Difficult Query related to Iqbal
Ravinder P Singh
Many years back, I overheard someone explaining the meaning of a sher by
Iqbal to someone else. I don't remember anything about the sher (which is
definitely a gem) but clearly remember the translation in English which is
"The more imperfect you are, the more loveable you are in the eyes of the
Creator".
Hope someone can point out the exact sher/ghazal.
Ravinder
Ali Minai
Glad to oblige. Here is as much of the ghazal as I can remember:
kabhi aE haqIqat-e muntazar nazar A libAs-e majAz mEN,
ke hazAroN sajde taRap rahE heN merI jabIn-e niAz mEN.
[Sometime, O long-awaited Truth, appear in temporal form,
for a thousand prostrations burn unfulfilled on my brow.]
na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
[Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
which is dearer to its Maker after it breaks.]
na kahIN jahAN meN amAN milI, jo amAN milI to kahAN milI!
mire jurm-e KHAna-KHarAb kO tire 'afv-e banda-navAz mEN.
[My destructive sin found no refuge in the World, and when it did,
it was in the bosom of Your Mercy.]
na vo 'iSHq mEN rahiN garmiyAN, na vo husn mEN rahiN SHOKHiyAN,
na vo GHaznavI meN taRap rahI, na vo KHam hae zulf-e ayAz mEN.
[Love has no more its passion, nor Beauty its charm,
Ghaznavi's yearning is gone, and so is the wave from Ayaz' tresses.]
jo meN sar-ba-sajda huA kabhI to zamIN se Ane lagI sadA:
``tera dil to haE sanam-ASHnA, tujhe kyA milE ga namAz mEN!''
[Whenever I prostrasted myself in prayer, a voice spoke from the earth:
``Your heart belongs to idols, what shall prayer avail you!'']o
There is more than one version of the first line of the last she'r, but
this is what I recall.
Ali Minai
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GHurUr-e zuhd ne sikhlA diyA hae VAiz kO
ke bandigAn-e KHudA par zabAN darAz karE. Iqbal
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
Padmanabhan Srinagesh
>
> na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
> ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
>
> [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
> which is dearer to its Maker after it breaks.]
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> GHurUr-e zuhd ne sikhlA diyA hae VAiz kO
> ke bandigAn-e KHudA par zabAN darAz karE. Iqbal
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> Ali Minai
Ali Minai Sahib:
Thanks for this very interesting post. I'm curious as to the meaning of
this sher. I am aware in general terms of the "clear mirror" analogy
attributed to ibn Arabi. (In one interpretation, God was a hiddden
treasure desiring to be known, and he created man as a mirror wherein he
could perceive his perfection.) Iqbal probably had some other analogy
in mind, one that I have not come across in my reading. What precisely
was it?
Nagesh
Ali Minai
Padmanabhan Srinagesh <nr...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>Ali Minai wrote:
>>
>
>> na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
>> ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
>>
>> [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
>> which is dearer to its Maker after it breaks.]
>>
>> Ali Minai
>
>Ali Minai Sahib:
>
>Thanks for this very interesting post. I'm curious as to the meaning of
>this sher. I am aware in general terms of the "clear mirror" analogy
>attributed to ibn Arabi. (In one interpretation, God was a hiddden
>treasure desiring to be known, and he created man as a mirror wherein he
>could perceive his perfection.) Iqbal probably had some other analogy
>in mind, one that I have not come across in my reading. What precisely
>was it?
I am not sure I know enough about mysticism to discuss any deeper
meanings of the verse. However, the idea expressed here, IMO, is one
that is pervasive in classical Persian and Urdu poetry --- that
unrequited love, a broken heart, a sorrow beyond assuaging, an ache
without a cure, a wound that will not heal, is a great prize or honor,
and a token of God's special grace. Many have addressed this idea in
their poetry, but one of the best and most subtle examples is from
Fani:
mErI havas ko 'aESH-e do-Alam bhi thA qubUl.
tErA kaam ke tU ne diyA dil dukhA huA.
There is a certain degree of irony here, but there is also the idea
that a suffering is nobler than pleasure. This is, of course, the central
theme of asceticism in all traditions, but in classical Farsi/Urdu
ghazal, the suffering derives less from a renunciation of the world than
from accepting the Beloved's tyranny without complaint. As you well know,
the traditional Beloved is usually a hard-hearted person, and the traditional
Lover a stoic soul. A line from Hafez comes to mind:
lAf-e eSHq-O gile az yAr! zehI lAf-e KHelAf!
eSHqbAzAn-e CHunin mustahaq-E hijrAnand.
[Protestations of love, and complaints against the Beloved!
What an idle boast!
Lovers who behave thus deserve separation (from the Beloved)]
I am sure you can think of many examples of poets welcoming --- even
celebrating --- heartache brought on by love.
In the case of Iqbal, things are a little different, in that he,
IMO, appropriated the classical imagery, but used it to his own ends
(much as Faiz did later). His theme --- which is pervasive in his work
--- was that a passionate heart is far better than a cool head. Over
and over, he returns to the theme of `soz-e dil', `soz-e junUN',
and other kinds of `passion', `desir', or `restlessness'. His big
message is that to live is to strive and to attain one's goal --- or to
rest on the way --- is to die. Some examples I can think of right now:
kANTA vo dE ke jis ki khaTak lA-zavAl hO.
yArab! vo dard jis ki kasak lA-zavAl hO.
or in the Saqi Nama
taRapnE phaRaknE ki taOfIq dE!
dil-E murtazA, sOz-e siddIq dE!
jigar sE vuhI tIr phir pAr kar!
tamannA ko sInON meN bEdAr kar!
tirE AsmAnON ke tArON ki KHaEr!
zamInON ke SHab-zinda-dArON ki KHaER!
javAnON ko sOz-E jigar baKHSH dE!
mirA iSHq, mErI nazar baKHSH dE!
or
matA'-E bE-bahA haE dard-o sOz-O ArzU-mandI:
maqAm-e bandigI dE kar na lUN SHAn-E KHudAvandI.
or
KHudA tujhE kisi tUfAN se ASHnA kar dE!
ke tEre behr ki maOjON meN iztirAb nahIN.
or
tU eh-navard-e SHaOq hae, manzil na kar qubUl!
laElA bhi ham-naSHIN ho to mehmil na kar qubUL!
aE jU-e Ab, baRh ke ho daryA-e tund-o tEz!
sAhil tujhE 'atA ho to sAhil na kar qubUl!
or
KHarId sakte haeN dunyA meN 'iSHrat-E parvEz.
KHudA ki dEn hae sarmAya-e GHam-E farhAd.
or
garmi-e ArzU firAq! SHOriSH-e hAi-o hU firAq!
maOj ki justujU firAq! qatre ki AbrU firAq!
or
ze-SHarar sitAre jUyam, ze-sitAre AftAbI:
sar-e manzelI na-dAram ke be-mIram az qarArI.
[After the spark, I seek a star, and after that a sun:
I have no final goal, where I would rest and (therefore) die]
dil-e ASHiqan be-mIrad be-behiSHt-e jAvidAnI:
na navAi-e dardmandI, na GHamI, na GHamgusArI.
[The hearts of true lovers would die in an eternal paradise
with no cries of suffering, no sorrow, and no one to share it.]
Anyway, the point is that Iqbal saw striving, separation, heartache,
suffering, sorrow, and lack of fulfillment as the essence of life ---
though his view of these things was *very* different from that of
traditional poets. He saw yearning as a dynamic force, not as something
to be cultivated with patience. He was not a stoic.
Returning to the she'r under discussion, I read it simply as an
(early) expression of this idea: A broken heart is much more precious
(in the eyes of God, who is the ultimate evaluator of worth) than a
heart that has known no suffering and has, therefore, never loved
passionately.
I am sure that other meanings can be read into the she'r too, and perhaps
those who know more about those will advance this discussion.
Ali Minai
------------------------------------------------------------------------
rahE na aEbak-o GHaOrI ke ma'rikE bAqI;
hamESHa tAza-o SHIrIN hae naGHma-E KHusraO. Iqbal
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
Padmanabhan Srinagesh
>
> In article <371A0B...@pacbell.net>,
> Padmanabhan Srinagesh <nr...@pacbell.net> wrote:
> >Ali Minai wrote:
> >>
> >
> >> na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
> >> ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
> >>
> >> [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
> >> which is dearer to its Maker after it breaks.]
> >>
> >> --
> >> Ali Minai
> >
> >Ali Minai Sahib:
> >
> >Thanks for this very interesting post. I'm curious as to the meaning of
> >this sher. I am aware in general terms of the "clear mirror" analogy
> >attributed to ibn Arabi. (In one interpretation, God was a hiddden
> >treasure desiring to be known, and he created man as a mirror wherein he
> >could perceive his perfection.) Iqbal probably had some other analogy
> >in mind, one that I have not come across in my reading. What precisely
> >was it?
>
>
> I am sure that other meanings can be read into the she'r too, and perhaps
> those who know more about those will advance this discussion.
>
> Ali Minai
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> rahE na aEbak-o GHaOrI ke ma'rikE bAqI;
> hamESHa tAza-o SHIrIN hae naGHma-E KHusraO. Iqbal
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> --
> Ali Minai
Thanks for the detailed response. IT was most informative, and the
examples you give are of great help to those of us who have limited
libraries (and limited ability).
I agree that the value of sorrow is a fundamental theme in Urdu poetry,
and may well be its hallmark. I still wonder whether there may not be
something else that is special about this example of Iqbal's. For
example, a broken mirror continues to reflect the object, but each shard
sends a complete image in multiple directions, magnifying the object's
presence beyond the ability of the whole mirror to do so, and more fully
satisfying the desire of the unknown treasure to be known. Holograms
have the same property.
Nagesh
Nagesh
il_...@yahoo.com
> jo meN sar-ba-sajda huA kabhI to zamIN se Ane lagI sadA:
> ``tera dil to haE sanam-ASHnA, tujhe kyA milE ga namAz mEN!''
>
> [Whenever I prostrasted myself in prayer, a voice spoke from the earth:
> ``Your heart belongs to idols, what shall prayer avail you!'']o
>
> There is more than one version of the first line of the last she'r, but
> this is what I recall.
According to the original (first) edition, the first misra
is just what has been inscribed above. In other "versions",
the word "kabhi" occurs at the beginning :
Kabhi main jo sar-ba-sajda huwa, to zameeN se aane lagi sada
I think the reason for the transposition of the word "kabhi"
was that the two parts of the misra rhymed better in this
version (i.e. "huwa" and "sada" and also with "aashna" in
the second misra).
Afzal
>
> Ali Minai
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
rajkp...@my-dejanews.com
In article <7fgluj$fni$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
il_...@yahoo.com wrote:
> In article <7fbvbg$71g$1...@news.ececs.uc.edu>,
>
> > jo meN sar-ba-sajda huA kabhI to zamIN se Ane lagI sadA:
> > ``tera dil to haE sanam-ASHnA, tujhe kyA milE ga namAz mEN!''
> >
> > [Whenever I prostrasted myself in prayer, a voice spoke from the earth:
> > ``Your heart belongs to idols, what shall prayer avail you!'']o
> >
> > There is more than one version of the first line of the last she'r, but
> > this is what I recall.
>
> According to the original (first) edition, the first misra
> is just what has been inscribed above. In other "versions",
> the word "kabhi" occurs at the beginning :
>
> Kabhi main jo sar-ba-sajda huwa, to zameeN se aane lagi sada
>
> I think the reason for the transposition of the word "kabhi"
> was that the two parts of the misra rhymed better in this
> version (i.e. "huwa" and "sada" and also with "aashna" in
> the second misra).
>
> Afzal
---------------
is mein koi shak naheen ke alfaaz 'kabhi' aur 'hua' ke maqaamaat jo Afzal
Sahib ki version mein hain, unhon ne is is misre' ke husn-e-taghazzul ko
do-baala kar diya hai. magar jumla alfaaz ki tarteeb kuchh aisi hai ke misra'
'khaarij-az-baihr' ho gaya hai. jo version mujhe yaad hai, us ke mutaabiq
misra' yoon hai:
kabhi sar-ba-sajda jo main hua, ---------------------------
is tarteeb mein husn-e-taghazzul bhi hai aur baihr ki sehat bhi!
khair-andesh, Raj Kumar
ahm...@noka.ub.bw
nr...@pacbell.net wrote:
> Ali Minai wrote:
> >
> > na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
> > ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
> >
> > [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
> > which is dearer to its Maker after it breaks.]
> >
> > --
> > Ali Minai
>
> Ali Minai Sahib:
>
> Thanks for this very interesting post. I'm curious as to the meaning of
> this sher. I am aware in general terms of the "clear mirror" analogy
> attributed to ibn Arabi. (In one interpretation, God was a hiddden
> treasure desiring to be known, and he created man as a mirror wherein he
> could perceive his perfection.) Iqbal probably had some other analogy
> in mind, one that I have not come across in my reading. What precisely
> was it?
>
In this she'r, there is an allusion to the sufi doctrine of "fanaa fillah,
baqaa lillah" [Man's annhilation (resulting in merger) into the Supreme
Being, who alone survives.] Aa'ina-e-shikasta can be interpreted as that
negation of self, which is the highest state sufis aim for, and which takes
them to the 'Ana-al-Haq' stage.
Jamil
Steve Almas
il_...@yahoo.com wrote:
> In article <7fbvbg$71g$1...@news.ececs.uc.edu>,
>
> > jo meN sar-ba-sajda huA kabhI to zamIN se Ane lagI sadA:
> > ``tera dil to haE sanam-ASHnA, tujhe kyA milE ga namAz mEN!''
> >
> > [Whenever I prostrasted myself in prayer, a voice spoke from the earth:
> > ``Your heart belongs to idols, what shall prayer avail you!'']o
> >
> > There is more than one version of the first line of the last she'r, but
> > this is what I recall.
>
> According to the original (first) edition, the first misra
> is just what has been inscribed above. In other "versions",
> the word "kabhi" occurs at the beginning :
>
> Kabhi main jo sar-ba-sajda huwa, to zameeN se aane lagi sada
>
> I think the reason for the transposition of the word "kabhi"
> was that the two parts of the misra rhymed better in this
> version (i.e. "huwa" and "sada" and also with "aashna" in
> the second misra).
>
> Afzal
>
> >
> > Ali Minai
>
> -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
> http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Afzal Sahib
As I can recall your version of the shehr looks right, but only with minor
change.
Kabhi main jo sar-ba- sajood huwa, to zamiN say aanay lagi sada
Steve Almas
ahm...@noka.ub.bw
Steve Almas <az...@escape.ca> wrote:
> il_...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> > In article <7fbvbg$71g$1...@news.ececs.uc.edu>,
> >
> > > jo meN sar-ba-sajda huA kabhI to zamIN se Ane lagI sadA:
> > > ``tera dil to haE sanam-ASHnA, tujhe kyA milE ga namAz mEN!''
> > >
> > > [Whenever I prostrasted myself in prayer, a voice spoke from the earth:
> > > ``Your heart belongs to idols, what shall prayer avail you!'']o
> > >
> > > There is more than one version of the first line of the last she'r, but
> > > this is what I recall.
...
> > > Ali Minai
...
> >
> > According to the original (first) edition, the first misra
> > is just what has been inscribed above. In other "versions",
> > the word "kabhi" occurs at the beginning :
> >
> > Kabhi main jo sar-ba-sajda huwa, to zameeN se aane lagi sada
> >
> > I think the reason for the transposition of the word "kabhi"
> > was that the two parts of the misra rhymed better in this
> > version (i.e. "huwa" and "sada" and also with "aashna" in
> > the second misra).
> >
> > Afzal
> >
...
> Afzal Sahib
> As I can recall your version of the shehr looks right, but only with minor
> change.
>
> Kabhi main jo sar-ba- sajood huwa, to zamiN say aanay lagi sada
>
> Steve Almas
>
According to the 1989 edition of 'Kulliyaat-e-Iqbal' published under the
supervision of Javed Iqbal and proof-read and corrected by Maulana Ghulam
Rasul Mehr after comparison with the earlier editions published in Iqbal's
lifetime, the she'r is indeed as quoted above by Ali Minai Sahib.
The ghazal has two other ash'aar in addition to the ones quoted in the earlier
posts of Minai Sahib. They are:
Tarab aashnaa-e-kharosh ho, tu nawaa hai mehram-e-gosh ho
Wuh surood kiaa keh chhupaa huaa ho sukoot-e-pardah-e-saaz men
Dam-e-tof kirmak-e-shama' ne yeh kahaa keh wuh asr-e-kuhan
Na teri hikaayat-e-soz men, na meri hadees-e-gudaaz men.
Jamil
il_...@yahoo.com
> > I think the reason for the transposition of the word "kabhi"
> > was that the two parts of the misra rhymed better in this
> > version (i.e. "huwa" and "sada" and also with "aashna" in
> > the second misra).
> >
> > Afzal
> Afzal Sahib
> As I can recall your version of the shehr looks right, but only with minor
> change.
>
> Kabhi main jo sar-ba- sajood huwa, to zamiN say aanay lagi sada
>
> Steve Almas
Almas Sahib
Respectfully, I submit that I have never come across this
version of the misra. Other esteemed colleagues can
enlighten us whether any publication has "sar-ba-sujood"
in this misra.
Afzal
il_...@yahoo.com
nr...@pacbell.net wrote:
> Ali Minai wrote:
> >
>
> > na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
> > ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
> >
> > [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
> > which is dearer to its Maker after it breaks.]
> >
>
> >
> > GHurUr-e zuhd ne sikhlA diyA hae VAiz kO
> > ke bandigAn-e KHudA par zabAN darAz karE. Iqbal
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Ali Minai
>
> Ali Minai Sahib:
>
> Thanks for this very interesting post. I'm curious as to the meaning of
> this sher. I am aware in general terms of the "clear mirror" analogy
> attributed to ibn Arabi. (In one interpretation, God was a hiddden
> treasure desiring to be known, and he created man as a mirror wherein he
> could perceive his perfection.) Iqbal probably had some other analogy
> in mind, one that I have not come across in my reading. What precisely
> was it?
>
> Nagesh
>
I have read Minai Sahib's detailed response to your query.
Iqbal was a passionate believer in Islamic themes. God creating
Man in His Own image is not, I think, an Islamic theme. The
Holy Quraan says --- "Laqad Khalaqn-al insaan-a fi aHsan-e-taqweem".
(And We created Man in the best possible form). I am most
doubtful whether Iqbal was thinking along the lines of the
"clear mirror" analogy referred to above.
At the best of times, Iqbal is very difficult to under-
stand. The difficulty is compounded by his special interpre-
tation of Islamic principles. As far as this sher is concerned,
I like to think of it as Iqbal's foray into the field of
"ishq-e-majaazi" or worldly love, which is characterised by
sufferings, sorrows and broken hearts. The heart is compared
to an "aaina" not because it can absorb (and reflect) an image,
but because of its fragility, its propensity to break when
the beloved does not respond to its devotion. In a manner of
speaking, Iqbal is exhorting the lover not to hold himself
back for fear of rejection and the consequent heartbreak.
Those who love --- and succeed --- are no doubt dear to God,
but He loves even more ("azeez-tar") those who love but get
heartbroken in the process. Iqbal seems to be echoing
Shakespeare that it is better to have loved and lost than
never to have loved at all. But, typically, Iqbal has
infused a divine element in this theme.
il_...@yahoo.com
^^^^
karam
Minai Sahib,
Thank you for reminding me of this Faani sher. He is
one of my favourite poets. Some other shers from this
Ghazal :
Ai jazb-e-beKhudi tere qurbaan jaaiye
Phirta hai dil men koi mujhe dhhondta huwa
ToofaaN hi ek kya mujhe toofaaN se kam nahiN
Langar huwa, safeena huwa, naKhuda huwa
Faani, tilism-e-raaz-e-haqeeqat yeh hai ke hai
Tujh par teri nigaah ka parda paRa huwa
> I am sure that other meanings can be read into the she'r too, and perhaps
> those who know more about those will advance this discussion.
I have offered my understanding of this sher in a
separate post in response to Nagesh Sahib's query.
Afzal
>
> Ali Minai
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> rahE na aEbak-o GHaOrI ke ma'rikE bAqI;
> hamESHa tAza-o SHIrIN hae naGHma-E KHusraO. Iqbal
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> --
> Ali Minai
>
Iqbal also says :
Aa tujh ko bataooN main taqdeer-e-umam kya hai
Shamsheer-o- sinaaN awwal, taoos-o-rabaab aaKhir !
Padmanabhan Srinagesh
> > Ali Minai wrote:
> > >
> > > na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
> > > ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
> > >
> > > [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
> > > which is dearer to its Maker after it breaks.]
> > >
> > > --
> > > Ali Minai
> >
> > Ali Minai Sahib:
> >
> > Thanks for this very interesting post. I'm curious as to the meaning of
> > this sher. I am aware in general terms of the "clear mirror" analogy
> > attributed to ibn Arabi. (In one interpretation, God was a hiddden
> > treasure desiring to be known, and he created man as a mirror wherein he
> > could perceive his perfection.) Iqbal probably had some other analogy
> > in mind, one that I have not come across in my reading. What precisely
> > was it?
> >
>
> In this she'r, there is an allusion to the sufi doctrine of "fanaa fillah,
> baqaa lillah" [Man's annhilation (resulting in merger) into the Supreme
> Being, who alone survives.] Aa'ina-e-shikasta can be interpreted as that
> negation of self, which is the highest state sufis aim for, and which takes
> them to the 'Ana-al-Haq' stage.
>
> Jamil
> >
>
> http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Shallott", in which the act of falling in love results in a mirror
breaking.
"The mirror crack'd from side to side.
The curse has come upon me cried
The Lady of Shallott"
It's been years since I read the poem. As I recall, the Lady was undone
when she saw Lancelot riding by her castle, and fell in love.
Nagesh
Ali Minai
>In article <371C336E...@escape.ca>,
> Steve Almas <az...@escape.ca> wrote:
>>
>>
>> il_...@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>> > I think the reason for the transposition of the word "kabhi"
>> > was that the two parts of the misra rhymed better in this
>> > version (i.e. "huwa" and "sada" and also with "aashna" in
>> > the second misra).
>> >
>> > Afzal
>
>> Afzal Sahib
>> As I can recall your version of the shehr looks right, but only with minor
>> change.
>>
>> Kabhi main jo sar-ba- sajood huwa, to zamiN say aanay lagi sada
>>
>> Steve Almas
>
>
> Almas Sahib
>
> Respectfully, I submit that I have never come across this
> version of the misra. Other esteemed colleagues can
> enlighten us whether any publication has "sar-ba-sujood"
> in this misra.
>
> Afzal
The only versions I have seen are:
meN jo sar-ba-sajda huA kabhI....
and
jo meN sar-ba-sajda huA kabhI....
The version posted by Rajkumar Sahib is also in meter. The other variants
suggested are all metrically incorrect.
Ali Minai
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
jahAn-e tAza ki afkAr-e tAza sE hae numUd,
ke sang-o KHiSHt se hOtE nahIN jahAN paEdA. Iqbal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
rajkp...@my-dejanews.com
> In article <371A0B...@pacbell.net>,
> Padmanabhan Srinagesh <nr...@pacbell.net> wrote:
> >Ali Minai wrote:
> >>
> >
> >> na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
> >> ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
> >>
> >> [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
> >> -----------------------------------
> Returning to the she'r under discussion, I read it simply as an
> (early) expression of this idea: A broken heart is much more precious
> (in the eyes of God, who is the ultimate evaluator of worth) than a
> heart that has known no suffering and has, therefore, never loved
> passionately.
>
> I am sure that other meanings can be read into the she'r too, and perhaps
> those who know more about those will advance this discussion.
>
> Ali Minai
-----------------
I feel that Ali Minai Sahib's paraphrase correctly captures the spirit of this
she'r. If I were to expound on it, I wouldn't go too far from the basis laid
down in this paraphrase.
I am writing primarily to bring to your attention a beautiful she'r by
Makhmoor Dehlavi that is so similar to the one by Iqbal (though the premises
set by Makhmoor Sahib are pretty different); farmaate hain
gaahak dil-e-shikasta ka hai peer-e-maikada
be-kaar hai woh jaam jo toota hua na ho!
khair-andesh, Raj Kumar
Ali Minai
Ali Minai <ami...@holmes.ececs.uc.edu> wrote:
>
>The version posted by Rajkumar Sahib is also in meter. The other variants
>suggested are all metrically incorrect.
My apologies. That should have been Raj Kumar Sahib.
Ali
--
Ali Minai
Ali Minai
In article <7fi64e$pos$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, <il_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>In article <371A0B...@pacbell.net>,
>> Ali Minai wrote:
>> >
>>
>> > na baCHA baCHA ke tu rakh isE, tira AinA hae vo AinA <-- This is your
>> > ke SHikasta hO to azIz-tar hae nigAh-e Aina-sAz mEN. she'r
>> >
>> > [Try not to keep your mirror from harm, for this is that mirror
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Thanks for this very interesting post. I'm curious as to the meaning of
>> this sher. I am aware in general terms of the "clear mirror" analogy
>> attributed to ibn Arabi. (In one interpretation, God was a hiddden
>> treasure desiring to be known, and he created man as a mirror wherein he
>> could perceive his perfection.) Iqbal probably had some other analogy
>> in mind, one that I have not come across in my reading. What precisely
>> was it?
>>
>> Nagesh
>>
>
> Iqbal was a passionate believer in Islamic themes. God creating
> Man in His Own image is not, I think, an Islamic theme. The
> Holy Quraan says --- "Laqad Khalaqn-al insaan-a fi aHsan-e-taqweem".
> (And We created Man in the best possible form). I am most
> doubtful whether Iqbal was thinking along the lines of the
> "clear mirror" analogy referred to above.
> At the best of times, Iqbal is very difficult to under-
> stand. The difficulty is compounded by his special interpre-
> tation of Islamic principles. As far as this sher is concerned,
> I like to think of it as Iqbal's foray into the field of
> "ishq-e-majaazi" or worldly love, which is characterised by
> sufferings, sorrows and broken hearts. The heart is compared
> to an "aaina" not because it can absorb (and reflect) an image,
> but because of its fragility, its propensity to break when
> the beloved does not respond to its devotion. In a manner of
> speaking, Iqbal is exhorting the lover not to hold himself
> back for fear of rejection and the consequent heartbreak.
> Those who love --- and succeed --- are no doubt dear to God,
> but He loves even more ("azeez-tar") those who love but get
> heartbroken in the process. Iqbal seems to be echoing
> Shakespeare that it is better to have loved and lost than
> never to have loved at all. But, typically, Iqbal has
> infused a divine element in this theme.
I agree largely that Iqbal did not agree with the `hame-Ust' (All is
God) version of Sufism that Ibn 'Arabi promoted. However, some caveats
are required. First, Iqbal, like all great thinkers, went through a
great deal of evolution in his thinking. It is possible to find themes
from standard Ash'ari orthodoxy to esoteric mysticism in his poetry,
depending on the time of writing and even the language he was using
(Farsi or Urdu). In his Farsi ghazals --- in my opinion, his greatest
work --- he presents a much more complex and much less parochial
philosophy than in, say, Zarb-e Kalim or even Bang-e Dara. Even in
a poem like the Javid Nameh, which is, after all, instrinsically
Islam-centered, he is much more Miltonic than we find him in some
of his Urdu poetry. In part, I think this is a reflection of a change
in his philosophy, but in part it is also, I believe, the effect of
the Farsi tradition in which he was writing. When one writes classical
Farsi ghazal, it is impossible not to have Rumi, Sa'di, Hafez, et al.
whispering in your ear and running through your mind. The whole
temprament of that tradition is mystical, and Iqbal could not help
being co-opted. Rumi, of course, he chose as his model (more on
this later), but even Hafez --- whom he critiqued strongly in the
first edition of Asrar-e Khudi --- speaks everywhere in Iqbal's
Farsi ghazals. Indeed, even some of the complexities of Sabk-e Hindi
found their way into his poetry --- something he consciously avoided
in his Urdu ghazals.
This is not the place (and I'm certainly not the person) to discuss
Iqbal's concept of God, but I would like to make the following point.
While Iqbal's philosophy evolved, there was one view of Islam that
he never embraced. This was the anti-intellectual lay orthodoxy
promoted by latter day maulvis --- as opposed to the orthodoxy
espoused by thinking 'ulama, like Al-Ghazali, Ibn Timiyya, Shaikh
Ahmad Sarhindi, and Shah Waliullah. Iqbal's contempt for the mulla
comes through loud and clear throughout his work. And, while a
lot of his Urdu work is decidedly conservative in outlook, his best
thinking in both poetry and prose is quite radical. In this, he is
inspired by Rumi's dynamic world-view and his celebration of the
the human spirit. I think it was Rumi who said
be-zIr-e kangurai-e kibriyASH mardAnand:
feriSHte-said-o payambar-SHikAr-o yazdan-gIr.
(Beneath a corner of God's majestic throne, there are men
who trap angels, hunt prophets, and capture God.)
The same voice speaks in Iqbal:
FAriGH to na baEThE gA mehSHar meN junUN mErA:
yA apna girEbAN CHAk, yA dAman-e yazdAN CHAk!
or
agar hangAma-hA-e SHaOq sE haE lA-makAN KHAlI,
KHatA kis ki hae yArab? lA-makAN tErA hae yA mErA?
or
bAGH-e behiSHt sE mujE hukm-e safar diyA tha kyUN?
kAr-e jahAN darAz haE, ab mira intizAr kar!
rOz-e hisAb jab mirA pESH ho daftar-E 'amal,
Ap bhi SHarmsAr hO, mujh ko bhi SHarmsAr kar.
or
asar karE na karE, sun to lE merI faryAd.
nahIN hae dAd ka tAlib ye banda-E AzAd.
ye muSHt-e KHAk, ye sar-sar, ye vus'at-E aflAk:
karam hae yA ke sitam tEri lazzat-E Ijad?
Theher sakA na havA-E CHaman meN KHEma-e gul.
yehI hae fasl-e bahArI? yehI hae bAd-e murAd?
qusUr-vAr, GHarIb-ud-dayAr hUN, lekin
terA KHarAba fariSHtE na kar sakE AbAd.
merI jafA-talabI kO du'AEN dEtA haE
ye dSHt-e sAda, ye tErA jahAn-e bE-buniyAd.
maqAm-e SHaOq terE qudsiyON ke bas ka nahIN.
unhI ka kAm hae yeh jin ke haoslE haeN ziyAd.
or
tErE bhi sanam-KHAnE, mErE bhi sanam-KHAnE,
dOnON ke sanam KHAkI, dOnON ke sanam fAni.
or
KHudI kO kar buland itnA ke har taqdIr sE pehlE
KHudA bandE se KHud pUCHhE: batA terI razA kyA haE?
or
hAth hae allAh kA banda-e mOmin ka hAth:
GHAlib-o kAr-AfrIN, kAr-kuSHA, kAr-sAz.
There is a dominant theme of pride in humanity that runs through
Iqbal's poetry, and this is very different from the meek, submissive
relationship of Man with God that permeates most orthodox Islamic
practice. Iqbal does not accept hame-Ust, but he often implies that
Man is almost an aspect of God's Will: Look at the last three
ash'ar I quote above.
In other ways too, Iqbal moves away from orthodox ideas. In the Javid
Nameh, it is instructive to note how he places people. The Sanskrit
poet, Bhartri Hari, is found in the highest circle of heaven --- just
below the prophets. Clearly, Hari's non-Muslim beliefs were not enough
to keep him out of heaven. Also, note his treatment of Ghalib, Nietzsche
and Tahereh --- noble spirits too fiercely independent to accept the
mundane pleasures of Paradise. And, finally, his Iblis --- Miltonic in
his pride, and cognizant of his fundamental role in the scheme of things.
The same, BTW, is heard in the Urdu poem Jibril-o Iblis, where Iblis
(Satan) and Jibril (the archangel Gabriel) have a conversation, which
ends with the following triumphant line from Iblis:
maEN khaTaktA hUN dil-E yazdAN meN kANtE kI tarah.
tU? faqat `allAh-hU! allAh-hU! allAh-hU!'
Ali Minai
------------------------------------------------------------------
aE paEkar-e mehbUbI, maEN kis se tujhE PUCHhUN?
jis nE tujhe dEkhA haE voh dIda-e haErAN haE. Asghar
------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Ali Minai
Padmanabhan Srinagesh
your vast knowledge, and appreciate your gracious contributions more
than words can express.
Nagesh
Vijay Kumar
Jo maiN sar-ba-sajdaa kabhi hua, to zameen se aane lagi sada,
This makes the meter as well as the rhyming of first and second part sound
more accureate and appropriate.
With respect,
Vijay Kumar
Ali Minai <ami...@holmes.ececs.uc.edu> wrote in message
news:7fijaj$s5t$1...@news.ececs.uc.edu...
Ali Minai
Vijay Kumar <REMv...@SPAMgolden.net> wrote:
>I remember the first line of the sher as:
>Jo maiN sar-ba-sajdaa kabhi hua, to zameen se aane lagi sada,
>
>This makes the meter as well as the rhyming of first and second part sound
>more accureate and appropriate.
>
This certainly is in meter and rhymes the two parts. However, to my ears
at least, `sar-ba-sajda kabhI huA' sounds slightly off idiomatically. Of
course, this is a purely subjective opinion.
Ali Minai
--
Ali Minai