masjid-e qur:tubah
*stanza two*

  ....  
1) but in that shape there is
the aspect of eternal stability--
  
hai magar us naqsh me;N rang-e ;sabaat-e davaam
[that shape] which some man of the Lord
would have made complete		  
jis ko kiyaa ho kisii mard-e ;xudaa ne tamaam
     
2) the action of the man of the Lord--
through passion, the possessor of radiance
  
mard-e ;xudaa kaa ((amal ((ishq se .saa;hib-furo;G
passion is the source/essence of life,
for it death is forbidden		  
((ishq hai a.sl-e ;hayaat , maut hai us par ;haraam

= The grammar makes it clear that it's the 'action'
itself that is the possessor of radiance.

= 'Passion'is not just romantic love, but rather a kind of inner
tumult and ardent pursuit that can go in other directions as well.

    
     

3) although quick and light-traveling
is the movement of the age

  
tund-o-subuk-sair hai garchih zamaane kii rau

passion itself is a single/unique flood--
it stops the flood

  
((ishq ;xvud ik sail hai , sail ko letaa hai thaam
= 'Passion' is an irresistible flood that can oppose
and even halt the flow of time (compare 1:6).		    
     
4) in the calendar of passion,
besides the current/moving age
  
((ishq kii taqviim me;N ((a.sr-e ravaa;N ke sivaa
there are other ages too,
which have no name		  
aur zamaane bhii hai;N jin kaa nahii;N ko))ii naam !
   
5) passion the breath of Gabriel,
passion the heart of Mustafa
  
((ishq dam-e jibra))iil , ((ishq dil-e mu.s:taf;aa
passion the Lord's prophet,
passion the Lord's speech		  
((ishq ;xudaa kaa rasuul , ((ishq ;xudaa kaa kalaam !
= Mustafa ('the Chosen One') is the Prophet    
     
6) from the intoxication of passion
the rose's form is radiant
  
((ishq kii mastii se hai paikar-e gul taab-naak
passion is new-made wine,
passion is the generous cup		  
((ishq hai .sahbaa-e ;xaam , ((ishq hai kaas ul-karaam

= If we read gil , 'clay, earth', instead of gul , 'rose',
the reference to the human form is far more striking
than a reference to the conventional rose. It's possible
that Iqbal himself put in the pesh diacritic, but it's
not at all certain.

= Newly made wine is especially powerful and intoxicating.

    
     
7) passion the jurist of the Ka'bah,
passion the leader of the troops
  
((ishq faqiih-e ;haram , ((ishq amiir-e junuud
passion is a son of the road,
it has thousands of stopping-places		  
((ishq hai ibn us-sabiil , us ke hazaaro;N muqaam !
     
8) from the plectrum of passion,
the tune of the string of life
  
((ishq ke mi.zraab se na;Gmah-e taar-e ;hayaat !
from passion the light of life,
from passion the fire of life		  
((ishq se nuur-e ;hayaat , ((ishq se naar-e ;hayaat
= A plectrum is the pick for a stringed instrument    
   

*On to stanza three* -- *Masjid-e Qurtubah index page*

 
 
 

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