IQBAL: The Mullah and Paradise

[naqshbandijamaati]

When in a vision I saw
A mullah ordered to paradise,
Unable to hold my tongue,
I said something in this wise:

‘Pardon me, O Lord,
For these bold words of mine,
But he will not be pleased
With the houris and the wine.

He loves to dispute and fight,
And furiously wrangle,
But paradise is no place
For this kind of jangle.

His task is to disunite
And leave people in the lurch,
But paradise has no temple,
No mosque and no church.’

The original:

ملااور بہشت

ميں بھي حاضر تھا وہاں ، ضبط سخن کر نہ سکا
حق سے جب حضرت ملا کو ملا حکم بہشت
عرض کي ميں نے ، الہي! مري تقصير معاف
خوش نہ آئيں گے اسے حور و شراب و لب کشت
نہيں فردوس مقام جدل و قال و اقول
بحث و تکرار اس اللہ کے بندے کي سرشت
ہے بد آموزي اقوام و ملل کام اس کا
اور جنت ميں نہ مسجد ، نہ کليسا ، نہ کنشت!

[naqshbandijamaati]

The above professional translation was by Dr. Naim Siddiqui from the official Iqbal site.

A more literal translation by moi:

I too was present there and could not hold my tongue
When the Lord ordered the mullah to Paradise!
Said I, "Lord! Forgive my boldness but
He will not like the houris and the flasks of wine
Paradise is not the place of 'He said' and 'They said'
Argument and disputation is this pious man's trade!
To bring disunity to the nation and the people is his work
And Paradise contains neither mosque, nor church, nor temple!"