Notes on Iqbal

Warning: This is not a scholarly blog on Iqbal. Rather, this is blog is for those who like me, may have heard of Iqbal but never really understood what all the fuss was about.

Knowledge of Urdu while helpful is not necessary.

My aim is to introduce Iqbal to you much the same way my mom introduced him to me in our kitchen before I started going to school.

She would recite poems from Iqbal while I she made breakfast for the family. She would then translate all the difficult words in easy Urdu. Then recite the poem again, thereby decoding Iqbal for a five year old.

I plan to do much the same, except I will attempt to provide you with English words, which I feel, are close enough to the original Urdu or Persian words. Please note, I am not claiming to translate the words or the verse. That I feel is a task for a linguist scholar, which I am not.

My goal is to convey the broad meaning of what I think Iqbal is saying. Through this blog, I hope to share with you the passion, the thought, and the beauty of Iqbal's poems and verses.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Yeh Ghazi Yeh Teray Pur-asrar Bunday

Yeh Ghazi Yeh Teray Pur-asrar Bunday
Gingay Too nay Bakhsha hai Zooq-e Khudaee

Do Neem Unki Thokar sey Sahra-O-Durya
Simut Kay Pahar unke Haibut se Ra-ee

Doo Alam say Kurti hai Be-ganah Dil Ko
Ajab Cheez hai Yeh Lazat-e-Aashnaee


Allama Iqbal penned this poem commemorate the conquest of Spain by Tariq Bin Ziaad.

Pur-Asrar Bunday : At the time of the fight, the King of Spain was told by his informants that the people who were attacking have simply appeared from nowhere. They have no known nationality or ethnicity.

Do Neem: Broken into two pieces

Lazat-e-Aashnaee: The love of Allah.

A confession

I had heard this poem on the radio I understood the meaning of

Yeh Ghazi Yeh teray Pur-asrar bunday.
But wondered who were these Pur-asrar people.

Secondly I wanted to know who this guy
‘Donee-mun’ was.

Thirdly I had no clue that
Lazat-e-Aashnai had anything to do with Allah.

So go ahead and laugh.

However I do hope there is at least one person in this readership who is clueless like me.

What did you say?

No one.

Okay then, please try to find one among the people you know… Please.
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2 comments:

  1. alviotherAugust 24, 2011 at 3:30 PM

    Assalam o Alliakum

    Doo-neem used to describe power of ghazi
    "Doo-neem inn ki thokar sy sehra wa darya" means nothing can stand in the way of Ghazi.

    just like in the second line says
    "Simut Kay Pahar unke Haibut se Ra-ee"
    Pahar unke samny Ra-ee ke daany

    Lazat-E-Ashnai used to describe knowing your destiny
    "Do Aalam se karti hai begana dil ko
    Ajab cheez hai Lazat-E-Ashnai"

    ReplyDelete
  2. hina moinFebruary 13, 2016 at 6:37 PM

    me too

    ReplyDelete

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