Re: Iqbal Day
Shikwa
Tere Kaabe ko jabinoN se basaya ham ne
Tere Quran ko sinoN se lagaya ham ne
And we filled the Holy Kaaba with our foreheads humble bent,
Clutching to our fervent bosoms the Koran in ecstasy.
Phir bhi ham se ye gila hai ke wafadar nahiN
Ham wafadar nahiN, to bhi tu dildar nahiN
Yet the charge is laid against us we have played the faithless part;
Is disloyal we have proved hast Thou deserved to win our heart
Jawab e Shikwa
Mere Kaabe ko jabinoN se basaya kis ne?
Mere Quran ko sinoN se lagaya kis ne?
Who once filled the Holy Kaaba with their foreheads lowly bent?
Clutching to their fervent bosoms the Koran in ecstasy?
The to aaba wo tumhare hi, magar tum kya ho?
Haath par haath dhare muntazir-e-farda ho!
Who were they? They were your fathers; as for now, why what are you,
Squatting sung, serenely waiting for tomorrow to come true?
Kya kaha? behr-e-musalmaN hai faqat wa'da-e-hur
Shikwa beja bhi kare koyi to laazim hai shaoor
Did you say that Muslims must with promises contented be?
That is a complaint unfounded, and by common sense abhorred;
Adl hai Fatir-e-hasti ka azl se dastur
Musallim-aa'iN hua kafir to mile hur-o-qasur
The creator's law is justice, out of all eternity-
Infidels who live like Muslims surely merit Faith's reward.
Tum meiN huroN ko koyi chahnewala hi nahiN
Jalwa-e-Tur to maujud hai, Musa hi nahiN
There is scarcely one amongst you after Paradise aspires;
There is not a Moses living, though unquenched are Sinai's fires.
Munfa'at eik hai is qaum ki, nuqsan bhi eik
Eik hi sab ka Nabi, din bhi, iman bhi eik
One and common are the profit and the loss the people bear.
One and common are your Prophet, your religion, and your creed,
Haram-e-paak bhi, Allah bhi, Qur'an bhi eik
Kuch badi baat thi hote jo musalman bhi eik
One the Holy Sanctuary, one Koran, one God you share;
But to act as one, and Muslims-that would every bound exceed.
Firqabandi hai kahiN aur kahiN zaateiN haiN
Kya zamaane meiN panapne ki yahi baateiN haiN?
Here sectarianism triumphs, class and caste there rule the day;
Is it thus you hope to prosper, to regain your ancient sway?
Kaun hai taarik-e-aa'in-e-Rasul-e-Mukhtar?
Maslahat waqt ki hai kis ke amal ka ma'yar?
Who abandoned the example of the Chosen Messenger?
Who took temporal advantage as their touchstone of success?
Kis ki aankhoN meiN samaya hai shu'aar-e-aghyaar?
Ho gayi kis ki nigah tarz-e-salaf se bezaar?
Who are dazzled by strange customs, alien usages prefer?
For the manners of there fathers whom a faint disgust profess?
Qalb meiN soz nahiN, ruh meiN ehsaas nahiN
Kuch bhi paigham-e-Muhammad ka tumheiN paas nahiN
In your hearts there is no ardour, in your spirits feelings none;
Asregards the Prophet's Message, why, with that you've long since done.
Ja ke hote haiN masajid meiN saf-aara, to gharib
Zehmat-e-roza jo karte haiN gaNwara, to gharib
Now. If any stand to worship in the mosques, it is the poor.
And if any bear and pains of holy fasting, it is they;
Naam leta hai agar koyi Hamara, to gharib
Parda rakhta hai agar koyi tumhara, to gharib
They alone our Name revere, and Our remembrance keep secure;
That your misdeed may be hidden, still they labour and they pray.
Umra nasha-e-daulat meiN haiN ghaafil ham se
Zinda hai millat-e-baiza ghurba ke dam se
Drunken with the pride of riches, wealthy men neglect god's due;
The communion of Islam lives on, because the poor are true.
Waiz-e-qaum ki wo pukhtakhayali na rahi
Barq-e-tib'i na rahi, sho'la-maqali na rahi
Now no more the preacher's message from e ripened judgment springs,
Quenched the lightning of his spirit, out the lantern of his word;
Rah gayi rasm-e-azaN, ruh-e-Bilali na rahi
Falsafa rah gaya, talqin-e-ghazali na rahi
Lifeless hangs the Call to Prayer, with no Bilal to lend it wings;
While philosophy spins on, Ghazali's lectures go unheard.
MasjideN marsiya-khwaN haiN, namaazi na rahe
Ya'ni wo sahib-e-ausaf-e-Hijazi na rahe
'Silenced is the voice of worship,' she deserted mosques lament;
'Where are now the brave Hejazis, men of godly, true intent?"
Shor hai ho gaye dunya se musalman nabud
Ham ye kehte haiN ke the bhi kahiN muslim maujud?
Loud the cry goes up, 'The Muslims? They are vanished, lost to view!"
We re-echo, 'Are true Muslims to be found in any place?'
Waza' meiN tum ho nasaara, tamaddun meiN hindu
Ye musalmaN haiN! JinheiN dekh ke sharmaeiN yahud!
Christian is your mode of living, and your culture is Hindoo;
These are Muslims! Looking at them even Jews felt ashamed
YuN to sayyid bhi ho, mirza bhi ho, afghan bhi ho
Tum sabhi kuch ho, batao to musalman bhi ho
Sure enough, you have your Syeds, Mirzas, Afghans, and all the rest;
But can you claim you are Muslims, if the truth must be confessed?
Dam-e-taqrir thi muslim ki sadaqat bebak
Adl us ka tha qawi, laus-e-mara'aat se pak
Even truthful, ever fearless was the Muslim in his speech,
Strong and sure his sense of justice, clean of partiality;
Shajar-e-fitrat-e-muslim tha haya se namnaak
Tha shuja'at meiN wo ek hasti-e-fauq-ul-adraak
High exalted was his courage, far above the common reach,
And sweet modesty the dew was that refreshed his nature's tree;
Khudgudazi nam-e-kaifiyat-e-sehbaish bud
Khali az khaweish shudan surat-e-minaish bud
Of his wine the liquid essence by self-naughting was distilled,
And his joy was in self-emptying the flask his Maker filled.
Har musalmaN rag-e-batil ke liye nashtar tha
Uske aaina-e-hasti meiN aql johar tha
Every Muslim was a lancet poised to sever falsehood's vein,
In the mirror of his being ceaseless action's luster shone;
Jo bharosa tha use quwwat-e-baazu par tha
Hai tumheiN maut ka dar, us ko Khuda ka dar tha
In his own right arm he trusted, by his strength he could attain,
And while you are scared of dying, he had fear of God alone.
Baap ka ilm na bete ko agar azbar ho
Phir pisar qabil-e-miraas-e-pidar kyuNkar ho!
If the child learns not the knowledge that has made his father sage,
Then what right has he by merit to his father's heritage?
Har koi mast-e-mai-e-zauq-e-tan_aasani hai
Tum musalmaN ho? Ye andaz-e-musalmani hai?
You are all intoxicated with the joy of fleshly ease;
Are you Muslims? What, is this the way Islam would have you tread?
Haidari fuqr hai na daulat-e-Usmani hai
Tum ko aslaaf se kya nisbat-e-ruhani hai
Ali's poverty you will not, Uthman's wealth you dare not seize-
What relationship of spirits links you to your glorious dead?
Wo zamane meiN muazziz the musalmaN ho kar
Aur tum khwaar hue taarik-e-QuraN ho kar
For the fact that they were Muslims they were honoured in their day;
You, who have abandoned the Koran, are spurned and cast away.
Tum ho aapas meiN ghazabnaak, wo aapas meiN rahim
Tum khatakaar-o-khatabiN, wo khataposh-o-karim
You are wroth with one another; they were kindly, merciful;
You, who sin, see sins in others, they concealed their brothers' sin;
Chahte sab haiN ke hoN auj-e-surayya pe muqim
Pehle waisa koi paida to kare qalb-e-salim
Be the Pleiades your dwelling, if they are attainable;
Yet your souls must be in order, and with them you should begin.
Takht-e-faghfur bhi un ka tha, sarir-e-kai bhi
YuN hi bateiN haiN, ke tum meiN wo hamiyat hai bhi
They possessed the realm of China, they ascended Persia's throne;
You have not their manly honour, and are great in words alone.
Khudkushi shaiwa tumhara, wo ghayur-o-khuddar
Tum ikhwat se gurezaN, wo ikhwat pe nisar
Self-destruction is your fashion, noble self-esteem was theirs;
You would flee from brotherhood, a brotherhood for which they died;
Tum ho guftar_sarapa, wo sarapa kirdar
Tum taraste ho kali ko, wo gulistan bakinar
Yours the tongue that idly blabs' theirs was the hand that greatly dares;
You are fain plucked a bud; they mastered the entire garden wide.
Ab talak yaad hai qaumoN ko hikayat un ki
Naqsh hai safha-e-hasti pe sadaqat un ki
Nations to this day rehearse the legend of their scroll of history.
Misl-e-anjum ufuq-e-qaum pe raushan bhi hue
But-e-hindi ki muhabbat meiN barahman bhi hue
On your people's far horizon like a star you shone so bright,
Till, by India's garish idols lured, to Brahmans you were turned;
Shauq-e-parwaz meiN mahjur-e-nasheman bhi hue
Beamal the hi, jawaN din se badzan bhi hue
You forsook the nest that nursed you, lifted by the love of flight,
But your youth were void of action, and to doubt the faith they learned;
Un ko tehzib ne har band se aazad kiya
La ke Kabe se sanamkhane meiN aabad kiya
Education and refinement from all fetters set them free,
Brought them froth from all fetters set them free,
Brought the forth from their own Kaaba to embrace idolatry.
Qais zehmatkash-e-tanhai-e-sehra na rahe
Shehr ki khae hawa, badiyapaima na rahe
Qais, if so he pleases, may endure the desert's solitude,
Or become a city-dweller; roam no more the empty waste;
Wo to diwana hai, basti meiN rahe ya na rahe
Ye zaruri hai, hijab-e-rukh-e-laila na rahe
Qais may choose the one or other in the madness of his mood-
This is sure and certain; Laila must unveil her beauty chaste;
Gila-e-jor na ho, shikwa-e-bedaad na ho
Ishq aazad hai, kyuN husn bhi aazad na ho
End the protests of injustices, case the cries of tyranny-
Why shall loveliness in bondage languish, seeing love is free?