PARESHAN HO KE MERI ḲHAAK-- ALLAMA IQBAL

PARESHAN HO KE MERI ḲHAAK

ALLAMA IQBAL

pareshāñ ho ke merī ḳhaak āḳhir dil na ban jaa.e

jo mushkil ab hai yā rab phir vahī mushkil na ban jaa.e

na kar deñ mujh ko majbūr-e-navā firdaus meñ hūreñ

mirā soz-e-darūñ phir garmi-e-mahfil na ban jaa.e

kabhī chhoḌī huī manzil bhī yaad aatī hai raahī ko

khaTak sī hai jo siine meñ ġham-e-manzil na ban jaa.e

banāyā ishq ne dariyā-e-nā-paidā-karāñ mujh ko

ye merī ḳhud-nigah-dārī mirā sāhil na ban jaa.e

kahīñ is ālam-e-be-rañg-o-bū meñ bhī talab merī

vahī afsāna-e-dumbāla-e-mahmil na ban jaa.e

urūj-e-ādam-e-ḳhākī se anjum sahme jaate haiñ

ki ye TuuTā huā taarā mah-e-kāmil na ban jaa.e

परेशाँ हो के मेरी ख़ाक (dust/nothingness) आख़िर दिल न बन जाए

जो मुश्किल अब है या रब फिर वही मुश्किल न बन जाए//

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न कर दें मुझ को मजबूर-ए-नवाँ(helpless in saying) फ़िरदौस (heaven) में हूरें

मिरा (mine) सोज़-ए-दरूँ (latent inflammation or passion) फिर गर्मी-ए-महफ़िल ( warmth of assembly) न बन जाए

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कभी छोड़ी हुई मंज़िल भी याद आती है राही को

खटक (attention) सी है जो सीने में ग़म-ए-मंज़िल (sorrowful destination) न बन जाए

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बनाया इश्क़ ने दरिया-ए-ना-पैदा- कराँ (river without shore) मुझ को

ये मेरी ख़ुद-निगह-दारी ( self importance) मिरा साहिल (shore) न बन जाए

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कहीं इस आलम-ए-बे-रंग-ओ-बू (meaningless world devoid of color and smell) में भी तलब मेरी

वही अफ़्साना-ए-दुंबाला-ए-महमिल ( continuing story of camel’s journey) न बन जाए

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उरूज-ए-आदम-ए-ख़ाकी (pinnacle attained by dust of Adam) से अंजुम (stars) सहमे (scared) जाते हैं

वही अफ़्साना-ए-दुंबाला-ए-महमिल ( continuing story of camel’s journey) न बन जाए

Please listen to the original recital of the Klaam by Sanam Marvi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1PQLUSuy_s

परेशान कारोबर–ऐ–अश्नायी, परेशान तर रंगीन नवाई// कभी में ढूँढता हूँ लजते-वस्ल, खुश अता है कभी सोज़-ऐ-जुदाई //

Confused is the nature of love for thee. More confused is my song for thy praise. Sometimes I seek bliss of meeting thee, And yet at times, I feel bliss in the pain of your separation.

लजते-वस्ल= Bliss of your presence

सोज़-ऐ-जुदाई= pain of separation

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SUMMARY—THE KLAAM IS ABOUT DEVOTIONAL LOVE AND FEAR OF A MYSTIC

The original sweetness of verses in a different language cannot be translated as per the conceptual compositions especially when the poetry is of emotional and mystical flavour of inner reality with imagery and symbolism of objects of outer world. It is also not possible to fathom the mood of love, fear, unknowingness, uncertainty and ecstasy of poet when he speaks of ascension of thoughts and consciousness to which Iqbal alone is privy.

The readers at best can take a leaf of wisdom from their utterances provided they have some understanding of mile stones of spiritual journey. Herein each verse of Iqbal needs not only superficial translation but deeper introspection of para-normal experiences.

1              परेशाँ हो के मेरी ख़ाक (dust/nothingness) आख़िर दिल न बन जाए

जो मुश्किल अब है या रब फिर वही मुश्किल न बन जाए //

What if the peace of my grave is shattered by my heart's piercing wail!
What if my death transmutes to a Life of another Love & Heartbreak Tale! ( internet)

Here “मेरी ख़ाक” is referred as grave (nothingness) or “शून्य” or “Fnaa” –an exalted state of Reality—to be shattered by compulsions of wayward mind that may inhibit experience of Oneness with the Lord  (Wahdat-वहदत) and denial in the state of Fnaa-Fi-Allah or salvation or Najat (नजात)   

Iqbal mention of “परेशाँ”-- state of confusion is filled with awe when experiencing a feeling of elimination of his ego-self. He is scared that after annihilation of self (“मेरी ख़ाक”) my dust may not transmute back to (“दिल”) heart or mind, with all its tricks, fickleness, weaknesses, attachments for corporeal life—that has kept soul imprisoned in bodily cage, defying realization of the Divinity.

“जो मुश्किल”—the difficulty or impediment of “duality”, that kept the soul in oblivion of its Supreme Soul, may not arise yet again due to antics of mind. “Duality” and “Devil” is the same thing when applied to experience of totality of Reality as both represents state of denial for the seeker.

2              न कर दें मुझ को मजबूर-ए-नवाँ(helpless in saying) फ़िरदौस (heaven) में हूरें

मिरा (mine) सोज़-ए-दरूँ (latent inflammation or passion) फिर गर्मी-ए-महफ़िल ( warmth of assembly) न बन जाए

What if Eden's Angels & Hours provoke me into a swaying poetic trance!
What if my verse of Passion Pure propels them into a mad frenetic dance!  (Internet)

An apparent meaning --- In the process of my upward journey, Maids of Eden or women of heaven or angelic cravings of astral beauty may not engage my attention and that may infatuate me with warmth of celestial passion and celebrations.

But for a mystic, this verse reflects of deeper sense of engagement. All Sufis do “Touba” (तौबा)— the first requirement of Tussavf (means detachment and total exclusion from the pull of world) for refraining themselves from mental and material cravings appetites. The metaphysical dimension whose splendor and magnificence Iqbal is unaware of –--he is concerned that his resolve of keeping the self in state immaculate nobility and balance may not compromised.

Even heavens are considered sites of pleasures of mind region where propensity of forgetfulness of the Lord is greater than on the material plane. In human life, the intermittent periods of pain( on the physical plane) continue to awaken our attention for seeking the Lord. There is analogical verse in Guru Granth Sahib by Guru Nanak Sahib—“Suffering is the medicine, pleasure the disease because where there is pleasure, there is no desire for God.” दुःख दारू सुख रोग भया जा सुख ताम न होई (page 469)

The poet seeks Divine Grace that his journey of self-realization may not get entangled in a web of temporal gratifications with angelic beauties that may defeat the very purpose of his inner endeavor.

3.            कभी छोड़ी हुई मंज़िल भी याद आती है राही को

खटक (attention) सी है जो सीने में ग़म-ए-मंज़िल (sorrowful destination) न बन जाए

The pilgrim’s mind can dwell at times on spots and stages left behind:
My heed for spots and places crossed, From the Quest may turn my mind! (internet)

Here reference is to the संस्कार (sanskaras) or the strong impressions on mind of past lives. Should old memories of past lives flash upon my mind—like a traveler who sometimes cherishes events of life with (longing of) nostalgia and those may compel me to return to my old ego-self. In mysticism the path of God realization is so fragile and vacillating that higher the level of consciousness, the greater is the danger of slipping back. As a paradigm it is analogous to game of snake and ladder where a player (aspirant) can be bitten by a snake at level 98 which may bring him back to zero level. Such misadventures manifest as fake ego, demonstrative knowledge, arrogance and bragging about spiritual attainments. Such issues negate devotional pursuits of  yearners.

4.            बनाया इश्क़ ने दरिया-ए-ना-पैदा- कराँ (river without shore) मुझ को

ये मेरी ख़ुद-निगह-दारी ( self-importance) मिरा साहिल (shore) न बन जाए

The surging ocean of my Passion-Spiritual enraptures my eye evermore
What if my Narcissism beguiles me away to some placid lifeless shore?(internet)

Love is God and God is love. Thus sublime love (Ishq-Hakiki) and God are one except that human psyche carries a veil of personal individuality—also called duality, ego, hoame, takabbur, or groor or anaah. Such a veil is unveiled by blessings of the Divine. 

The poetic expression is --- I am afloat in the ocean of boundless love whose shores are non-existent. My own sense of pride/ individuality may not expose me to duality in which the infinite expanse of Divinity is seen limited--within shores. That will mean denial of the blessings by my own inflated self.

5.            कहीं इस आलम-ए-बे-रंग-ओ-बू (meaningless world devoid of color and smell) में भी तलब मेरी

वही अफ़्साना-ए-दुंबाला-ए-महमिल ( continuing story of camel’s journey) न बन जाए

The mystic in Iqbal, having realised the futility of illusion of life, mentions the so called colours and smells of the world as fake imagery of colourless and smell-less existence. The pull of illusive reality may not bog him down to aimless wandering like a camel tied with a palanquin in the vastness of a desert. 

6              उरूज-ए-आदम-ए-ख़ाकी (pinnacle attained by dust of Adam) से अंजुम (stars) सहमे (scared) जाते हैं

कि ये टूटा हुआ तारा मह-ए-कामिल (full moon) न बन जाए

Human being is acknowledged as the “crown of the creation” as per the Divine design or “ashraf-ul-makhlooqat”. Mythlogically, all  angels were directed by God to bow before man made from clay--the element of earth.  All mighty stars (angels’ gods, goddesses) are scared from the pinnacle of glory accorded to man.

 Upon Divine realization, the same man, (fleeting star of clay)  will manifest as Lord—symbolised as Moon-- that carries greater brightness than stars or may eclipse the entire constellations or other godly entities.