Poems by Allama Iqbal

[imran1976]

Communism and Imperialism

The soul of both of them is impatient and restless,

Both of them know not God, and deceive mankind.

One lives by production, the other by taxation,

And man is a glass caught between two stones.

The one puts to rout science, religion, art,

The other robs the body of soul, the hand of bread.

I have perceived both drowned in water and clay,

Both bodily burnished, but utterly dark of heart.

Life means a passionate burning, an urge to make,

To cast in the dead clay the seed of heart.

[imran1976]

O Muslim women;
Out of the evening create a new dazzling morn.

To the true lovers of God,
Recite the Holy Qur'an

And enthusiastically translate
Its spirit into action

Don't you know that such recitation
Changed altogether Umar's fate?

[imran1976]

(A Declaration of War Against the Present Age)

Like the wind of morn imbibe the wish to blow,
For temper free is ever moving to and fro.
A thousand founts shall spring on path that you have trod,
Go deep in Self and cleave the sea with Mose's Rod.

[imran1976]

It is the verdict of the Shaikh
That pen is stronger than the sword
"The sword has lost its might and force,
Tile pen has gained a firmer hold."

But does not the august Shaikh
Take cognizance of this bitter fact
That this lecturing in the mosque
Can never make the least effect?

In hands of Muslims of the world,
Where can the gun and sword be seen?
If equipped with such deadly arms,
To suffer death they won't be keen.

At sight of heathen's natural death,
If one with fear and fright is filled
No one directs a man like that
To get in Holy War be killed.

A man, whose bloody claws for world
With risk and danger much are fraught,
Must avoid the Holy Wars,
To give up wars he must be taught.

The West is bent to mount a guard
On false, untrue pretentious show
It is armed with weapons dread,
Is clad in mail from top to toe.

We like to Ask the holy Shaikh,
Who holds the shrine in high esteem,
If war for West is heinous crime,
How far in East can harmless seem?

A man concerned with truth alone
Can never this much proper deem
That East for sins must reckoning face,
But crimes by West may lighter seem.

[imran1976]

THE MULLAH AND PARADISE

When in a vision I saw
A mullah ordered to paradise,
Unable to hold my tongue,
I said something in this wise:

‘Pardon me, O Lord,
For these bold words of mine,
But he will not be pleased
With the houris and the wine.

He loves to dispute and fight,
And furiously wrangle,
But paradise is no place
For this kind of jangle.

His task is to disunite
And leave people in the lurch,
But paradise has no temple,
No mosque and no church.’

[imran1976]

ISLAM

The fire and light of Ego both
The soul of Muslims together bind,
The fire of Self is light for life,
God's existence brings before the mind.

It fortifies the things of life,
It is the cause of all display
Though Nature always hides this soul
From eyes of mankind far away.

If Muslim Faith offends the West,
Let West in its own anger burn:
This Faith is known by other name,
To 'Jealous Faqr' now we must turn.

[imran1976]

THE FRANKISH MAN

To solve this riddle thinkers have much tried,
Their efforts all so far it has defied.
No doubt, to woman's faith and conduct clear,
The Pleiades and moon do witness bear.
This vice in Frankish way of life we find,
Men fools and blind, can't read a woman's mind.