Shikwa By Allama Iqbal (Lyrics, English translation and Audio)

kyon ziaan kaar banun, sood framosh rahoon fikr-e-farda na karum, mahw-e-ghum-e-dosh rahoon,? Why should I abet the loss, why forget the gain, Why forfiet the future, bemoan the past in vain? naale bulbul ke sunoon, aurhama tan gosh rahoon, hamnawa main bhi koi gul hoon ke khamosh rahoon? Hear the wail of nightingale, and remain unstirred, Am I a flower insensate that will not say a word? jurrat aamoz miri taab-e-sakhun hai mujhko, shikwa allah se khakam badahan hai mujhko. The power of speech emboldens me to speak out my heart, I'll sure be damned, I know, if fault my od! _______________ ai khuda shikwa-e-arbab-e-wafa bhi sun le, khu gar-e-hamd se thora sa gila bhi sun le. Hear, " #ord, from the faithful ones this sad lament, $rom those used to hymn a praise, a word of discontent! thi to maujood azal se hi teri zaat-e-qadim, phool tha zeb-e-chaman, par na pareshan thi shamim; %nternally were you present, #ord, eternally omniscent, The flower hung upon the tree, but without incense!

shart insaaf hai, ai, sahib-e-altaf-e-amim, boo-e-gul phailti kis tarah jo hoti na nasim? &e Thou fair, tell us true, " fountsinhead of grace, How could the scent spread withoutthe bree'e apace? _______________ hum se pahle tha ajab tere jahan ka manzir, kahin masjood the pather, kahin maabood shajar, The world presented a (ueer sight ere we took the stage, )tones and plants in your stead were worshipped in that age! khugar-e-paikar-e-mahsoos thi insaan ki nazar, maanta phir koi un-dekhe khuda ko kyonkar? *an, being inured to senses, couldn't accept a thing unseen, How could a formless od impress his senses keen? tujhko maalum hai leta tha koi naam tira? quwwat-e-baazoo-e-muslim ne kiya kaam tira Tell me, #ord, if anyone ever invoked Thy name, The strength of *uslim arm alone restored Thy fame! _______________ bas rahe the yahin salijuq bhi, toorani bhi, ahl-e-chin cheen mein, iran mein sasaani bhi, There was no dearth of peoples on this earth before, Turkish tribes and +ersian clans lived in days of yore, isi maamoore mein aabad the yunaani bhi, isi duniya mein yahudi bhi the, nusraani bhi, The reeks and the -hinese both bred and throve, -hristians as well as the .ews on this planet roved!

par tire naam pe talwar uthai kis ne, baat jo bigri huri thi who banaai kis ne? &ut who in Thy holy name raised his valiant sword, Who set the things right, resolved the rigmarole? _______________ the hameen ek tire maarka aaraaon mein khushkion mein kabhi larte, kabhi dariyaon mein, We were the warrior bands battling for Thy cause, /ow on land, now on water, we the crusades fought! di azaanen kabhi europe ke kaleesaaon mein, kabhi africa ke tapte hue sahraaon mein. /ow in %urope's synods did we loudly pray, /ow in African deserts made a bold foray! thi na kuchh teg zani apni hakumat ke liye, sar ba-kaf phirte the kya dahar mein daulat ke liye? /ot for territorial greed did we wield the sword, /ot for pelf and power did we suffer the blows! _______________ qaum apni jo zar-o-maal-e-jahan par marti, but faroshi ke iwaz but shikni kyon karti? Had we been temped by the greed of glittering gold, Instead of breaking idols, would have idols sold! naqsh tauheed ka har dil pe bithaya hum ne, zer-e-khanjar bhi yeh paigham sunaya hum ne. We impressed on every heart the oneness of our mighty #ord, %ven under the threat of sword, bold and clever was our call!

tu hi kah de ke ukhara dar-e-khyber kis ne, shaher qaiser ka jo tha us ko kiya sar kis ne? Who con(uered, tell us Thou, the fearful 0hyber pass? Who van(uished the Imperial 1ome, who made it fall? _______________ tore makhluq khudawandon ke paikar kis ne? kaat kar rakh diye kaffaar ke lashkar kis ne? Who broke the idols of the primitive folks? Who fought the kafirs, massacred their hordes? aa gaya ain laraai mein agar waqt-e-namaz, qibla roo ho ke zamin bos hui qaum-e-hejaz, If the prayer time arrived right amid the war, With their faces turned to 0aaba, knelt down the brave He2a'! ek hi saf mein khare ho gaye mahmud-o-ayaz, no koi banda raha aur no koi banda nawaz. *ahmud and Aya' stood together in the same flank, The ruler and the ruled forget the difference in their rank! _______________ banda-o-sahib-o-muhtaaj-o-ghani ek hue, teri sarkar mein pahunche tau sabhi ek hue. The rich and poor, #ord and slave, all were levelled down, All became brethern in love, with Thy grace crowned! mehfil-e-kaun-o-makaan mein shar-o-shaam phire, mai-e-tauheed ko lekar sift-e-jam phire.

We roamed the world through, visited every place, 3id our rounds like the cup, serving sacred ale! dasht tau dasht hain, darya bhi na chhore hum ne, bahr-e-zulmaat mein daura diye ghore hum ne. $orget about the forests, we spared not the seas, Into the dark, unfathomed ocean, we pushed our steeds! _______________ safah-e-dahar se baatil ko mitaya hum ne, nau-e-insaan ko ghulami se chhuraya hum ne, We removed falsehood from the earth's face, We broke the shackles of the human race! tere kaabe ko jabeenon se basaya hum ne, tere quraan ko seenon se lagaya hum ne. We reclaimed your 0aaba with our kneeling brows, We pressed the sacred 4uran to our heart and soul! phir bhi hum se yeh gila hai, ke wafadar nahin, hum wafadar nahin, tu bhi tau dildar nahin %ven then you grumble, we are false, untrue, If you call us faithless, tell us what are you? _______________ rahmaten hain tiri aghiyar ke kashaanon par, barq girti hai to bechare musalmaanon par 5ou reserve your favors for men of other shades, While you hurl your bolts on the *uslim race!

yeh shikait nahin, hain un ke khazane maamur, nehin mehfil mein jinhen baat bhi karne ka shaoor, This is not our complaint that such alone are blessed, Who do not know the eti(uette, nor even can converse! qahar tau yeh hai ke kafir ko milen hoor-o-qasoor, aur bechaare musalmaan ko faqt waada-e-hoor The tragedy is while kafirs are with houries actually blest, "n vague hopes of houries in heaven the *uslim race is made to rest6 _______________ taan-e-aghiyaar hai, ruswai hai, nadaari hai, kya tere nam pe marne ka iwaz khwari hai? +overty, taunts, ignominy stare us in the face, Is humiliation the sole reward of our suffering race? hum tau jeete hain ke duniya mein tira naam rahe, kahin mumkin hai saqi na rahe, jaam rahe? To perpetuate Thy name is our sole concern, 3eprived of the sa(i's aid can the cup revolve and turn? teri mehfil bhi gai, chahne wale bhi gaye, shab ki aahen bhi gaien, subah ke nale bhi gaye, one is your assemblage, off your lovers have sailed, The midnight sights are no more heard, nor the morning wails, _______________ dil tujhe debhi gaye, apna sila le bhi gaye, aa ke baithe bhi na the, ke nikaale bhi gaye.

They pledged their hearts to you, what is their return? Hardly had they stepped inside, when they were e7terned! aae ushaaq, gaye waada-e-farda lekar, ab unhen dhoond chirag-e-rukh-e-zeba lekar Thy lovers came and went away, fed on hopes of future grace, )earch them now with the lamp of your glowing face! dard-e-laila bhi wohi, qais ka pahlu bhi wohi, nejd ke dasht-o-jabal mein ram-e-aahoo bhi wohi, 8nassuaged is #aila's ache, un(uenched is 4ais's thirst, In the wilderness of /e2d, the wild deer are still berserk! _______________ ishq ka dil bhi wohi, husn ka jaadoo bhi wohi, ummat-e-ahmed-e-mursil bhi wohi, tu bhi wohi, The same passion thrills the hearts, enchanting still is beauty's ga'e, 5ou are the same as before, same too is the +rophet's race! phir yeh aazurdagi-e-ghair-sabab kya maani, apne shaidaaon pe yeh chashm-e-ghazab kya maani? Why then this indifference, without a cause or fault? Why with your threatening looks dost thou break our heart? ishq ki khair, who pehli si ada bhi na sahi, jaada paimaai taslim-o-raza bhi na sahi, Accepted that the flame of love burneth low and dim, We do not, as in your, dance attendance on your whims, _______________

kabhi hum se, kabhi ghairon se shanasaai hai, baat kahne ki nahin, tu bhi tau harjaai hai. &ut you too, pardon us, possess a co(uettish heart, /ow on us, now on others, alight your amorous darts! ahd-e-gul khatam hua, tut gaya saaz-e-chaman, ur gaye dalion se zamzama pardaaz-e-chaman. The spring has now taken leave, broken lies the lyre string, The birds that chirped among the leaves have also taken wing, ek bulbul hai ke hai mahw-e-tarannum ab tak, us ke seene mein hai naghmon ka talatam ab tak. A single nightingale is left singing on the tree, A flood of song in her breast is longing for release! _______________ qumrian shaakh-e-sanober se gurezaan bhi huin, pattian phool ki jhar jhar ke pareshan bhi huin; $rom atop the firs and pines the doves have flown away, The floral petals lie scattered all along the way! who purani ra!ishen bagh ki weeran bhi huin, daalian parahan-e-barg se uriaan bhi huin. 3esolate lie the garden paths, once dressed and neat, #eafless hang the branches on the naked trees! qaid-e-mausim se tabiat rahi aazad uski, kaash gulshan mein samjhta koi faryaad uski. The nightingale is unconcerned with the season's range, Would that someone in the grove appreciates her wail!

_______________ chaak is bulbul-e-tanha ki nawa se dil hon, jaagne wale isi baang-e-dara se dil hon. *ay the nightingale's wail pierce the listeners' hearts, *ay the clinking caravan awaken slumbering thoughts6 yaani phir zinda naye ahd-e-wafa se dil hon, phir isi bada-e-deereena ke pyaase dil hon. #et the hearts pledge anew their faith to you, " #ord, #et's re9charge our cups from the taverns of the past! ajmy khum hai tau kya, mai tau hejaazi hai miri, naghma hindi hai tau tya, lai tau hejaazi hai miri. Through I hold a +ersian cup, the wine is pureHe2a', Thought I sing an Indian song, the turn is of the Arabian cast!