Allama Iqbal Poems

A Cow and A Goat

There was a verdant pasture somewhere
Whose land was the very picture of beauty

How can the beauty of that elegance be described
Brooks of sparkling water were running on every side

Many were the pomegranate trees
And so were the shady peepul trees

Cool breeze flowed everywhere
Birds were singing everywhere

A goat arrived at a brook's bank from somewhere
It came browsing from somewhere in the nearby land

As she stopped and looked around
She noticed a cow standing by

The goat first presented her compliments to the cow
Then respectfully started this conversation

'How are you! Madam Cow'?
The cow replied, 'Not too well

'My life is a mere existence
My life is a complete agony

My life is in danger, what can I say?
My luck is bad, what can I say?

I am surprised at the state of affairs
I am cursing the evil people

The poor ones like us are powerless
Misfortunes surround the ones like us

None should nicely deal with Man
May God protect us from Man!

He murmurs if my milk declines
He sells me if my weight declines

He subdues us with cleverness!
Alluring, he always subjugates us!

I nurse his children with milk
I give them new life with milk

My goodness is repaid with evil
My prayer to God is for mercy!

Having heard the cow's story like this
The goat replied, 'This complaint is unjust

Though truth is always bitter
I shall speak what is fair

This pasture, and this cool breeze
This green grass and this shade

Such comforts, were beyond our lot!
They were a far cry for us speechless poor!

We owe these pleasures to Man
We owe all our happiness to Man

We derive all our prosperity from him
What is better for us, freedom or bondage to him?

Hundreds of dangers lurk in the wilderness
May God protect us from the wilderness!

We are heavily indebted to him
Unjust is our complaint against him

If you appreciate the life's comforts
You would never complain against Man'

Hearing all this the cow felt embarrassed
She was sorry for complaining against Man

She mused over the good and the bad
And thoughtfully she said this

'Small though is the body of the goat
Convincing is the advice of the goat___!!

A Longing

O Lord! I have become weary of human assemblages!
When the heart is sad no pleasure in assemblages can be

I seek escape from tumult, my heart desires
The silence which speech may ardently love!

I vehemently desire silence, I strongly long that
A small hut in the mountain's side may there be

Freed from worry I may live in retirement
Freed from the cares of the world I may be

Birds chirping may give the pleasure of the lyre
In the spring's noise may the orchestra's melody be

The flower bud bursting may give God's message to me
Showing the whole world 1 to me this small wine-cup may be

My arm may be my pillow, and the green grass my bed be
Putting the congregation to shame my solitude's quality be

The nightingale be so familiar with my face that
Her little heart harboring no fear from me may be

Avenues of green trees standing on both sides be
The spring's clear water providing a beautiful picture be

The view of the mountain range may be so beautiful
To see it the waves of water again and again rising be

The verdure may be asleep in the lap of the earth
Water running through the bushes may glistening be

Again and again the flowered boughs touching the water be
As if some beauty looking at itself in mirror be

When the sun apply myrtle to the evening's bride
The tunic of every flower may pinkish golden be

When night's travellers falter behind with fatigue
Their only hope my broken earthenware lamp may be

May the lightning lead them to my hut
When clouds hovering over the whole sky be.

The early dawn's cuckoo, that morning's mu'adhdhin2
May my confidante he be, and may his confidante I be

May I not be obligated to the temple or to the mosque
May the hut's hole alone herald of morning's arrival be

When the dew may come to perform the flowers' ablution
May wailing my supplication, weeping my ablution be

In this silence may my heart's wailing rise so high
That for stars' caravan the clarion's call my wailing be

May every compassionate heart weeping with me be
Perhaps it may awaken those who may unconscious be____!!

A Mother's Dream

As I slept one night I saw this dream
Which further increased my vexation

I dreamt I was going somewhere on the way
Dark it was and impossible to find the way

Trembling all over with fear I was
Difficult to take even a step with fear was

With some courage as I forward moved
I saw some boys as lined in nice array

Dressed in emerald-like raiment they were
Carrying lighted lamps in their hands they were

They were going quietly behind each other
No one knew where they were to go

Involved in this thought was I
When in this troupe my son saw I

He was walking at the back, and was not walking fast
The lamp he had in his hand was not lighted

Recognizing him I said 'O My dear!
Where have you come leaving me there?

Restless due to separation I am
Weeping every day for ever I am

You did not care even a little for me
What loyalty you showed, you left me'!

As the child saw the distress in me
He replied thus, turning around to me

'The separation from me makes you cry
Not least little good does this to me'

He remained quiet for a while after talking
Showing me the lamp then he started talking

'Do you understand what happened to this?
Your tears have extinguished this_____!!

A Mountain And A Squirrel

A mountain was saying this to a squirrel
'Commit suicide if you have self-respect

You are insignificant, still so arrogant, how strange!
You are neither wise, nor intelligent! not even shrewd!

It is strange when the insignificant pose as important!
When the stupid ones like you pose as intelligent!

You are no match in comparison with my splendor
Even the earth is low compared with my splendor

The grandeur of mine does not fall to your lot
The poor animal cannot equal the great mountain! '

On hearing this the squirrel said, 'Hold your tongue!
These are immature thoughts, expel them from your heart!

I do not care if I am not large like you!
You are not a pretty little thing like me

Everything shows the Omni-potence of God
Some large, some small, is the wisdom of God

He has created you large in the world
And He has taught me climbing large trees

You are unable to walk a single step
Only large size! What other greatness have you?

If you are large show me some of the skills I have
Show me how you break this beetle nut as I can

Nothing is useless in this world
Nothing is bad in God's creation_____!!

A Prayer

My invocations are sincere and true
They form my ablutions and prayers due

One glance of guide such joy and warmth can grant
On marge of stream can bloom the tulip plant

One has no comrade on Love's journey long
Save fervent zeal, and passion great and strong

O God, at gates of rich I do not bow
You are my dwelling place and nesting bough

Your Love in my breast burns like Doomsday morn
The cry, He is God, on my lips is born

Your Love, makes me God, fret with pain and pine
You are the only quest and aim of mine

Without You town appears devoid of life
When present, same town appears astir with strife

For wine of gnosis I request and ask
To get some dregs I break the cup and glass

The mystics' gourds and commons' pitchers wait
For liquor of your Grace and Bounty great

Against Your godhead I have a genuine plaint
For You the Spaceless, while for me restraint__________!!

A Spider And A Fly

One day a spider said to a fly
'Though you pass this way daily

My hut has never been honored by you
By making a chance visit inside by you

Though depriving strangers of a visit does not matter
Evading the near and dear ones does not look good

My house will be honored by a visit by you
A ladder is before you if you decide to step in

Hearing this the fly said to the spider
'Sire, you should entice some simpleton thus

This fly would never be pulled into your net
Whoever climbed your net could never step down

The spider said, 'How strange, you consider me a cheat
I have never seen a simpleton like you in the world

I only wanted to entertain you
I had no personal gain in view

You have come flying from some unknown distant place
Resting for a while in my house would not harm you

Many things in this house are worth your seeing
Though apparently a humble hut you are seeing

Dainty drapes are hanging from the doors
And I have decorated the walls with mirrors

Beddings are available for guests' comforts
Not to everyone's lot do fall these comforts

The fly said, 'All this may very well be
But do not expect me to enter your house

'May God protect me from these soft beds
Once asleep in them getting up again is impossible


The spider spoke to itself on hearing this talk
'How to trap it? This wretched fellow is clever

Many desires are fulfilled with flattery in the world
All in the world are enslaved with flattery'

Thinking this the spider spoke to the fly thus!
'Madam, God has bestowed great honors on you!

Everyone loves your beautiful face
Even if someone sees you for the first time

Your eyes look like clusters of glittering diamonds
God has adorned your beautiful head with a plume

This beauty, this dress, this elegance, this neatness
And all this is very much enhanced by singing in flight

The fly was touched by this flattery
And spoke, 'I do not fear you any more

I hate the habit of declining requests
Disappointing somebody is bad indeed'

Saying this it flew from its place
When it got close the spider snapped it

The spider had been starving for many days
The fly provided a good leisurely meal_____!!

Age Of Infancy

The earth and sky were unknown worlds to me
Only the expanse of mother's bosom was a world to me

Every movement was a symbol of life's pleasure to me
My own speech was like a meaningless word to me

During infancy's pain if somebody made me cry
The noise of the door chain would comfort me

Oh! How I stared at the moon for long hours
Staring at its silent journey among broken clouds

I would ask repeatedly about its mountains and plains
And how surprised would I be at that prudent lie

My eye was devoted to seeing, my lip was prone to speak
My heart was no less than inquisitiveness personified_____!!

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