The Muslim ( Iqbal's Muslim )

                                                  The Muslim
                                            (Penned in June 1912)

                                               

                                                       Stanza I

                              

                             Iqbal! Thy every hiss is dipped in sigh,

                             Thy burning chest is replete with cry,

                             Thy heart’s duckharp can’t play song of hope,

                             We understand that this blessing is not in thy fate,

                              Thy ears are used to hearing songs of the past,

                              And thy heart is unmindful to present day tumult,

                              Stories of Muslims don’t entertain thy companions,

                              People of the world don’t listen to thy old message,

                               O the warning bell of the sleeping caravan! Be silent,

                               Thy story is too much grief-provoking! Be silent,

                               People of the past can’t come back to life,

                               Today’s lamp can’t enlighten yesterday’s night,

                                                            Stanza II

                               Companion! I am Muslim, I am bearer of tawheed,

                               Since first day I am trustworthy witness to this truth,

                               In the pulse of universe it generates heat,

                               And in the imagination of Muslim generates courage,

                               Allah has created universe for manifestation of tawheed,

                               And He created me for safeguarding  tawheed,

                               The plunder in the world was due to forsaking tawheed, *

                               Truth is this that it happened when Muslims could pay heed, **

                                My existence is garment for the world’s obscenity,

                                My getting wiped out is humiliation for humanity,

                                Muslim is the bright star of the fate of the world,

                                Whose brightness makes the charm of  dawn feel ashamed,

                                Secrets of life are visible to my eyes,

                                Nobody can call me a failure at battle of life.

                                

                               Transitory scene of sorrow can never discourage me,

                               I have faith that my ummah can never die,

                                            

                               My faith takes no effect of despair,

                               Fervour of action acquaints me of divine favour,

 

                               Yes, true! I keep an eye on the past,

                                I keep telling my ummah story of the past,

                                Recalling the past events is elixir to my nature,

                                My past foretells the news of welcome of my future,

                                I keep before me that delightful times,

                                I view future in the mirror of past times.

         * tawheed means belief in Oneness of God,
              Fall of provinces of Granada and Cordeba,

** Muslim strongholds of Cairo and Constantinople,

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