This poem is categorized in a collection of poems in Bang-e-dara for children. The Urdu title of poem is �Hamdardi� which is usually translated as �Sympathy�. According to my understanding of it, I have translated it as "Empathy" instead of "Sympathy".
The Bulbul is the nightingale and the Jugnoo is the firefly.
The original Urdu words have been used to assign character to the role played by the two.
It is not purposeless though, while analyzing symbols used in Muslim classic literature, we come to know that �garden� refers to the garden of life; the rose to the spiritual self and the Bulbul to the material, worldly self.
The bulbul spends most of the time enjoying luxuries of life, idolizing rose and claiming to be in love, but seldom showing an active pursuit of it.
Bulbul's occupation is mostly with the zahir of life. While
Rose is all spiritual essence of life. Rose, however, is not mentioned in this poem.
The poem also signifies the loneliness and depression one faces near the end of life, when all life is spent in pursuit of material needs of life seeking ordinary pleasures, "as said by Iqbal" ---Urnay chugnay main Din guzara"; at the end of the day we realize that we have lost our way. We are nowhere and we don�t know who will get us safely to the home.
A simple Jugnoo (firefly) may help us in such a dire situation. It is all by Allah�s mercy.
The Jugnoo represents inner illumination. In our everyday life, we hardly distinguish a Jugnoo from other insects. It remains as insignificant and petty a being as ordinary flies can be. In the same way we can hardly recognize people with real knowledge in life, the Wali Allahs or the friends of Allah. We recognize them only in moments of dire need, in a spiritual crisis they appear like a North Star in the dark sky and guide us to our desired destination.
May Allah give us all the capacity to empathize with our inner selves! Amen! |
