Falak kee baat bataa dee zameen key mahram ko
Bhar aaye phool key aansoon payaam-e-shabnam sey
Kalee ka nanha sa dil khoon ho gayaa gham sey
Chaman sey rotha hua mausam-e-bahaar gayaa
Shabaab sair ko aaya thha sogvaar gayaa
Beauty is transient
To the Creator did beauty one day complain,
‘Why did you make me of that which wanes?’
‘The world is like a hall of mirrors’ answered He,
‘A tale told to pass the long night of eternity,
With the clay and hues of change was it made,
And it is the essence of beauty that it must fade.’
The moon overheard, for she was not far.
The news spread in the skies to the morning star
The star said it to the dawn, dawn to the dew extended,
The secret of the heavens thus to the earth descended.
The flower was heavy with tears at what the dew had said
The bud’s little heart burst with grief and bled
Spring fled the garden in loud lament
Youth that had come to sport in sorrow went.
खुदी
खुदा को कर बुलंद इतना
कि हर तक़दीर से पहले
खुदा बंदे से खुद पूछे
बता तेरी रज़ा क्या है
Khudee
Khudee ko kar buland itna
Ki har taqdeer sey pehley
Khuda bandey sey khud poochhey
Bataa teree razaa kya hai
सितारों से आगे
तू शाहीं है परवाज़ है काम तेरा
तेरे सामने आस्मां और भी हैं
इसी रोज़-ओ-शब में उलझाकर न रह जा
कि तेरे ज़मीन-ओ-मक़ां और भी हैं
सितारों से आगे जहां और भी हैं
अभी इश्क़ के इम्तेहां और भी हैं
Sitaaron se aage
Too shaaheen hai parvaaz hai kaam tera
Terey saamney aasmaan aur bhee hain
Isee roz-o-shab mein ulajhkar na reh ja
Ki terey zameen-o-makaan aur bhee hain
Sitaaron sey aagey jahaan aur bhee hain
Abhee ishq key imtehaan aur bhee hain
Self-Will
Steel your will with such power
That at every turn of fate it be so
That God should ask of his slave,
‘Tell me, what is it that pleases you?’
Beyond the stars
You are a falcon, it is in your nature to fly
For you there are other skies beyond this sky
Don’t let the web of dawns and dusks enmesh you
For you have other lives, other goals to pursue
Beyond these stars are worlds yet to unearth
There are more trials of love to test your worth.
यकीं, समाल, रहम
यक़ीं महकम अमल पैहम मोहब्बत फ़ातह-ए-आलम
जिहाद-ए-ज़िंदगानी में हैं ये मर्दों की शमशीरें
Yaqeen, amal, raham
Yaqeen mahkam amal paiham mohabbat faateh-e-aalam
Jihaad-e-zindgaani mein hain yeh mardon kee shamsheerein
बंदा दीं का
निशान-ए-मर्द-ए-मोमिन बा तू गोयम
चूं मार्ग आयद तबस्सुम बर लब-ए-ओस्त
Bandaa deen ka
Nishaan-e-mard-e-Momin ba too goyam
Choon marg aayad tabassum bar lab-e-ost
Faith, Conduct, Compassion
Man’s weapons in life’s battles are three:
Conviction that his cause is just
Courage to fight for it till eternity
Compassion that embraces all humanity.
Man of Faith
You ask me for the signs of a man of faith—
When death comes to him, he has a smile on his lips.
जमहूरियत
इस राज़ को तो मर्द-ए-फ़िरंगी ने किया फ़ाश
हर चंद कि दाना उसे खोला नहीं करते
जमहूरियत इक तर्ज़-ए-हुकूमत है कि जिसमें
बंदों को गिना करते हैं टोला नहीं करते
Jamhooriyat
Is raaz ko to mard-e-firangee ney kiya faash
Har chand ki daanaa usey khola naheen kartey
Jamhooriyat ik tarz-e-hukoomat hai ki jismein
Bandon ko gina kartey hain tola naheen kartey
बंदगी सौदा नहीं है
दयार-ए-मग़रिब के रहने वालो खुदा की बस्ती दुकां नहीं है
खरा जिसे तुम समझ रहे हो वो अब ज़र-ए-कम आयार होगा
तुम्हारी तहज़ीब अपने ख़ंजर से आप ही खुदकुशी करेगी
जो शाख़-ए-नाज़ुक पे आशियाना बनेगा ना-पायदार होगा
Bandagee sauda naheen hai
Dayaar-e-maghrib key rehney vaalo khuda kee bastee dukaan naheen hai
Kharaa jisey tum samajh rahey ho vo ab zar-e-kam ayaar hoga
Tumhaaree tehzeeb apney khanjar sey aap hee khudkushee karegee
Jo shaakh-e-naazuk pey aashiyaana banega na-paayedaar hoga
Democracy
One myth, at least, the feringhee exploded,
A secret wise men have never betrayed:
Democracy is a form of government in which
Heads are counted, but men never weighed.
Worship is Not a Trade
You who dwell in the West should know that God’s earth is not a shop for trade
Gold you value so much as pure will prove to be of lower grade
With your own hand and dagger, your culture will be slain;
A nest built on a weak branch will forever infirm remain.
लीडर की खुसूसियत
निगह बुलंद सुख़न दिलनवाज़ जां पुर सोज़
यही है रख़्त-ए-सफ़र मीर-ए-कारवां के लिए
Leader kee khusoosiyat
Nigah buland sukhan dilnavaaz jaan pur soz
Yahee hai rakht-e-safar meer-e-kaarvaan key liye
तूफ़ान और ज़िंदगी
ख़ुदा तुझे किसी तूफ़ां से आशना कर दे
कि तेरे बहर की मौजों में इज़तिराब नहीं
Toofaan aur zindagee
Khuda tujhey kisee toofaan sey aashnaa kar dey
Ki terey behr kee maujon mein iztiraab naheen
Leadership Qualities
Lofty vision, heart-warming speech and a soul on fire
Of the leader of a caravan this is all we require.
Stormy Life
May God grant you the experience of a storm:
The waves of your life’s ocean are too calm.
बनती-उजड़ती सल्तनतें
मैं तुझको बताता हूं तक़्दीर-ए-उमम क्या है
शमशीर-ओ-सिना अव्वल ताऊस-ओ-रबाब आख़िर
Bantee ujartee saltanatein
Main tujh
ko bataata hoon taqdeer-e-umam kya hai
Shamsheer-o-sina avval taoos-o-rabaab aakhir
मज़हब और सियासत
जलाल-ए-बादशाही हो या जमहूरी तमाशा हो
जुदा हो दींन सियासत से तो रह जाती है चंगेज़ी
Mazhab aur siyaasat
Jalaal-e-baadshaahee ho ya jamhooree tamaasha ho
Juda ho deen siyaasat sey to reh jaatee hai Changezee
Rise and Fall of Nations
Let me tell you of the rise and fall of nations
With swords, bows and arrows they rise
With the music of lute and viol they perish.
Faith and Politics
Whether it is the splendour of monarchy or the spectacle of democracy,
If politics is separated from religion all that remains is tyranny and anarchy.
इश्क-ए-वतन
पत्थर की मूर्ति में समझा है तू खुदा है
ख़ाक-ए-वतन का मुझको हर ज़र्रा देवता है
Ishq-e-vatan
Patthar kee moorti mein samjha hai too khuda hai
Khaak-e-vatan ka mujhko har zarra devta hai
खुदा और बंदा
तू शब आफ़रीदी चिराग़ आफ़रीदम
सिफ़ाल आफ़रीदी अयाग़ आफ़रीदम
बियाबान-ओ-कुहसार-ओ-राग़ आफ़रीदी
ख़्याबान-ओ-गुलज़ार-ओ-बाग़ आफ़रीदम
मन आनम के अज़ संग आईना साज़म
मन आनम के अज़ ज़हर हर शीना साज़म
Khudaa aur bandaa
Too shab aafreedee chiragh aafreedam
Sifal aafreedee ayaagh aafreedam
Biyaabaan-o-kuhsar-o-raagh aafreedee
Khayabaan-o-gulzaar-o-baagh aafreedam
Man aanam key az sang aaeena saazam
Man aanam key az zehr har sheena saazam
Love of the Homeland
You believe that an idol made of stone is God
For me, every speck of the dust of my homeland is a god.
Man and God
You made the night, I lit the lamp in it
You made the clay, I moulded it into a goblet.
In the wild wastes, mountains and forests that you made
Orchards, flower beds and gardens have I laid.
It is I who ground stones and turned them into mirrors,
It is I who out of poison extracted its antidote.
हुस्न का नज़ारा
तू खुर्शीदी ओ मन सय्यारा-ए-तू
सरापा नूरम अज़ नज़्ज़ारा-ए-तू
Husn ka nazaara
Too khursheedee au man sayyaara-e-too
Saraapa nooram az nazzaara-e-too
बेचैन जवानी
शबाब आह कहां ऊमीदवार रहे
वो ऐश ऐश नहीं जिसका इंतज़ार रहे
Bechaen javanee
Shabaab aah kahaan tak umeedvaar rahey
Vo aish aish naheen jiska intizaar rahey
Ode to Beauty
You are the sun, I spin around you as a planet
One sight of you and I am lit from head to foot.
Impatient Youth
Impatient youth! How long in hope can it go on living?
What joy is left in pleasure that takes so long in coming?
फ़रमान-ए-खुदा
उट्ठो मेरी दुनिया के ग़रीबों को जगा दो
काख़-ए-उमरा के दरो-दीवार हिला दो
गर्माओ ग़ुलामों का लहू यकीं सोज़-ए-यकीं से
कुंजश्क-ए-फ़रोमाया को शाहीं से लड़ा दो
सुल्तानी-ए-जम्हूर का आता है ज़माना
जो नक़्श-ए-कुहन तुमको नज़र आए मिटा दो
जिस खेत से दहक़ां को मयस्सर न हो रोज़ी
उस खेत के हर गोशा-ए-गुंदुम को जला दो
क्यों ख़ालिक़ों-मुख़लूक में हाइल रहें पर्दे
पीराने-कलीसा को कलीसा से उठा दो
Farmaan-e-khuda
Uttho meree duniyaa key ghareebon ko jagaa do
Kaankh-e-umaraa key dar-o-deevaar hila do
Garmao ghulaamon ka lahu soz-e-yaqeen sey
Kunjashk-e-faromaaya ko shaaheen sey laraa do
Sultaanee-e-jamhoor ka aata hai zamaana
Jo naqsh-e-kuhan tumko nazar aaye mita do
Jis khet sey dehqaan ko mayassar na ho rozee
Us khet key har goshaa-e-gandum ko jalaa do
Kyon khaaliq-o-makhlooq mein haail rahen pardey
Peeran-e-kaleesa ko kaleesa sey uttha do
Heavenly Ordinance
Rise and get the poor of my world ready for battle
Shake the mansions of the rich, till their doors and walls rattle.
With conviction of victory the blood of the poor ignite
Get the timid sparrow to take on the falcon in a fight.
Comes a time for the masses to rule for sure
Rub out what is now too old and obscure,
Land that does not yield enough for the tiller to eat
Burn every inch of that field, set fire to every stalk of wheat.
Why these curtains between the Sustainer and those that he sustains?
Throw out those old godmen from the house of God; let not one remain!
‘शिकवा’ से
क्यों जियां-कार बनूं सूद-फ़रामोश राहूं
फ़िक्र-ए-फ़रदा न करूं महव-ए-ग़म-ए-दोश रहूं
नाले बुलबुल के सुनूं और हमातन गोश रहूं
हम नवा मैं भी कोई गुल हूं कि ख़ामोश रहूं
जुर्अत-आमोज़ मेरी ताब-ए-सुख़न है मुझको
शिकवा अल्लाह से ख़ाकम-बदहन है मुझको
‘Shikva’ sey
Kyon ziyaan-kaar banoon sood-faraamosh rahoon
Fikr-e-fardaa na karoon mahv-e-gham-e-dosh rahoon
Naaley bulbul ke sunoon aur hamaatan gosh rahoon
Ham navaa main bhee koi gul hoon ki khaamosh rahoon
Jurat-aamoz meree taab-e-sukhan hai mujhko
Shikva Allah sey khaakam-badhan hai mujhko
From ‘Shikva’ *
(The Mortal’s Complaint to Allah)
Why must I forever lose, forever forgo profit that is my due,
Sunk in the gloom of evenings past, no plans for the morrow pursue?
Why must I always remain attentive to the nightingale’s lament,
Friend, am I as dumb as a flower? Must I always remain silent?
My theme makes me bold, makes my tongue more eloquent
Dust be in my mouth, against Allah I make complaint !
*The verses from page 113 to 133 are from Khushwant Singh’s translation of Iqbal’s long poems ‘Shikva’ and ‘Javaab-e-Shikva’. The verses chosen here are not in the sequence in which they appear in the original poem.
हमसे पहले था अजब तेरे जहां का मंज़र
कहीं मस्जूद
थे पत्थर कहीं माबूद शजर
ख़ूगर-ए-पैकर-ए-महसूस थी इंसां की नज़र
मानता फिर कोई अनदेखे खुदा को क्योंकर
तुझको मालूम है लेता था कोई नाम तेरा
क़ुव्वत-ए-बाज़ू-ए-मुस्लिम ने किया काम तेरा
Humsey pehley thha ajab terey jahaan ka manzar
Kaheen masjood thhey patthar kaheen maabood shajar
Khoogar-e-paikar-e-mahsoos thhee insaan kee nazar
Maanta phir koee andekhey khuda ko kyonkar
Tujhko maaloom hai leta thha koi naam tera
Quwwat-e-baazoo-e-muslim ney kiya kaam tera
Before our time, a strange sight was the worl You had made:
Celebrating the Best of Urdu Poetry Page 6
