IQBAL’S PHILOSOPHY, posted by ranu

“We can achieve immortality, but only as an ever-growing ego”

According to Iqbal, one must try to heighten his/her ego to a height where even God would ask, What kind of destiny do you want? ( “In Urdu, khudi ko ker buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle, khuda bande ko poochhe bata teri raza kia hai,” Iqbal ).

The question is how and what are the steps to achieve that goal?

Iqbal says, ‘All things are given to self-display, without the desire to self revelation life is death.’

Change is necessary, rest is impossible in this workplace of nature. Anything or anyone that doesn’t move dies, this is the secret of existence.

According to Iqbal it is never enough to achieve something and live on his/her laurels. He says, life is to make a pearl from your inner oyster. Do not borrow it from outside, take it from your inside.

If I wanted to achieve an ever-growing ego, I must avoid distraction. It leads my mind in a state of stagnation.

I bring myself to reality by reading Iqbal’s thoughts. It tells me to achieve immortality, I must have an ever-growing ego.

One cannot hope for perfection, for it has no growth. It belongs to God only. We humans must concentrate on our ever-growing ego. Perfection has no place for mankind for it has no potential for growth. I’d rather remain as a human.

Iqbal ends by saying, ‘I have no desire for a sojourn, for I die if I rest.’

I was impressed by Iqbal’s Quote, where he says, : heighten your ego to a height, where even God himself would ask you, what kind of destiny do you want.’

It was the beginning of my search for Iqbal. It’s how I joined the online course and am still fascinated by this poet and philosopher.

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A Hindi Song: Singer Lata Mangeshkar, known as the melody queen, translation by Ranu

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/

These nights, this season,

this laughing and making

me laugh,

you can forget me,

but do not forget

this environment.

this teasing looks,

this dizzy posture

these eyes drowned,

in dark clouds,

the quiet story

on the atmosphere’s lips,

Forget me,

but do not forget them.

In the garden,

where our story,

started,

our love and your youth,

Our warm breaths together

the threatening clouds,

the drip drop sound of the rain,

this overjoyed state,

when we lost ourselves,

You and I humming,

Do not forget these moments,

Even if you forget me!

……………………………………… 🙂

Khalil Gibran, posted by ranu

Khalil Gibran, posted by ranu

Ghazal: Singer Talat Mehmood, translated by Ranu

I have a heart of many hopes,

Come and try to know me.

I am an ocean waiting

I gave beauty a glowing

cup of wine,
The cheeks the status of roses,

I call the lips buds,

Eyes I call a deep ocean,

Come and try to know me.

It is true in your

gathering, my stories

are worthless.

compared to the wealth of

my heart,

the whole world’s riches

are nothing.

Do not try to steal,

a glance at me.
Come and try to know me.

………………………………………….. 🙂

Bollywood Hindi song: Translated by Ranu

This is an old Hindi song, sung by Muhammad Rafi and Noor Jahan. Both are not with us today but their melody lives on. The song reminds me of leaving our home in New Delhi to one in Rawalpindi. We lived in a three storeyed house and it was located in a place called Lal Kurti Bazaar.

There were stores, people’s houses and the neighbourhood was filled with music enthusiasts. Each morning the above song was played, they used loud speakers so the rest of the neighbourhood could enjoy it. I was one of them.

It used to be mid-morning when the owners of the record would turn on the song.

It is a song from an old movie, but the singers were very popular.

The lover complains that his beloved is unfaithful. he says’I tried and found

love is deception.’

I was seven years old, I did not know what the lyrics meant, I was humming the tune.

Suddenly I hear mom, ‘Where is Ranu?’

I go running, ‘ji amma,’ ‘I say,’ ( yes Mom).

‘The thread of the needle is broken, fix it quick.’

The chore is simple, but I missed hearing the full song.

Next morning I made up my mind I will pretend I did not hear, if mom calls me.

The song starts again, the second line is what I’m interested to hear, I already know the first.

Sometimes she feels happy and sometimes unhappy. ‘This is how the world changes, this is the name of the world.’

‘It doesn’t let me feel the pain of my helplessness.’

‘Forget the time when you loved me.’ says the beloved

The lover always had answers to her grievance. He sings, ‘forget the word love ever came in you lips.’

Next both each separately tell each other to forget the love story, forget the happy days they spent with each other.

The last line from the beloved is, ‘the world of desires is filled with darkness.’

Not to be outdone, he sings, ‘how can I say someone who was mine now belongs to someone else?’

This time Dad calls out, ‘Ma ranu, if you learned the words of the song, can you sing for me, I will give you money?

‘No abba, I do not know. ‘

Then I hum in my room, yahan badla wafa ka bewafai ke siwa kia hai. Yunhi duniya badalti hai isi ka naam duniya hai. ‘

‘Sorry Dad I lied!’

…………………………………………. 🙂

Ghazal: Translated by Ranu

Ghazal is a genre of poetry dealing largely with topics of both worldly and spiritual love, comprising of couplets, the second part of which are in rhyme. It’s sung by Ghulam Ali, who is also the lyricist. This particular ghazal is romantic.

I will try to translate it as a story. Ranu

The story begins with the lover who tells his ex-girl friend. He is visiting her city as a traveler. He wants to see her just once to tell her. He is lost, he doesn’t know where his destination is and has no idea about where he lives.

He asks for permission to stay till dawn. He doesn’t know after leaving her where must he go. To solve his problem he needs to think.

Then he complains about his life. He has hidden the firefly in his eyes, his eyelashes are holding on to tears. He wants his ex to give him permission to shed his tears.

This is the night he wants to talk about his painful love, his lips are trembling to complain.

He needs to express his thoughts therefore he needs permission to get it out of his system.

Then he shows some anger, he says, ‘if you intended to forget me why did you accept my love?’

He continues, ‘you are unfaithful, you shouldn’t have betrayed me.’

Finally he tells her, ‘I need to ask you a few questions, please let me see you just once.’

Then there is repetition of the beginning three times. “I’ve come to your city as a stranger!”

…………………………………………………. 🙂