A Longing

Allama Muhammad Iqbal 1877 (Sialkot, Punjab) – 1938 (Lahore, Punjab)



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

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 29, 2023

1:58 min read
318

Quick analysis:

Scheme AB AX CB XB XB BB BB CB BB XB XB BB XB XB XB DB XB DB XB BB
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 2,005
Words 378
Stanzas 20
Stanza Lengths 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Muhammad Iqbal, known as Allama Iqbal, was a poet, philosopher, theorist, and barrister in British India. He is held as the national poet of Pakistan. He has been called the "Spiritual Father of Pakistan" for his contributions to the nation. Iqbal's poems, political contributions, and academic and scholarly research were distinguished. He inspired the Pakistan movement in Subcontinent and is considered a renowned figure of Urdu literature, although he wrote in both Urdu and Persian. Iqbal is admired as a prominent poet by Indians, Pakistanis, Iranians, Afghans, Bangladeshis and other international scholars of literature including the west. Though Iqbal is best known as a poet, he is also an acclaimed "Muslim philosophical thinker of modern times". His first poetry book, The Secrets of the Self, appeared in the Persian language in 1915, and other books of poetry include The Secrets of Selflessness, Message from the East and Persian Psalms. His best known Urdu works are The Call of the Marching Bell, Gabriel's Wing, The Rod of Moses and a part of Gift from Hijaz. Along with his Urdu and Persian poetry, his Urdu and English lectures and letters have been influential in cultural, social, religious and political discourses. In the 1922 New Year Honours, he was made a Knight Bachelor by King George V. While studying law and philosophy in England, Iqbal joined the London branch of the All-India Muslim League. During the League's December 1930 session, he delivered a speech, known as the Allahabad Address, in which he pushed for the creation of a Muslim state in north-west India. more…

All Allama Muhammad Iqbal poems | Allama Muhammad Iqbal Books

1 fan

Discuss the poem A Longing with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "A Longing" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/1554/a-longing>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    6
    days
    13
    hours
    4
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    The haiku is originally from ______.
    A Japan
    B China
    C Ireland
    D Indonesia