English Translations - International Iqbal Society - Allama Iqbal

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

BY GRACE OF GOD RISE

Though change so great has swept the world,
There is no need to grieve or smart
The same the earth and same the skies,
By Grace of God rise, play your part.

The same hot blood runs in your veins
That raised the cry "The Self is True"
By Grace of God rise, play your part
And go in quest of ventures new.

Don't mourn or weep for scattered brain,
It is a spell that Franks have cast
This charm with case you can remove,
Act, act, anew and leave the past.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

DEATH

If Self of man perfection gains
Devoid of rest his heart remains
Even in the niche of grave
Presence and Absence he must brave.

The Moon and stars shine like a spark,
For moments few and then the dark
The rapture caused by Ego's wine
Is as eternal as things divine.

If your Ego is ripe and mature,
Your life from Death becomes secure:
Death's angel may earthly frame contact,
But can not harm your soul, in fact.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

DECREES OF GOD

This problem is not hard to solve
O man, endowed with insight great
Wh'r to obey dictates of God,
Or submit to decrees of Fate.

The Wheel of Fate spins hundred times
Within the twinkling of the eye
He, who follows freaks of Fate,
Anon is down and anon is high.

Herbs, vegetables and minerals alike
Adhere to what Fate pre-ordains:
But Muslim true obeys laws of God,
All else abhors and much disdains.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

TO THE AMIRS OF ARABIA

If Amirs of Arabian lands
Don't take it for a slur or slight
This Muslim from the land of Ind.
May speak with vigour great and might.

Who were the people whom at first
God's apostle preached kinship close?
Division amongst them was infused
By men, like Bu Lahab and such foes.

Their existence does not rest at all
On borders long and deserts vast Arabian
. lands subsist because
Of blessings of Arabia's Prophet Last.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

NEGATION AND AFFIRMATION

If seed had not upraised its head
From dark and dismal earthly bed,
In Space, lit by the rays of Sun,
Foliage and fruit would have never won.

To Negation life is bent at start,
At close avowal must be its part.
It is death news if unaware,
And God's existence won't declare.

Though odd and strange the matter sounds,
But who can't cross Negations's bounds
Must rest assured, his death is near,
Naught can save him from blight and sear.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

PREACHING OF ISLAM IN ENGLAND

The cultures that prevail in West
Are quite devoid of Faith or Creed
Amongst the Franks fraternity rests
On ties of lineage, race and breed.

If high caste Brahman ever chose
To adopt Christ's faith and creed
His rank and state the same remain,
To his conversion Franks would'nt heed.

If Franks embraced the Muslim Faith,
Revealed to Mustafa, sundry and all:
There won't be change in Muslim's state
The wretch would still remain a thrall.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

FREEDOM

The right of thinking free, a Muslim owns,
Is gift or God which can't be checked by frowns.
He can transform the Shrine to Magian fane,
Can deck the Shrine with Frankish idols vain.
Can make the Holy Book the sport or boys,
And can with ease devise new Faiths like toys.
In India queer and odd the farce you see,
The Faith is captive, but the Muslims free.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

PUNJABI MUSLIM

A new born Faith invokes his taste,
Adopts with zeal but leaves with haste.
In search for truth lie takes no part,
As disciple stakes both head and heart.
If comments' snare some hunter set,
From nest on bough would drop in net.

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

A MUSLIM

A Muslim true gets grandeur new
with moment's change and every hour
By words and deeds he gives a proof
Of Mighty God, His reach and power.

To rout the foes, to grant them reprieve,
Do pious deeds and show great might
Are four ingredients that make
A Muslim Devout who shuns not fight.

With Gabriel trusted and steadfast
This clay-born man has kinship close
A dwelling in some land or clime
For himself Muslim never chose.

This secret yet none has grasped
That Muslim Scripture reads so sweet
Practising rules by it prescribed,
Becomes its pattern quite complete.

The Faithful acts on aims and ends
That Nature keeps before its sight
In world he sifts the good and bad,
In future shall judge wrong and right.

While dealing with friends and mates,
He is dew that thirst of tulip slakes:
When engaged with his foes in fight,
Like torrent strong makes rivers shake.

The charm of Nature's eternal song
In Muslim's life, no doubt is found
Like chapter Rahman of the Koran,
Is full of sweet melodious sound.

Such thoughts that shine like lustrous stars
My brain, like workshop, can provide
You can select the star you like,
So that your Fate this star may guide

2021-02-19T16:44:00+00:00

SUPERMAN
(THE GUIDE)

A nation's life gets much prolonged
By lofty aims and ideals high
If dwellers here some zeal possess,
They can explore the heights of sky.

The Frankish Sage by guile and skill
New lease of life to nation gave
The path for birth of Superman
By valour great he strove to pave.

To Guide's concept you seem averse,
Too fed up with this thought appear
This view for Muslims has the weight
That for Cathay has musk of deer.

If man alive puts on the shroud,
Must we take that ass for dead
Or tear to pieces small and shreds
His shroud and cast away the threads?