Chapter Guide
In brief
Chapter I states the poem's central metaphysical claim: existence becomes visible through the Self, and life rises or falls according to the strength of selfhood.
The chapter begins with the largest possible claim: what we call existence is an effect of the Self. Iqbal is not merely saying that human beings have inner lives. He is presenting selfhood as the principle through which world, action, opposition, time, and meaning become manifest. The Self brings the Not-self to light so that it may struggle, act, and become conscious of its own strength.
This is why the chapter's violent and extravagant images matter. Roses, moths, candles, Abrahams, moons, atoms, sands, mountains, waves, and stars are all drawn into one argument: life spends, divides, suffers, gathers, and risks itself in order to form stronger beauty. What looks like waste from one angle becomes the cost of spiritual formation from another.
The closing movement makes strength the measure of life. A drop becomes a pearl when it learns selfhood; weak wine receives form from the cup; a wave remains powerful while it keeps its form within the sea. The practical implication is already present: losing the Self means dispersal and dependence, while strengthening it means attraction, order, and expansion.
Figures in this chapter
- Shirin and Farhad
- Nicholson identifies Shirin as the beloved of Khusrau Parviz and Farhad as the lover whose anguish became proverbial. Iqbal uses the romance as an image of suffering made meaningful by beauty. Encyclopaedia Iranica
- Abraham
- The line about 'a hundred Abrahams' draws on the tradition that Abraham was cast into fire by Nimrod and preserved from harm. Iqbal uses the image to show the cost of world-forming spiritual beauty.
Original chapter heading
Showing that the system of the universe originates in the Self and that the continuation of the life of all individuals depends on strengthening the Self.
پیکر هستی ز آثار خودی استهر چه می بینی ز اسرار خودی است
خویشتن را چون خودی بیدار کردآشکارا عالم پندار کرد
صد جهان پوشیده اندر ذات اوغیر او پیداست از اثبات او
در جهان تخم خصومت کاشتهستخویشتن را غیر خود پنداشتهست
سازد از خود پیکر اغیار راتا فزاید لذت پیکار را
میکشد از قوت بازوی خویشتا شود آگاه از نیروی خویش
خود فریبی های او عین حیاتهمچو گل از خون وضو عین حیات
بهر یک گل خون صد گلشن کنداز پی یک نغمه صد شیون کند
یک فلک را صد هلال آورده استبهر حرفی صد مقال آورده است
عذر این اسراف و این سنگین دلیخلق و تکمیل جمال معنوی
حسن شیرین عذر درد کوهکننافهای عذر صد آهوی ختن
سوز پیهم قسمت پروانه هاشمع عذر محنت پروانه ها
خامه ی او نقش صد امروز بستتا بیارد صبح فردائی بدست
شعله های او صد ابراهیم سوختتا چراغ یک محمد بر فروخت
می شود از بهر اغراض عملعامل و معمول و اسباب و علل
خیزد ، انگیزد ، پرد ، تابد ، رمدسوزد ، افروزد ، کشد ، میرد ، دمد
وسعت ایام جولانگاه اوآسمان موجی ز گرد راه او
گل به جیب فاق از گلکاریششب ز خوابش ، روز از بیداریش
شعله ی خود در شرر تقسیم کردجز پرستی عقل را تعلیم کرد
خود شکن گردید و اجزا آفریداندکی شفت و صحرا آفرید
باز از شفتگی بیزار شدوز بهم پیوستگی کهسار شد
وانمودن خویش را خوی خودی استخفته در هر ذره نیروی خودی است
قوت خاموش و بیتاب عملاز عمل پابند اسباب عمل
چون حیات عالم از زور خودی استپس بقدر استواری زندگی است
قطره چون حرف خودی ازبر کندهستنی بی مایه را گوهر کند
باده از ضعف خودی بی پیکر استپیکرش منت پذیر ساغر است
گرچه پیکر می پذیرد جام میگردش از ما وام گیرد جام می
کوه چون از خود رود صحرا شودشکوه سنج جوشش دریا شود
موج تا موج است در غوش بحرمی کند خود را سوار دوش بحر
حلقه ئی زد نور تا گردید چشماز تلاش جلوه ها جنبید چشم
سبزه چون تاب دمید از خویش یافتهمت او سینه ی گلشن شکافت
شمع هم خود را بخود زنجیر کردخویش را از ذره ها تعمیر کرد
خود گدازی پیشه کرد از خود رمیدهم چو اشک خر ز چشم خود چکید
گر بفطرت پخته تر بودی نگیناز جراحت ها بیاسودی نگین
می شود سرمایه دار نام غیردوش او مجروح بار نام غیر
چون زمین بر هستی خود محکم استماه پابند طواف پیهم است
هستی مهر از زمین محکم تر استپس زمین مسحور چشم خاور است
جنبش از مژگان برد شان چنارمایه دار از سطوت او کوهسار
تار و پود کسوت او آتش استاصل او یک دانهٔ گردن کش است
چون خودی آرد به هم نیروی زیستمیگشاید قلزمی از جوی زیست
Persian text from Ganjoor · 40 bayts
The form of existence is an effect of the Self,
Whatsoever thou seest is a secret of the Self.
When the Self awoke to consciousness,
It revealed the universe of Thought.
A hundred worlds are hidden in its essence:
Self-affirmation brings Not-self to light.
By the Self the seed of hostility is sown in the world:
It imagines itself to be other than itself.
It makes from itself the forms of others
In order to multiply the pleasure of strife.
It is slaying by the strength of its arm
That it may become conscious of its own strength.
Its self-deceptions are the essence of Life;
Like the rose, it lives by bathing itself in blood.
For the sake of a single rose it destroys a hundred rose-gardens
And makes a hundred lamentations in quest of a single melody.
For one sky it produces a hundred new moons,
And for one word a hundred discourses.
The excuse for this wastefulness and cruelty
Is the shaping and perfecting of spiritual beauty.
The loveliness of Shírín justifies the anguish of Farhád,[32]
The fragrant navel justifies a hundred musk-deer.
‘Tis the fate of moths to consume in flame:
The suffering of moths is justified by the candle.
The pencil of the Self limned a hundred to-days
In order to achieve the dawn of a single morrow.
That the lamp of one Muhammad PBUH might be lighted.
Subject, object, means, and causes—
They all exist for the purpose of action.
The Self rises, kindles, falls, glows, breathes,
Burns, shines, walks, and flies.
The spaciousness of Time is its arena,
Heaven is a billow of the dust on its road.
From its rose-planting the world abounds in roses;
Night is born of its sleep, day springs from its waking.
It divided its flame into sparks
And taught the understanding to worship particulars.
It dissolved itself and created the atoms,
It was scattered for a little while and created the sands.
Then it wearied of dispersion
And by re-uniting itself it became the mountains.
‘Tis the nature of the Self to manifest itself:
In every atom slumbers the might of the Self.
Power that is unexpressed and inert
Chains the faculties which lead to action.
Inasmuch as the life of the universe comes from the strength of the Self,
Life is in proportion to this strength.
When a drop of water gets the Self’s lesson by heart,
It makes its worthless existence a pearl.
Wine is formless because its self is weak;
It receives a form by favour of the cup.
Although the cup of wine assumes a form,
It is indebted to us for its motion.
When the mountain loses its self, it turns into sands
And complains that the sea surges over it;
But the wave, so long as it remains a wave in the sea’s bosom,
Makes itself a rider on the sea’s back.
Light has been a beggar since the eye first rolled
And moved to and fro in search of beauty;
But forasmuch as the grass found a means of growth in its self,
Its aspiration clove the breast of the garden.
The candle too concatenated itself
And built itself out of atoms;
Then it made a practice of melting itself away and fled from its self
Until at last it trickled down from its own eye, like tears.
If the bezel had been more self-secure by nature,
It would not have suffered wounds,
But since it derives its value from the superscription,
Its shoulder is galled by the burden of another’s name.
Because the earth is firmly based on self-existence,
The captive moon goes round it perpetually.
The being of the sun is stronger than that of the earth:
Therefore is the earth bewitched by the sun’s eye.
The glory of the plane fixes our gaze,
The mountains are enriched by its majesty:
Its raiment is woven of fire,
Its origin is one self-assertive seed.
When Life gathers strength from the Self,
The river of Life expands into an ocean.
پیکر هستی ز آثار خودی استهر چه می بینی ز اسرار خودی است
The form of existence is an effect of the Self,
Whatsoever thou seest is a secret of the Self.
خویشتن را چون خودی بیدار کردآشکارا عالم پندار کرد
When the Self awoke to consciousness,
It revealed the universe of Thought.
صد جهان پوشیده اندر ذات اوغیر او پیداست از اثبات او
A hundred worlds are hidden in its essence:
Self-affirmation brings Not-self to light.
در جهان تخم خصومت کاشتهستخویشتن را غیر خود پنداشتهست
By the Self the seed of hostility is sown in the world:
It imagines itself to be other than itself.
سازد از خود پیکر اغیار راتا فزاید لذت پیکار را
It makes from itself the forms of others
In order to multiply the pleasure of strife.
میکشد از قوت بازوی خویشتا شود آگاه از نیروی خویش
It is slaying by the strength of its arm
That it may become conscious of its own strength.
خود فریبی های او عین حیاتهمچو گل از خون وضو عین حیات
Its self-deceptions are the essence of Life;
Like the rose, it lives by bathing itself in blood.
بهر یک گل خون صد گلشن کنداز پی یک نغمه صد شیون کند
For the sake of a single rose it destroys a hundred rose-gardens
And makes a hundred lamentations in quest of a single melody.
یک فلک را صد هلال آورده استبهر حرفی صد مقال آورده است
For one sky it produces a hundred new moons,
And for one word a hundred discourses.
عذر این اسراف و این سنگین دلیخلق و تکمیل جمال معنوی
The excuse for this wastefulness and cruelty
Is the shaping and perfecting of spiritual beauty.
حسن شیرین عذر درد کوهکننافهای عذر صد آهوی ختن
The loveliness of Shírín justifies the anguish of Farhád,[32]
The fragrant navel justifies a hundred musk-deer.
سوز پیهم قسمت پروانه هاشمع عذر محنت پروانه ها
‘Tis the fate of moths to consume in flame:
The suffering of moths is justified by the candle.
خامه ی او نقش صد امروز بستتا بیارد صبح فردائی بدست
The pencil of the Self limned a hundred to-days
In order to achieve the dawn of a single morrow.
شعله های او صد ابراهیم سوختتا چراغ یک محمد بر فروخت
That the lamp of one Muhammad PBUH might be lighted.
می شود از بهر اغراض عملعامل و معمول و اسباب و علل
Subject, object, means, and causes—
They all exist for the purpose of action.
خیزد ، انگیزد ، پرد ، تابد ، رمدسوزد ، افروزد ، کشد ، میرد ، دمد
The Self rises, kindles, falls, glows, breathes,
Burns, shines, walks, and flies.
وسعت ایام جولانگاه اوآسمان موجی ز گرد راه او
The spaciousness of Time is its arena,
Heaven is a billow of the dust on its road.
گل به جیب فاق از گلکاریششب ز خوابش ، روز از بیداریش
From its rose-planting the world abounds in roses;
Night is born of its sleep, day springs from its waking.
شعله ی خود در شرر تقسیم کردجز پرستی عقل را تعلیم کرد
It divided its flame into sparks
And taught the understanding to worship particulars.
خود شکن گردید و اجزا آفریداندکی شفت و صحرا آفرید
It dissolved itself and created the atoms,
It was scattered for a little while and created the sands.
باز از شفتگی بیزار شدوز بهم پیوستگی کهسار شد
Then it wearied of dispersion
And by re-uniting itself it became the mountains.
وانمودن خویش را خوی خودی استخفته در هر ذره نیروی خودی است
‘Tis the nature of the Self to manifest itself:
In every atom slumbers the might of the Self.
قوت خاموش و بیتاب عملاز عمل پابند اسباب عمل
Power that is unexpressed and inert
Chains the faculties which lead to action.
چون حیات عالم از زور خودی استپس بقدر استواری زندگی است
Inasmuch as the life of the universe comes from the strength of the Self,
Life is in proportion to this strength.
قطره چون حرف خودی ازبر کندهستنی بی مایه را گوهر کند
When a drop of water gets the Self’s lesson by heart,
It makes its worthless existence a pearl.
باده از ضعف خودی بی پیکر استپیکرش منت پذیر ساغر است
Wine is formless because its self is weak;
It receives a form by favour of the cup.
گرچه پیکر می پذیرد جام میگردش از ما وام گیرد جام می
Although the cup of wine assumes a form,
It is indebted to us for its motion.
کوه چون از خود رود صحرا شودشکوه سنج جوشش دریا شود
When the mountain loses its self, it turns into sands
And complains that the sea surges over it;
موج تا موج است در غوش بحرمی کند خود را سوار دوش بحر
But the wave, so long as it remains a wave in the sea’s bosom,
Makes itself a rider on the sea’s back.
حلقه ئی زد نور تا گردید چشماز تلاش جلوه ها جنبید چشم
Light has been a beggar since the eye first rolled
And moved to and fro in search of beauty;
سبزه چون تاب دمید از خویش یافتهمت او سینه ی گلشن شکافت
But forasmuch as the grass found a means of growth in its self,
Its aspiration clove the breast of the garden.
شمع هم خود را بخود زنجیر کردخویش را از ذره ها تعمیر کرد
The candle too concatenated itself
And built itself out of atoms;
خود گدازی پیشه کرد از خود رمیدهم چو اشک خر ز چشم خود چکید
Then it made a practice of melting itself away and fled from its self
Until at last it trickled down from its own eye, like tears.
گر بفطرت پخته تر بودی نگیناز جراحت ها بیاسودی نگین
If the bezel had been more self-secure by nature,
It would not have suffered wounds,
می شود سرمایه دار نام غیردوش او مجروح بار نام غیر
But since it derives its value from the superscription,
Its shoulder is galled by the burden of another’s name.
چون زمین بر هستی خود محکم استماه پابند طواف پیهم است
Because the earth is firmly based on self-existence,
The captive moon goes round it perpetually.
هستی مهر از زمین محکم تر استپس زمین مسحور چشم خاور است
The being of the sun is stronger than that of the earth:
Therefore is the earth bewitched by the sun’s eye.
جنبش از مژگان برد شان چنارمایه دار از سطوت او کوهسار
The glory of the plane fixes our gaze,
The mountains are enriched by its majesty:
تار و پود کسوت او آتش استاصل او یک دانهٔ گردن کش است
Its raiment is woven of fire,
Its origin is one self-assertive seed.
چون خودی آرد به هم نیروی زیستمیگشاید قلزمی از جوی زیست
When Life gathers strength from the Self,
The river of Life expands into an ocean.
Persian text from Ganjoor · 40 bayts