To Javed: Iqbal’s poem for his son, written in London

Allama Muhammad Iqbal · Bal-e-Jibril

Background

Iqbal was in London for the Second Round Table Conference in late 1931. According to Rekhta, during this time his young son, Javed Iqbal, wrote him his first letter from Lahore and asked him to bring a gramophone. Iqbal could not bring a gramophone, but he brought back this poem. In it he gives a message of selfhood (khudi) to his son and, through him, to every young person. The poem is included in “Bal-e-Jibril” (1935)¹².

The poem

دیار عشق میں اپنا مقام پیدا کرنیا زمانہ نئے صبح و شام پیدا کر

خدا اگر دل فطرت شناس دے تجھ کوسکوت لالہ و گل سے کلام پیدا کر

اٹھا نہ شیشہ گران فرنگ کے احساںسفال ہند سے مینا و جام پیدا کر

میں شاخ تاک ہوں میری غزل ہے میرا ثمرمرے ثمر سے مے لالہ فام پیدا کر

مرا طریق امیری نہیں فقیری ہےخودی نہ بیچ غریبی میں نام پیدا کر

Difficult words

• Diyar-e-ishq: the realm of love
• Maqam paida kar: make your own rank and standing
• Fitrat shinas: one who knows nature
• Sukoot-e-lala o gul: the silence of flowers
• Shisha garan-e-Farang: the glassmakers of Europe, that is, Western civilisation
• Safal-e-Hind: the clay of India
• Meena o jam: the flask and the cup
• Shakh-e-taak: the grapevine
• Samar: fruit
• Mai-e-lala fam: tulip-coloured (red) wine, that is, passion
• Tariq: way, path
• Ameeri: wealth
• Faqeeri: dervishhood, self-sufficiency