مہدي برحق
English title: THE TRUE GUIDE
سب اپنے بنائے ہوئے زنداں ميں ہيں محبوسخاور کے ثوابت ہوں کہ افرنگ کے سيار
The sedent nations of the East, or active dwellers of the West; are inmates of such dungeons that were built by them with zeal and zest.
پيران کليسا ہوں کہ شيخان حرم ہوںنے جدت گفتار ہے، نے جدت کردار
The priests who guide the Christian church and Elders who maintain the Shrine, lack newness of discourse and speech, bereft are they of actions fine.
ہيں اہل سياست کے وہي کہنہ خم و پيچشاعر اسي افلاس تخيل ميں گرفتار
Experts in statecraft practise still the same antique guile and wily tricks; no flights of fancy the bard can claim to ideals low and mean he sticks.
دنيا کو ہے اس مہدي برحق کي ضرورتہو جس کي نگہ زلزلہ عالم افکار
It is time that expected Guide may soon appear oil worldly stage: His piercing glance in realm of thought would cause a violent storm to rage.
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Zarb-e-Kalim — مہدي برحق — 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: Zarb-e-Kalim — 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
- Zarb-e-Kalim English translation at allama-iqbal.com — The True Guide — Public digital poem page, retrieved 2026-10-06; pinned to allama-iqbal.com commit 82547635bb6b758c45082084b2f152fc453a8056.Translation by Syed Akbar Ali Shah; English Translation by: Syed Akbar Ali ShahSource