Madine ka Safar

Madine ka safar hai aur mein namdeedah namdeedah
jabeen afsurdah afsurdah qadam laghzeedah laghzeedah
It is the journey to Madinah and I am teary-eyed, teary-eyed
My brow is furrowed, furrowed, my feet faltering, faltering

Chala hoon aik mujrim ki tarah mein jaanib e Taiba
nazar sharmindah sharmindah badan larzeedah larzeedah
I am headed towards Madinah (Taiba) like a criminal
Eyes downcast, downcast, my body trembling, trembling

Kissi kay haath ne mujh ko sahaara day diya warna
kahaan mein aur kahaan yeh raastay pecheedah pecheedah
Someone’s hand lent me support otherwise
Who am I to travel these paths, so difficult, so difficult!

Kahaan main aur kahaan us rawza e aqdas ka nazaarah
nazar us simt uth-tee hai magar duzdeedah duzdeedah
How low I am and how lofty is the vision of the Sacred Tomb
My gaze rises towards it but only in stolen glances, stolen glances!

Ghulaamaan e Muhammad door se paichaanay jaate hein
Dil e girzeedah girzeedah sar e shoreedah shoreedah
The slaves of Muhammad can be identified from afar
With hearts enraptured, enraptured and heads devoted, devoted!

Madine jaa kar hum samajhe taqaddus kis ko kehte hein
Havaa paakeezah paakeezah fazaa sanjeedah sanjeedah
After having reached Madinah I’ve learnt what ‘holy’ really means
The air so purified, so purified, the atmosphere so reverent, so reverent

Basaarat kho gayee lekin baseerat tau salaamat hai
Madinah hum ne dekha hai magar nadeedah nadeedah
My eyesight is gone but my insight is still intact
I have seen Madinah but it still remains unseen, unseen!

Vohi Iqbal jis ko naaz tha kal khush-mizaaji par
Firaaq e Tayba mein rehtaa hai ab ranjeedah ranjeedah
The Iqbal who was, till yesterday, proud of his cheerful nature
Is now, in separation from Madinah, always so sorrowful, so sorrowful!

Written By: Professor Iqbal Azeem