APROPOS Arif Iftikhar’s article, ‘The message of Iqbal’ in Young World ( Nov 9) in which he has mistakenly ascribed the following couplet to Iqbal:
Tund ye baad-i-mukhalif se na ghabra ae uqaab,
Yeh tou chalti hai tujhe ooncha udaane ke liye.
The above couplet was actually written by my illustrious father, the late Syed Sadiq Hussain, an advocate of Shakargarh tehsil in Sialkot district, and a staunch Muslim Leaguer who headed the local chapter of the party.
The couplet has actually been taken from a much longer poem published in the Urdu daily ‘Aftab’ in 1918 when Muslims of the subcontinent had just begun to struggle for their rights. Now it forms a part of his book, ‘Barg-i-Sabz’, published by Feroz Sons Ltd.
Further, the couplet has been translated by Mr Iftikhar as follows:
“Don’t be frightened by these furious and violent winds, oh eagle! These blow only to make you fly higher.”
A nearer translation of the couplet would be:
“Don’t get daunted by the fury of opposing winds, oh eagle! These blow only to make you soar higher (into the skies).”
In case any interested readers have some queries, they are most welcome to contact me at mushtaqsyed45@gmail.com
MUSHTAQ HUSSAIN SYED
Islamabad
