:salam2:
One of the many things for which I am thankful to Dr. Israr Ahmad is, that he inspired the passion for poetry of Iqbal in me. One his demise, more than ever I am remembering this poem if Iqbal on Masjid-e-Qartaba. Parts of the poem are befitting to the situation.
سلسلہ روز و شب ، نقش گر حادثات
سلسلہ روز و شب ، اصل حيات و ممات
سلسلہ روز و شب ، تار حرير دو رنگ
جس سے بناتي ہے ذات اپني قبائے صفات
سلسلہ روز و شب ، ساز ازل کي فغاں
جس سے دکھاتي ہے ذات زيروبم ممکنات
تجھ کو پرکھتا ہے يہ ، مجھ کو پرکھتا ہے يہ
سلسلہ روز و شب ، صيرفي کائنات
تو ہو اگر کم عيار ، ميں ہوں اگر کم عيار
موت ہے تيري برات ، موت ہے ميري برات
تيرے شب وروز کي اور حقيقت ہے کيا
ايک زمانے کي رو جس ميں نہ دن ہے نہ رات
آني و فاني تمام معجزہ ہائے ہنر
کار جہاں بے ثبات ، کار جہاں بے ثبات!
اول و آخر فنا ، باطن و ظاہر فنا
نقش کہن ہو کہ نو ، منزل آخر فنا
ہے مگر اس نقش ميں رنگ ثبات دوام
جس کو کيا ہو کسي مرد خدا نے تمام
مرد خدا کا عمل عشق سے صاحب فروغ
عشق ہے اصل حيات ، موت ہے اس پر حرام
تند و سبک سير ہے گرچہ زمانے کي رو
عشق خود اک سيل ہے ، سيل کو ليتاہے تھام
عشق کي تقويم ميں عصررواں کے سوا
اور زمانے بھي ہيں جن کا نہيں کوئي نام
عشق دم جبرئيل ، عشق دل مصطفي
عشق خدا کا رسول ، عشق خدا کا کلام
عشق کي مستي سے ہے پيکر گل تابناک
عشق ہے صہبائے خام ، عشق ہے کاس الکرام
عشق فقيہ حرم ، عشق امير جنود
عشق ہے ابن السبيل ، اس کے ہزاروں مقام
عشق کے مضراب سے نغمہ تار حيات
عشق سے نور حيات ، عشق سے نار حيات
اے حرم قرطبہ! عشق سے تيرا وجود
عشق سراپا دوام ، جس ميں نہيں رفت و بود
رنگ ہو يا خشت و سنگ ، چنگ ہو يا حرف و صوت
معجزہ فن کي ہے خون جگر سے نمود
Translation:
Days' and nights' succession unfolds the scroll of events.
Days' and nights' succession is the essence of life and death
Days' and nights' succession is the twin-colours silks
With which the Almighty weaves the raiment of His attributes.
Days' and nights' succession is the sound of eternal music—
The celestial modulations denoting an infinite range.
It weighs the excellence of all thy deeds and mine;
Days' and nights' succession is the touchstone of our deeds.
Our days are an illusion, our nights are a dream—
A current of time in which there is neither day nor night.
Wonders in the world of art are all devoured by time;
Mortal is man's world! Mortal is man's craft!
Destroyed is the first and last! Destroyed is the known, the unknown!
Destroyed at last is every work of antique form or new!
But immune from the shafts of time is the work of human hand,
When it has been conceived by impassioned men of God.
Love illumines every act of the men divinely inspired:
Love is the essence of life-, love dies not, but death.
Though the tide of' time rises With mountain waves,
Love itself' is a torrent, and resists all heaving storms.
In the almanac of love, besides the time that passes,
Are myriad other ages, untold and unnamed.
Love is Gabriel's breath; love is the Prophet's spirit;
Love is the apostle of God; love is the Word of God.
It is the passion of love that brightens the rose's colour;
Love is the purest wine; love is the drink of saints.
Love is the law for the holy; love is the guide for the layman;
Love is the heart's pilgrim, that visits in a thousand ways.
Love is the lyre that strikes the vibrant chord of life;
Love is the light of life; love is the flame of life.
O Holy Qartaba! Thou wast conceived in love—
Love that ever defies the laws of change and death.
Be it canvas, stone or bronze, harp or song or the Muse,
It is life-blood that nourishes marvels in the world of art.
It is life-blood that melts unmolten hearts of' flint;
It is life-blood that turns the voice into ecstasy.
Thine is the beauty of light, mine is the song of fire.
Thy beauty exalts the heart; my song inspires the soul.
Man's heart can reach the heights of the great empyrean,
Though his handful of dust cannot aspire beyond the skies.
What if the angels bright bow in eternal prayer?
They bow not with man's passion, they bow not with his yearning
Though born of heathen stock, I have a fiery faith,
With prayer and durood in my heart, prayer and durood on my lips.