فرما رہے تھے شيخ طريق عمل پہ وعظ
فرما رہے تھے شيخ طريق عمل پہ وعظکفار ہند کے ہيں تجارت ميں سخت کوش
The Shaikh was giving a sermon on the mode of operation: ‘The infidels of India are very hard working in business.
مشرک ہيں وہ جو رکھتے ہيں مشرک سے لين دينليکن ہماري قوم ہے محروم عقل و ہوش
Polytheists are those having trade relations with polytheists; but our nation’s people are lacking in intelligence and sense.
ناپاک چيز ہوتي ہے کافر کے ہاتھ کيسن لے، اگر ہے گوش مسلماں کا حق نيوش
Unclean is the article touched by the infidel; should listen if Muslim’s ears are amenable to truth!
اک بادہ کش بھي وعظ کي محفل ميں تھا شريکجس کے ليے نصيحت واعظ تھي بار گوش
A drunkard was also present in the sermon’s assembly; to whom such talks as those of the preacher were irksome.
کہنے لگا ستم ہے کہ ايسے قيود کيپابند ہو تجارت سامان خورد و نوش
He said, ‘It is atrocious that in such restrictions are imprisoned the dealings in articles of eating and drink’.
ميں نے کہا کہ آپ کو مشکل نہيں کوئيہندوستاں ميں ہيں کلمہ گو بھي مے فروش
I said, ‘There is no difficulty for you as in India Muslims also are liquor sellers!’
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Bang-e-Dara — ظر یفا نہ — 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
- Kulliyat-e-Iqbal (Urdu), special edition and Bang-e-Dara contents — Special edition, 1990; cited for the separately numbered humorous-poem contents only.Primary source used to document this poem’s language or title.Source
- Bang-e-Dara English translation at allama-iqbal.com — — 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