Meaning of National Anthem

National anthem written by Hafeez Jallundhri was recorded in 1954. Eleven singers included an unknown immigrant from Hyderabad (Deccan) who later became one of the best-loved voices in Pakistan. His name was Ahmad Rushdi (surely, you must have heard ‘Ko Ko Korina’).

Lyrics consist of three stanzas of five lines each. The first line introduces an issue and every subsequent line takes us deeper into the layers of the same issue. Hence montage of simple phrases builds up to a climax in each stanza.

Stanza 1

May the Pure Homeland prosper!
May the beautiful country prosper!
You are the sign of high determination,
O land of Pakistan,
May the pivot of certainty prosper!

Italics are mine, to help you see that odd-numbered lines emphasize spiritual aspects while even-numbered lines emphasize earthy aspects. Pure Homeland (line 1), sign of high determination (line 3) and pivot of certainty (line 5) are spiritual realities which have now appeared in the physical form of the beautiful country (2), the land of Pakistan (4).

Stanza 2

Order of the Pure Homeland:
Power of brotherhood of the people;
Nation, land, state –
May they last forever illustriously!
May the destination of aims prosper!

Here again the odd and even lines contrast with each other (odd lines refer to the state while even lines refer to the people) but the most noteworthy point in this stanza is that the second line mentions “the power brotherhood of the people” and the third line dramatically introduces “nation, land, state” as if they are derived from the subject introduced in the previous line, i.e. the brotherhood of the people. Hence the power of this brotherhood becomes manifest: countries die while people live on (according to Iqbal), and hence “nation, land, state” derived from this power “may… last forever illustriously”. The final line unifies these elements in “the destination of aims”.

Stanza 3

Flag with star and crescent,
Guide for progress and perfection,
A reflection of the past, magnificence of the present,
The spirit of the future,
The shadow of God Almighty!

This stanza is entirely about the national flag. Since banners are always carried in front of contingents, the flag can be called a “guide.” Its star becomes symbol of progress (“stars” are commonly used as measures of rating) while its crescent signifies an unceasing quest for perfection (this interpretation of the waxing and waning of moon also comes from Iqbal). Past, present and future unite here to replace the rule of emperors (who were called “the Shadow of God”) with the rule of this banner and all that it stands for. As usual, the contrast between odd and even lines can be seen in this stanza too: odd lines are about things which exist while even lines are about things desired.

Next post: Trendsetter will be about a later poet through whom these linguistic experiments reached their peak. If you are not subscribed to this newsletter, join the Yahoo! Group or send email to KhurramsOffice@yahoo.com for receiving subsequent posts directly in your inbox.