This poem was translated by Professor Carlo Coppola as part of the MULOSIGE Translations project. You can explore our collection of Urdu Poetry here.
Iqbāl kī raḥlat par / On the Death of Iqbal
The traveller of longing who disdained the destination,
The restless wave which was ashamed of the shore,
Whose glance made both captive
And put that life-giving lightning in bondage—
Earth’s flame went to sleep in the lap of highest heaven;
People’s brilliant gem was lost in darkness.
.
From: Bisāt̤-i raqṣ (Dance Carpet). Ḥaidarābād, Inḍiyā: Istiqbāliyah kameṭī jashn-i Mak̲h̲dūm, 1966. p. 62
The traveller of longing who disdained the destination,
The restless wave which was ashamed of the shore,
Whose glance made both captive
And put that life-giving lightning in bondage—
Earth’s flame went to sleep in the lap of highest heaven;
People’s brilliant gem was lost in darkness.
.
From: Bisāt̤-i raqṣ (Dance Carpet). Ḥaidarābād, Inḍiyā: Istiqbāliyah kameṭī jashn-i Mak̲h̲dūm, 1966. p. 62
Iqbal died on 21 April 1938 in Lahore.
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