, nobody pays any attention to me, but I say what I see (and I see that which no one else seems to be able to see).
The third section re-inforces the power of the poet’s words and his ability to see far into the future. Here I like to think that Iqbal is NOT talking about himself personally but of “the poet” … every poet. In this section he is also exhorting his country men to listen and look at the disaster that is about to befall them … all because of communalism, infighting and lack of action against the oppressor.
The fourth section is a beautiful and powerful expression of the poet’s determination to set things right, to promote harmony among all the oppressed, so they may present a united front to the oppressor.
The fifth section is a beautiful expression of the poet’s pain at the indifference and backwardness of his countrymen and exhorting them to look outside, learn and to take action.
The sixth section uses sufi mystic themes/vocabulary to preach “universal love”, repeating that discrimination between fellow humans (communalism) is the cause of downfall of nations.
The seventh section re-inforces the theme of “universal love”, declares that it is this that manifests itself in everything, giving it a “god like” quality.
The eighth and concluding section, much like the previous two, repeats the message of Universal Love with Sufi overtones.
It is illustrative to read and compare “tasveer-e-dard” (1904) with “shikwa” (1909). The first nazm is full of Sufi thoughts, universal love, inclusiveness and Hindu-Muslim unity. It is of the same vintage and character as “naya shivala” and “taraana-e-hindi”. The second is bitter, angry, inciteful and divisive. What a difference 5 years makes. During this time Iqbal had lived in England and Germany, completed his post-graduate studies, become stridently Islamic.
تصویر درد – محمد اقبال – حصّہ ٥
کیا رفعت کی لذّت سے نہ دِل کو آشنا تو نے
گذاری عمر پستی میں مثالِ نقشِ پا تو نے
رہا دِل بستہ محفل، مگر ا پنی نگاہوں کو
کیا بیرونِ محفل سے نہ حیرت آ شنا تو نے
فدا کرتا رہا دِل کو حسینوں کی اداوٗں پر
مگر دیکھی نہ اِس آئینے میں اپنی ادا تو نے
تعصب چھوڑ ناداں! دہر کے آئینہ خانے میں
یہ تصویریں ہیں تیری جن کو سمجھا ہے برا تو نے
سرا پا نالہٗ بیدادِ سوزِ زندگی ہو جا
سپند آسا گرہ میں باندھ رکھی ہے صدا تو نے
صفائے دِل کو کیا آرایشِ رنگِ تعلق سے
کفِ آئینہ پر باندھی ہے او ناداں! حنا تو نے
زمیں کیا آسماں بھی تیری کج بینی پہ روتا ہے
غضب ہے سطرِ قرآں کو چلیپا کردیا تو نے
زباں سے گر کیا توحید کا دعوہ تو کیا حاصل
بنایا ہے بتِ پندار کو اپنا خدا تو نے
کنوئیں میں تو نے یوسف کو جو دیکھا بھی تو کیا دیکھا
ارے غافل! جو مطلق تھا مقیدّ کر دیا تو نے
ہوس بالائے منبر ہے تجھے رنگیں بیانی کی
نصیحت بھی تری صورت ہے اک افسانہ خوانی کی
तस्वीर-ए दर्द – मुहम्मद इक़बाल – हिस्सा ५
किया रफ़अत की लज़्ज़त से न दिल को आशना तू ने
गुज़री उम्र पस्ती में मिसाल ए नक़्श ए पा तू ने
रहा दिल बस्ता ए महफ़िल मगर अपनी निगाहों को
किया बैरून ए महफ़िल से न हैरत आशना तू ने
फ़िदा करता रहा दिल को हसीनों की अदाओं पर
मगर देखि न इस आईने में अपनी अदा तू ने
तआसुब छोड़ नादां! दहर के आईना ख़ाने में
ये तस्वीरें हैं तेरी जिन को समझा है बुरा तू ने
सरापा नाला ए बेदाद ए सोज़ ए ज़िन्दगी हो जा
सिपंद आसा गिरह में बाँध रखी है सदा तू ने
सफ़ा ए दिल को क्या आराइश ए रंग ए ताआलुक़ से
कफ़ ए आईना पर बाँधी है ओ नादां हिना तू ने
ज़मीं क्या आसमां भी तेरी कज बीनी पे रोता है
ग़ज़ब है सत्र ए क़ुरआं को चलीपा कर दिया तू ने
ज़बां से गर किया तौहीद का दावा तो क्या हासिल
बनाया है बुत ए पिंदार को अपना ख़ुदा तू ने
कुएं में तू ने यूसुफ़ को जो देखा भी तो क्या देखा
अरे ग़ाफ़िल! जो मुत्लक़ था मुक्क़य्यद कर दिया तू ने
हवस बाला ए मिम्बर है तुझे रंगीं बयानी की
नसीहत भी तेरी सूरत है एक अफ़्साना ख़्वानी की
tasveer-e dard – Fifth Section
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion. The fifth section is a beautiful expression of the poet’s pain at the indifference and backwardness of his countrymen and exhorts them to look outside, learn and to take action.
kiya rafa’at1 ki lazzat2 se na dil ko aashna3 tu ne
guzaari4 umr pasti5 meN misal-e-naqsh-e-paa6 tu ne
raha dil basta-e mehfil7 magar apni nigaahoN8 ko
kiya bairoon-e-mehfil9 se na hairat10 aashna3 tu ne
fida11 karta raha dil ko haseenoN ki adaaoN12 par
magar dekhi na is aaiine meN apni ada tu ne1. eminence, dignity 2. pleasure 3. familiar 4. spent 5. low status 6. like foot prints (in the dust) 7. confined to the assembly (country) 8. eyes 9. (ideas from) outside the country 10. wonder, admiration 11. offer in homage 12. style, beauty
Your heart unfamiliar with the pleasure of dignity/high stature. You have lived your whole life trampled underfoot. Confined to your home, your sight never was able to wonder at and learn from the ideas from outside. For long have you been enamoured with tales of romance. You have not used your ability to examine your own self.
ta’asub1 chhoR nadaaN2! dahr3 ke aiina Khaane4 meN
ye tasveereN5 haiN teri, jin ko samjha hai bura tu ne
saraapa6 naala-e bedaad7 e soz-e zindagi8 ho ja
sipand-aasa9 girah10 meN baandh rakhi hai sada11 tu ne
safaa-e dil12 ko kya aaraish13-e rang-e ta’aluq14 se
kaf-e aaiina15 par baandhi hai o naadaN16 hina17 tu ne1. prejudice, (communal) prejudice 2. fool 3. world 4. house of mirrors 5. images, reflections 6. head to toe, embodiment 7. cry of protest against injustice8. agony of life (under foreign rule) 9. like kindling 10. knotted, tied up, put away 11. sound, cry, protest 12. purity of heart 13. adornment 14. colour of association (attachment to material things) 15. reflection of hand in the mirror 16. fool 17. henna
Stop this prejudice/bigotry, look at what the world has to offer. Those who you perceive as wrongful, are but your own reflections. Become the embodiment of the cry of protest against tyranny. You already have in possession the ability to set fire to passion. What does purity of heart have to do with material attachments. O simpleton! You are applying henna to the mirror image of the hand.
zamiN kya aasmaN bhi teri kaj-beeni1 pe rota hai
Ghazab2 hai satr-e quraaN3 ko chaleepa4 kar diya tu ne
zabaaN se gar kiya tauheed5 ka dava6 to kya haasil7
banaya hai buth-e pindaar8 ko apna Khuda tu ne
kueN meN tu ne yusuf9 ko jo dekha bhi to kya dekha
are` Ghafil10! jo mutlaq11 tha muqqayyad12 kar diya tu ne1. crooked sight, inability to see 2. alas 3. line (verse) of the Qura’an 4. cross (used here as a metaphor for “unfaith”) 5. one god 6. claim 7. what use 8. idol of conceit 9. Joseph (see notes) 10. unaware, innocent, fool 11. absolute, complete (demand for full independence) 12. imprisoned, circumscribed, limited
Not just the earth, even the skies weep at your blindness. Alas, you have converted even the verses of the Quraan to “unfaith”. Iqbal is using the “crucifix” as a metaphor (admittedly a questionable use) for deviation from the “faith” – in this case to Iqbal Islam and faith are interchangeable. Thus converting lines of the Quraan to a crucifix is deviation from faith. Of what use is your oral declaration of faith when you have made the arrogance of power your real god. I also think that in keeping with the spirit of the rest of the composition, Iqbal uses “faith” and “god” here in a more universal sense but uses language, metaphor and imagery that he is most familiar with. Thus when he says “tauheed” he means one-ness of humanity. “satr e qura’an” and “chaleepa” are used in much the same way. Even if you saved Joseph from the well, what good did you do, O fool, you have tried to circumscribe the absolute. There is also a reference to the Biblical and Quranic story of how the brothers of Joseph, out of jealousy, threw him a deep well and told their father that he had died. Later some travelers saw him in the well and saved him. What use is it, even if you have saved Joseph, because you are missing the real thing! In the context of the rest of the composition this has to be interpreted as … half measures at “home rule” or separation of communities is no good … you have to accept the absolute oneness of humanity (communities).
havas1 baala-e-mimbar2 hai tujhe rangiN-bayaani3 ki
naseehat4 bhi teri surat5 hai ek afsaana-Khwaani6 ki1. greed 2. top of the pulpit 3. colourful speeches 4. exhortation 5. like 6. telling fables/lies All you want is a place on the podium to make false promises. Even your exhortations have the likeness of fables. All that politicians want to do is make false promises from the podium.
tasveer-e-dard mohammed iqbal
Fifth Section
The fifth section is a beautiful expression of the poet’s pain at the indifference and backwardness of his countrymen and exhorts them to look outside, learn and to take action.
kiya rafa’at1 ki lazzat2 se na dil ko aashna3 tu ne
guzaari4 umr pasti5 meN misal-e-naqsh-e-paa6 tu ne
raha dil basta-e mehfil7 magar apni nigaahoN8 ko
kiya bairoon-e-mehfil9 se na hairat10 aashna3 tu ne
fida11 karta raha dil ko haseenoN ki adaaoN12 par
magar dekhi na is aaiine meN apni ada tu ne
1.eminence, dignity 2.pleasure 3.familiar 4.spent 5.low status 6.like foot prints (in the dust) 7.confined to the assembly (country) 8.eyes 9.(ideas from) outside the country 10.wonder, admiration 11.offer in homage 12.style, beauty
Your heart unfamiliar with the pleasure of dignity/high stature. You have lived your whole life trampled underfoot. Confined to your home, your sight never was able to wonder at and learn from the ideas from outside. For long have you been enamoured with tales of romance. You have not used your ability to examine your own self.
ta’asub1 chhoR nadaaN2! dahr3 ke aiina Khaane4 meN
ye tasveereN5 haiN teri, jin ko samjha hai bura tu ne
saraapa6 naala-e bedaad7 e soz-e zindagi8 ho ja
sipand-aasa9 girah10 meN baandh rakhi hai sada11 tu ne
safaa-e dil12 ko kya aaraish13-e rang-e ta’aluq14 se
kaf-e aaiina15 par baandhi hai o naadaN16 hina17 tu ne
1.prejudice, (communal) prejudice 2.fool 3.world 4.house of mirrors 5.images, reflections 6.head to toe, embodiment 7.cry of protest against injustice8.agony of life (under foreign rule) 9.like kindling 10.knotted, tied up, put away 11.sound, cry, protest 12.purity of heart 13.adornment 14.colour of association (attachment to material things) 15.reflection of hand in the mirror 16.fool 17.henna
Stop this prejudice/bigotry, look at what the world has to offer. Those who you perceive as wrongful, are but your own reflections. Become the embodiment of the cry of protest against tyranny. You already have in possession the ability to set fire to passion. What does purity of heart have to do with material attachments. O simpleton! You are applying henna to the mirror image of the hand.
zamiN kya aasmaN bhi teri kaj-beeni1 pe rota hai
Ghazab2 hai satr-e quraaN3 ko chaleepa4 kar diya tu ne
zabaaN se gar kiya tauheed5 ka dava6 to kya haasil7
banaya hai buth-e pindaar8 ko apna Khuda tu ne
kueN meN tu ne yusuf9 ko jo dekha bhi to kya dekha
are` Ghafil10! jo mutlaq11 tha muqqayyad12 kar diya tu ne
1.crooked sight, inability to see 2.alas 3.line (verse) of the Qura’an 4.cross (used here as a metaphor for “unfaith”) 5.one god 6.claim 7.what use 8.idol of conceit 9.Joseph (see notes) 10.unaware, innocent, fool 11.absolute, complete (demand for full independence) 12.imprisoned, circumscribed, limited
Not just the earth, even the skies weep at your blindness. Alas, you have converted even the verses of the Quraan to “unfaith”. Iqbal is using the “crucifix” as a metaphor (admittedly a questionable use) for deviation from the “faith” – in this case to Iqbal Islam and faith are interchangeable. Thus converting lines of the Quraan to a crucifix is deviation from faith. Of what use is your oral declaration of faith when you have made the arrogance of power your real god. I also think that in keeping with the spirit of the rest of the composition, Iqbal uses “faith” and “god” here in a more universal sense but uses language, metaphor and imagery that he is most familiar with. Thus when he says “tauheed” and “but e pindar” he does not mean Islam and idol worship … he means spirituality and materialism, and in this poem, the materialsim of the British in acquiring arrogance and power. “satr e qura’an” and “chaleepa” are used in much the same way. Even if you saved Joseph from the well, what good did you do, O fool, you have tried to circumscribe the absolute. There is also a reference to the Biblical and Quranic story of how the brothers of Joseph, out of jealousy, threw him a deep well and told their father that he had died. Later some travelers saw him in the well and saved him. What use is it, even if you have saved Joseph, because you are missing the real thing! In the context of the rest of the composition this has to be interpreted as … half measures at “home rule” or separation of communities is no good … you have to accept the absolute oneness of humanity (communities).
havas1 baala-e-mimbar2 hai tujhe rangiN-bayaani3 ki
naseehat4 bhi teri surat5 hai ek afsaana-Khwaani6 ki
1.greed 2.top of the pulpit 3.colourful speeches 4.exhortation 5.like 6.telling fables/lies
All you want is a place on the podium to make false promises. Even your exhortations have the likeness of fables. All that politicians want to do is make false promises from the podium.
Search Words: Indo-Pak Friendship, India Pakistan, Peace Now and Forever, Communal Harmony, Communal Riots, Hindu-Muslim Unity
