THE MORNING STAR ‑ VENUS

Introduction
 This poem , in three parts, is yet another one in which ‘All«mah Iqb«l has established the superiority of Man above all else in the universe. In common parlance, and particularly in Urdu and Persian literature, denizens of the spiritual world are considered superior to those of the terrestrial world. As explained in Chapter 3 ‘All«mah Iqb«l has presented the view of the Holy Qur’«n in which Man has been designated to be superior to all in his capacity of being the Vicegerent of God on earth. Venus, "the morning star", is considered to be very beautiful on account of its brilliance and visibility from the earth early in the morning and also early in the evening. For this reason it is called "Zahrah", i.e. "the bright one". In this poem Venus expresses its desire to be not only a denizen of the earth but be the one in close association with Man. This testifies to the elegance of Man. At another place ‘All«mah Iqb«l says:

(176)     I have learnt from Prophet's Ascension to Celestial World
That the world of Man transcends the Celestial World
(Appendix III, No. 29)

The last part of the poem describes one aspect which is characteristic of a Mu’min family and is one of its virtues.

Translation
Should I abandon the pleasure of sun's and moon's company?
And should I abandon this service of conveying dawn's message ¹?

For me the height of the world of stars is not good
For me lowliness of earth's denizens is better than this height

What is the sky? Is the uninhabited homeland of mine
The tattered skirt of the morning is my shroud

My destiny is dying and being born every day
Drinking morning draft of wine from the hand of death's cup-bearer

This service, this honor, this elegance is not good
Darkness is better than this ephemeral illumination

                If  I had the power, I would have never become a planet
                I would have become the shining pearl in the ocean's depth

There also if I would have become weary of the waves' struggle
Leaving the ocean I would have become some neck's decoration²

The pleasure of brightness is in being some beauty's ornament
In being the ornament of the crown of the princess of Caesar³

As the fortune of a piece of stone gained ascendancy
It did not stop short of being jewel of Sulaiman's ⁴ ring

But breaking is the end of such things in the world
Breaking is the end of the invaluable pearls

Real life is the one which is not acquainted with death
What good is the life in which there is demand of death?

                If this is the end of being the decoration of the universe
                Why should I not fall as dew on some flower?

I should live as shining specks in the decoration of someone's forehead
I should live in the sparks of some oppressed person's sighs

As tear I be entangled in the eye lashes of someone
Why should I not drip from the eyes of that lady?

Whose husband, clad in the chains‑armor is departing
To battlefield, compelled by the love of the homeland

Who may be exhibiting hope and despair's spectacle
Whose silence may be putting speech to embarrassment

To whom pleasing the husband may give the strength for patience
And to whose eyes' modesty may give the power to speak

Whose rosy cheeks at departure's time may be turned pale
Attraction of whose beauty by separation's sorrow may be enhanced

However hard she may control but still I may drip
I may spill over from the cup of the tearful eye

                After mixing with dust I may get eternal life
                And departing, I may show warmth of Love to the world

Explanatory Notes­

1. Allusion to the appearance of Venus at dawn proclaiming the arrival of the morning.

2. Allusion to pearls which are produced in the ocean.

3. Caesar -This is the generic title of the emperors of the Roman Empire. They are proverbial for their immense power and wealth of that time.

4. S. Sulaim«n A.S.‑ See Appendix I, No 73. As Islam considers the Jewish and Christian religions only as evolutionary stages of the final religion of Islam, as contained in the Holy Qur'«n Muslims also respect S. Sulaim«n A.S. as a true prophet. He is also famous for his wealth, power and glory. The signet ring refers to the stone of his ring which was an emblem of his sovereignty. This verse shows that a mere piece of stone gained elegance by being the stone of the ring of a man.