Chapter Guide
In brief
Chapter XVIII closes the poem as prayer: Iqbal asks God to renew Muslim love, bind a scattered people, and give the poet one companion able to share his fire.
The invocation gathers the whole poem into direct address to God. The opening prayer asks for comfort, honour, love, wakefulness, and a sign that will turn weakness into a mountain of fire. The earlier doctrines of selfhood, desire, love, and communal purpose are no longer argued; they are requested as grace.
The middle movement widens the prayer from the poet to the people. Disunity appears as scattered leaves and stars estranged from their own family, while renewal means recovering the clue of unity and the law of love. Iqbal wants devotion to become a shared direction, not only a private intensity.
The final lines return to the loneliness of the one who carries hidden fire. The poet asks either for the fire to be taken back or for a comrade who can mirror it. The book ends, therefore, not with solved certainty, but with a longing for transmission: the self seeks a friend strong enough to receive its secret and continue the work.
Figures in this chapter
- Salman and Bilal
- Nicholson identifies Salman as Persian and Bilal as Abyssinian, both formerly enslaved and devoted companions of Muhammad PBUH. Iqbal invokes them as signs of a love that can remake status, ancestry, and community. Nicholson note 109
Original chapter heading
An invocation.
ای چو جان اندر وجود عالمیجان ما باشی و از ما می رمی
نغمه از فیض تو در عود حیاتموت در راه تو محسود حیات
باز تسکین دل ناشاد شوباز اندر سینه ها آباد شو
باز از ما خواه ننگ و نام راپخته تر کن عاشقان خام را
از مقدر شکوه ها داریم مانرخ تو بالا و ناداریم ما
از تهیدستان رخ زیبا مپوشعشق سلمان و بلال ارزان فروش
چشم بیخواب و دل بیتاب دهباز ما را فطرت سیماب ده
آیتی بمنا ز آیات مبینتا شود اعناق اعدا خاضعین
کوه آتش خیز کن این کاه راز آتش ما سوز غیر الله را
رشته ی وحدت چو قوم از دست دادصد گره بر روی کار ما فتاد
ما پریشان در جهان چون اختریمهمدم و بیگانه از یکدیگریم
باز این اوراق را شیرازه کنباز آئین محبت تازه کن
باز ما را بر همان خدمت گمارکار خود با عاشقان خود سپار
رهروان را منزل تسلیم بخشقوت ایمان ابراهیم بخش
عشق را از شغل لا آگاه کنآشنای رمز الاالله کن
منکه بهر دیگران سوزم چو شمعبزم خود را گریه آموزم چو شمع
یارب آن اشکی که باشد دلفروزبیقرار و مضطر و آرام سوز
کارمش در باغ و روید آتشیاز قبای لاله شوید آتشی
دل بدوش و دیده بر فرداستمدر میان انجمن تنها ستم
«هر کسی از ظن خود شد یار مناز درون من نجست اسرار من»
در جهان یارب ندیم من کجاستنخل سینایم کلیم من کجاست
ظالمم بر خود ستم ها کرده امشعله ئی را در بغل پرورده ام
شعله ئی غارت گر سامان هوشآتشی افکنده در دامان هوش
عقل را دیوانگی آموختهعلم را سامان هستی سوخته
آفتاب از سوز او گردون مقامبرقها اندر طواف او مدام
همچو شبنم دیده ی گریان شدمتا امین آتش پنهان شدم
شمع را سوز عیان آموختمخود نهان از چشم عالم سوختم
شعله ها آخر ز هر مویم دمیداز رگ اندیشه ام آتش چکید
عندلیبم از شرر ها دانه چیدنغمه ی آتش مزاجی آفرید
سینه ی عصر من از دل خالی استمی تپد مجنون که محمل خالی است
شمع را تنها تپیدن سهل نیستآه یک پروانه ی من اهل نیست
انتظار غمگساری تا کجاجستجوی راز داری تا کجا
ای ز رویت ماه و انجم مستنیرآتش خود را ز جانم باز گیر
این امانت بازگیر از سینه امخار جوهر برکش از آئینه ام
یا مرا یک همدم دیرینه دهعشق عالم سوز را آئینه ده
موج در بحر است هم پهلوی موجهست با همدم تپیدن خوی موج
بر فلک کوکب ندیم کوکبستماه تابان سر بزانوی شب است
روز پهلوی شب یلدا زندخویش را امروز بر فردا زند
هستی جوئی بجوئی گم شودموجه ی بادی ببوئی گم شود
هست در هر گوشه ی ویرانه رقصمی کند دیوانه با دیوانه رقص
گرچه تو در ذات خود یکتاستیعالمی از بهر خویش آراستی
من مثال لاله ی صحراستمدرمیان محفلی تنهاستم
خواهم از لطف تو یاری همدمیاز رموز فطرت من محرمی
همدمی دیوانه ئی فرزانه ئیاز خیال این و آن بیگانه ئی
تا بجان او سپارم هوی خویشباز بینم در دل او روی خویش
سازم از مشت گل خود پیکرشهم صنم او را شوم هم آزرش
Persian text from Ganjoor · 46 bayts
O Thou that art as the soul in the body of the universe,
Thou art our soul and thou art ever fleeing from us.
Thou breathest music into Life’s lute;
Life envies Death when death is for thy sake.
Once more bring comfort to our sad hearts,
Once more dwell in our breasts!
Once more let us hear thy call to honour,
Strengthen our weak love.
We are oft complaining of destiny,
Thou art of great price and we have naught.
Hide not thy fair face from the empty-handed!
Sell cheap the love of Salmán and Bilál![109]
Give us the sleepless eye and the passionate heart,
Give us again the nature of quicksilver!
Show unto us one of thy manifest signs,
That the necks of our enemies may be bowed!
Make this chaff a mountain crested with fire,
Burn with our fire all that is not God!
When the people let the clue of Unity go from their hands,
They fell into a hundred mazes.
We are dispersed like stars in the world;
Though of the same family, we are strange to one another.
Bind again these scattered leaves,
Revive the law of love!
Take us back to serve thee as of old,
Commit thy cause to them that love thee!
We are travellers: give us devotion as our goal!
Give us the strong faith of Abraham!
Make us know the meaning of “There is no god,”
Make us acquainted with the mystery of “except Allah”!
I who burn like a candle for the sake of others
Teach myself to weep like the candle.
O God! a tear that is heart-enkindling,
Passionful, wrung forth by pain, peace-consuming,
May I sow in the garden, and may it grow into a fire
That washes away the fire-brand from the tulip’s robe!
My heart is with yestereve, my eye is on to-morrow:
Amidst the company I am alone.
“Every one fancies he is my friend,
But my secret thoughts have not escaped from my heart.”
Oh, where in the wide world is my comrade?
I am the Bush of Sinai: where is my Moses?
I am tyrannous, I have done many a wrong to myself,
I have nourished a flame in my bosom,
A flame that seized the furniture of judgement,
And cast fire on the skirt of discretion,
And lessoned with madness the reason,
And burned up the existence of knowledge:
Its blaze enthrones the sun in the sky,
And lightnings encircle it with adoration for ever.
Mine eye fell to weeping, like dew,
Since I was entrusted with that hidden fire.
I taught the candle to burn openly,
While I myself burned unseen by the world’s eye.
At last flames breathed from every hair of me,
Fire dropped from the veins of my thought:
My nightingale picked up the spark-grains
And created a fire-tempered song.
Is the breast of this age without a heart?
Majnún trembles lest Lailá’s howdah be empty.
It is not easy for the candle to throb alone:
Ah, is there no moth worthy of me?
How long shall I wait for one to share my grief?
How long must I search for a confidant?
O Thou whose face lends light to the moon and the stars,
Withdraw thy fire from my soul!
Take back what Thou hast put in my breast,
Remove the stabbing radiance from my mirror,
Or give me one old comrade
To be the mirror of mine all-burning love!
In the sea wave tosses side by side with wave:
Each hath a partner in its emotion.
In heaven star consorts with star,
And the bright moon lays her head on the knees of Night.
Morning touches Night’s dark side,
And To-day throws itself against To-morrow.
One river loses its being in another,
A waft of air dies in perfume.
There is dancing in every nook of the wine-house,
Madman dances with madman.
Howbeit in thine essence Thou art single,
Thou hast decked out for Thyself a whole world.
I am as the tulip of the field,
In the midst of a company I am alone.
I beg of Thy grace a sympathising friend,
An adept in the mysteries of my nature,
A friend endowed with madness and wisdom,
One that knoweth not the phantom of vain things,
That I may confide my lament to his soul
And see again my face in his heart.
His image I will mould of mine own clay,
I will be to him both idol and worshipper.
FOOTNOTES:
[109] Salmán was Persian, and Bilál was Abyssinian. Both had been enslaved and were devoted Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet PBUH.
THE END
ای چو جان اندر وجود عالمیجان ما باشی و از ما می رمی
O Thou that art as the soul in the body of the universe,
Thou art our soul and thou art ever fleeing from us.
نغمه از فیض تو در عود حیاتموت در راه تو محسود حیات
Thou breathest music into Life’s lute;
Life envies Death when death is for thy sake.
باز تسکین دل ناشاد شوباز اندر سینه ها آباد شو
Once more bring comfort to our sad hearts,
Once more dwell in our breasts!
باز از ما خواه ننگ و نام راپخته تر کن عاشقان خام را
Once more let us hear thy call to honour,
Strengthen our weak love.
از مقدر شکوه ها داریم مانرخ تو بالا و ناداریم ما
We are oft complaining of destiny,
Thou art of great price and we have naught.
از تهیدستان رخ زیبا مپوشعشق سلمان و بلال ارزان فروش
Hide not thy fair face from the empty-handed!
Sell cheap the love of Salmán and Bilál![109]
چشم بیخواب و دل بیتاب دهباز ما را فطرت سیماب ده
Give us the sleepless eye and the passionate heart,
Give us again the nature of quicksilver!
آیتی بمنا ز آیات مبینتا شود اعناق اعدا خاضعین
Show unto us one of thy manifest signs,
That the necks of our enemies may be bowed!
کوه آتش خیز کن این کاه راز آتش ما سوز غیر الله را
Make this chaff a mountain crested with fire,
Burn with our fire all that is not God!
رشته ی وحدت چو قوم از دست دادصد گره بر روی کار ما فتاد
When the people let the clue of Unity go from their hands,
They fell into a hundred mazes.
ما پریشان در جهان چون اختریمهمدم و بیگانه از یکدیگریم
We are dispersed like stars in the world;
Though of the same family, we are strange to one another.
باز این اوراق را شیرازه کنباز آئین محبت تازه کن
Bind again these scattered leaves,
Revive the law of love!
باز ما را بر همان خدمت گمارکار خود با عاشقان خود سپار
Take us back to serve thee as of old,
Commit thy cause to them that love thee!
رهروان را منزل تسلیم بخشقوت ایمان ابراهیم بخش
We are travellers: give us devotion as our goal!
Give us the strong faith of Abraham!
عشق را از شغل لا آگاه کنآشنای رمز الاالله کن
Make us know the meaning of “There is no god,”
Make us acquainted with the mystery of “except Allah”!
منکه بهر دیگران سوزم چو شمعبزم خود را گریه آموزم چو شمع
I who burn like a candle for the sake of others
Teach myself to weep like the candle.
یارب آن اشکی که باشد دلفروزبیقرار و مضطر و آرام سوز
O God! a tear that is heart-enkindling,
Passionful, wrung forth by pain, peace-consuming,
کارمش در باغ و روید آتشیاز قبای لاله شوید آتشی
May I sow in the garden, and may it grow into a fire
That washes away the fire-brand from the tulip’s robe!
دل بدوش و دیده بر فرداستمدر میان انجمن تنها ستم
My heart is with yestereve, my eye is on to-morrow:
Amidst the company I am alone.
«هر کسی از ظن خود شد یار مناز درون من نجست اسرار من»
“Every one fancies he is my friend,
But my secret thoughts have not escaped from my heart.”
در جهان یارب ندیم من کجاستنخل سینایم کلیم من کجاست
Oh, where in the wide world is my comrade?
I am the Bush of Sinai: where is my Moses?
ظالمم بر خود ستم ها کرده امشعله ئی را در بغل پرورده ام
I am tyrannous, I have done many a wrong to myself,
I have nourished a flame in my bosom,
شعله ئی غارت گر سامان هوشآتشی افکنده در دامان هوش
A flame that seized the furniture of judgement,
And cast fire on the skirt of discretion,
عقل را دیوانگی آموختهعلم را سامان هستی سوخته
And lessoned with madness the reason,
And burned up the existence of knowledge:
آفتاب از سوز او گردون مقامبرقها اندر طواف او مدام
Its blaze enthrones the sun in the sky,
And lightnings encircle it with adoration for ever.
همچو شبنم دیده ی گریان شدمتا امین آتش پنهان شدم
Mine eye fell to weeping, like dew,
Since I was entrusted with that hidden fire.
شمع را سوز عیان آموختمخود نهان از چشم عالم سوختم
I taught the candle to burn openly,
While I myself burned unseen by the world’s eye.
شعله ها آخر ز هر مویم دمیداز رگ اندیشه ام آتش چکید
At last flames breathed from every hair of me,
Fire dropped from the veins of my thought:
عندلیبم از شرر ها دانه چیدنغمه ی آتش مزاجی آفرید
My nightingale picked up the spark-grains
And created a fire-tempered song.
سینه ی عصر من از دل خالی استمی تپد مجنون که محمل خالی است
Is the breast of this age without a heart?
Majnún trembles lest Lailá’s howdah be empty.
شمع را تنها تپیدن سهل نیستآه یک پروانه ی من اهل نیست
It is not easy for the candle to throb alone:
Ah, is there no moth worthy of me?
انتظار غمگساری تا کجاجستجوی راز داری تا کجا
How long shall I wait for one to share my grief?
How long must I search for a confidant?
ای ز رویت ماه و انجم مستنیرآتش خود را ز جانم باز گیر
O Thou whose face lends light to the moon and the stars,
Withdraw thy fire from my soul!
این امانت بازگیر از سینه امخار جوهر برکش از آئینه ام
Take back what Thou hast put in my breast,
Remove the stabbing radiance from my mirror,
یا مرا یک همدم دیرینه دهعشق عالم سوز را آئینه ده
Or give me one old comrade
To be the mirror of mine all-burning love!
موج در بحر است هم پهلوی موجهست با همدم تپیدن خوی موج
In the sea wave tosses side by side with wave:
Each hath a partner in its emotion.
بر فلک کوکب ندیم کوکبستماه تابان سر بزانوی شب است
In heaven star consorts with star,
And the bright moon lays her head on the knees of Night.
روز پهلوی شب یلدا زندخویش را امروز بر فردا زند
Morning touches Night’s dark side,
And To-day throws itself against To-morrow.
هستی جوئی بجوئی گم شودموجه ی بادی ببوئی گم شود
One river loses its being in another,
A waft of air dies in perfume.
هست در هر گوشه ی ویرانه رقصمی کند دیوانه با دیوانه رقص
There is dancing in every nook of the wine-house,
Madman dances with madman.
گرچه تو در ذات خود یکتاستیعالمی از بهر خویش آراستی
Howbeit in thine essence Thou art single,
Thou hast decked out for Thyself a whole world.
من مثال لاله ی صحراستمدرمیان محفلی تنهاستم
I am as the tulip of the field,
In the midst of a company I am alone.
خواهم از لطف تو یاری همدمیاز رموز فطرت من محرمی
I beg of Thy grace a sympathising friend,
An adept in the mysteries of my nature,
همدمی دیوانه ئی فرزانه ئیاز خیال این و آن بیگانه ئی
A friend endowed with madness and wisdom,
One that knoweth not the phantom of vain things,
تا بجان او سپارم هوی خویشباز بینم در دل او روی خویش
That I may confide my lament to his soul
And see again my face in his heart.
سازم از مشت گل خود پیکرشهم صنم او را شوم هم آزرش
His image I will mould of mine own clay,
I will be to him both idol and worshipper.
FOOTNOTES:
[109] Salmán was Persian, and Bilál was Abyssinian. Both had been enslaved and were devoted Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet PBUH.
THE END
Persian text from Ganjoor · 46 bayts
After the invocation
The companion Iqbal is asking for
Iqbal ends Asrar-i Khudi by asking for a companion who can receive his hidden fire. The poem does not simply close; it turns toward the reader.
What would it mean for you to become someone who can carry this secret forward?