Excerpted from Allama Iqbal’s first Urdu collection, Bang-e-Dara, “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua” is famously known as Bachon ki Dua (A Prayer for Children). This timeless poem is more than just a school anthem; it is a profound ethical manifest where Allama Muhammad Iqbal teaches the younger generation to aspire for a life of enlightenment, patriotism, and selfless service to humanity.
لب پہ آتی ہے دعا بن کے تمنا میری
زندگی شمع کی صورت ہو خدایا میری
Lab pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho Khudaya meri
A prayer comes to my lips in the form of a heartfelt desire;
O Lord, may my life be like that of a candle.
دُور دُنیا کا میرے دم سے اَندھیرا ہو جائے
ہر جگہ میرے چمکنے سے اُجالا ہو جائے
Door dunya ka mere dam se andhera ho jaye
Har jagah mere chamakne se ujala ho jaye
May the darkness of the world vanish through my efforts;
May every corner be enlightened by my brilliance.
ہو میرے دم سے یونہی میرے وطن کی زینت
جس طرح پُھول سے ہوتی ہے چمن کی زینت
Ho mere dam se yunhi mere watan ki zeenat
Jis tarah phool se hoti hai chaman ki zeenat
May I be the adornment of my homeland through my presence;
Just as the flower is the adornment of the garden.
زندگی ہو میری پروانے کی صُورت یا رب
علم کی شمع سے ہو مجھ کو مُحبت یا رب
Zindagi ho meri parwane ki surat Ya Rabb
Ilm ki shama se ho mujh ko mohabbat Ya Rabb
May my life be like that of a moth, O Lord;
May I fall in love with the candle of knowledge, O Lord.
ہو میرا کام غریبوں کی حمایت کرنا
درد مندوں سے ضعیفوں سے مُحبت کرنا
Ho mera kaam ghareebon ki himayat karna
Dard mandoon se zaeefon se mohabbat karna
May my life’s mission be to support the poor;
To love those in pain and to care for the elderly.
مرے اللّٰه برائی سے بچانا مجھ کو
نیک جو راہ ہو اُس رہ پہ چلانا مجھ کو
Mere Allah burai se bachana mujh ko
Naik jo raah ho us reh pe chalana mujh ko
O my God! Protect me from all evil;
And guide me on the path that is righteous.
Hikmat-e-Iqbal: Vocabulary
- Tamanna: Desire / Longing / Aspiration.
- Zeenat: Adornment / Beauty / Decoration.
- Chaman: Garden.
- Parwana: Moth (Symbolizing a selfless lover/devotee).
- Himayat: Support / Advocacy.
- Dard Mand: Those in pain or suffering.
- Zaeef: The weak or the elderly.
Spiritual Echoes: The Path of Aspiration
The prayer for light, love, and service in Iqbal’s verses finds its soul in these masterpieces of the Arifana tradition:
Alahazrat: The Original Candle (Shama)
Iqbal prays for his life to be a candle, while Alahazrat reminds us that the source of all world-illumination is the Beauty of Mustafa ﷺ:
Alahazrat: The Children’s Naat
Just as Iqbal’s prayer is the anthem for young hearts, Alahazrat’s classic Naat instills the love of the Prophet ﷺ in the next generation:
Abul Faiz Qalandar: Divine Love
The child’s wish to serve the poor mirrors the Qalandar’s plea for sincere Ishq and worship solely for the sake of Allah:
Maulana Hali: Manners and Adab
Iqbal’s call to love the weak and elderly is a response to the social decline Maulana Hali lamented in his iconic prayer:
Allama Iqbal: The Flower of Cosmos
The child’s wish to be the “Flower of the Homeland” connects to Iqbal’s vision of the Prophet ﷺ as the flower of all existence:
Alahazrat: The Ultimate Dua
The closing plea for the “Righteous Path” in Bachon ki Dua finds its deepest expression in Alahazrat’s request for Divine support at every step:
Voice: Bachon Ki Dua – Allama Iqbal
The Poet of the East:
Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal (علامہ محمد اقبال)
Discover the profound Urdu and Persian wisdom of:
Bang-e-Dara |
Bal-e-Jibril |
Zarb-e-Kaleem |
Asrar-e-Khudi
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