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PREFACE
Armaghan-i-Hijaz
is the latest composition of Iqbal and an essence of his lifetime’s experience
and thoughts. Many Pakistani and English poets have already rendered versified
translations of selected poems of Iqbal. But nobody took the painstaking to
translate any book of Iqbal to maintain the same grace and gloss, splendour
and lush, the rich and gorgeous beauty of Iqbal’s own style and symmetry
of words with a proper rhyme and meterical flow of Persian and Urdu compositions
for which these languages are so proud. The children and young generations do
not retain a prose or free verse in memory. The children sing nursery rhymes
and not a prose or free verse. The impact of a versified thought is not less
than magic.
Since 1951
I was feeling an urge to translate Iqbal in such a way that people of West should
consider him as one of their own national poets but the livelihood worries did
not give me time to pay my attention towards it. About one fifth portion of
"Armughan’ was lying with me for the last decade. As soon as I got
a signal of Iqbal Academy I completed this job within three months.
In order
to create Persian sweet taste in English I have avoided the use of words having
three or four syllables particularly when the vocal harmony is missing, for
example Crocodile, Alligator, obedience etc. in case of Crocodile I would use
its diminutive viz croco; for Gabriel, Abraham and Alexander I would use the
Gabe, the Abe, Alec and so on. Since Pharoah is pronounced as ‘Fero’
a use of its Dim is not required. I have tried to do full justice with Iqbal
in my translations, yet it is my first attempt. I would request the critics
to avoid criticism with exaggeration. All opinions of the worthy readers will
be receive with thanks and necessary amendments will be made in the Second Edition.
It would
be an act of great ungratefulness on my part if I do not acknowledge my thanks
to Dr. Muiz-ud-Din, Director, Iqbal Academy (nowadays Head of Iqbal’s Chair
at Cambridge University) who always took interest in my translations of Iqbal
with pleasing remarks. I am also grateful to Dr. Burhan Ahmad Farooqi who always
saw my works with appreciation, and gave me good suggestions where necessary.
Qazi Ahdul
Kabir
5- Garden Town Lahore
Date/Time Last Modified: 6/18/2002 8:04:12 AM
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