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The man who proclaimed that “सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिन्दोस्ताँ हमारा” in what he called, “तराना-ए-हिंदी” (“Anthem of the People of India”), the same man who later embraced the idea of a separate Muslim state, the same man who was recognised in places as far as Iran, Russia, and the USA, the same man who was named the National Poet of Pakistan, wrote this “Child’s Prayer” in 1902, later recognised as the National prayer of Pakistan, which we also sung in school (yes, in India). The kind of contradiction Allama Iqbal held inside him was, and probably remains, quite accurately representative of the residents of the Indian subcontinent as a whole.
Indeed, I can think of no better prayer this Independence Day (when India and Pakistan were both born as modern nations) that may be sung by both Indians and Pakistanis equally, with absolutely no modification, and still apply.
लब पे आती है दुआ बन के तमन्ना मेरी
ज़िंदगी शम्मा की सूरत हो ख़ुदाया मेरी
दूर दुनिया का मेरे दम से अंधेरा हो जाये
हर जगह मेरे चमकने से उजाला हो जाये
हो मेरे दम से यूँ ही मेरे वतन की ज़ीनत
जिस तरह फूल से होती है चमन की ज़ीनत
ज़िंदगी हो मेरी परवाने की सूरत या रब
इल्म की शम्मा से हो मुझको मुहब्बत या रब
हो मेरा काम ग़रीबों की हिमायत करना
दर्दमंदों से ज़ईफ़ों से मुहब्बत करना
मेरे अल्लाह बुराई से बचाना मुझको
नेक जो राह हो उस रेह पे चलाना मुझको
In India, we have mostly heard the version sung by Siza Roy, but the tune we sang in school was slightly different. Those of you who went to Central Schools in India back in the 1970s will remember this.
And yes, Happy Independence Day to everyone.
