ماہ نو
Mah-i-Naw
English title: THE CRESCENT
ٹوٹ کر خورشيد کي کشتي ہوئي غرقاب نيلايک ٹکڑا تيرتا پھرتا ہے روئے آب نيل
The sun's boat is broken and drowned in the Nile, but a piece is floating about on the water of the Nile.
طشت گردوں ميں ٹپکتا ہے شفق کا خون نابنشتر قدرت نے کيا کھولي ہے فصد آفتاب
The twilight's pure blood drips into the sky's basin; has the lancet of Nature drawn the sun's blood?
چرخ نے بالي چرا لي ہے عروس شام کينيل کے پاني ميں يا مچھلي ہے سيم خام کي
Has the sky stolen the ear-ring of the evening's bride? Or has the fragile cord in the Nile's waters strolling?
قافلہ تيرا رواں بے منت بانگ دراگوش انساں سن نہيں سکتا تري آواز پا
Your caravan is afoot without help of bell's call; the human ear cannot hear your foot-steps' sound.
گھٹنے بڑھنے کا سماں آنکھوں کو دکھلاتا ہے توہے وطن تيرا کدھر ، کس ديس کو جاتا ہے تو
You show the spectacle of rise and fall to the eyes: Where is your home? To which country are you going?*
ساتھ اے سيارہء ثابت نما لے چل مجھےخار حسرت کي خلش رکھتي ہے اب بے کل مجھے
O star-like planet take me with yourself, the prick of Longing's thorn keeps me restless.’
نور کا طالب ہوں ، گھبراتا ہوں اس بستي ميں ميںطفلک سيماب پا ہوں مکتب ہستي ميں ميں
I am seeking light; I am weary in this habitation. I am the restless child in the existence's school.
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Bang-e-Dara — ماہ نو — Digital transcription file at commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the source dataset does not identify the underlying print edition.Verified against this pinned digital transcription file; not checked against a print edition.Source
- Iqbal Demystified source list: Bang-e-Dara — Pinned digital dataset commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the underlying print edition is not identified by the dataset.Community dataset list; not reconciled against a print edition.Source
- Iqbal Academy Pakistan Bang-i-Dara Audio Table of Contents — Official audio contents list; cited only for the displayed Urdu and Romanized title pairsPrimary source used to document this poem’s language or title.Source
- Pinned digital source list 001 (Bang-e-Dara section headings) — Pinned repository commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; digital transcription, not a selected print edition.Verified against this pinned digital transcription file; not checked against a print edition.Source
- Bang-e-Dara English translation at allama-iqbal.com — The Crescent — Public digital poem page, retrieved 2026-10-05; pinned to allama-iqbal.com commit 82547635bb6b758c45082084b2f152fc453a8056.Translation by Dr M.A.K. Khalil; English Translation by: Dr M.A.K. KhalilSource