Meryem Köken, a former student of PakTurk, interpreted Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s poem “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua”, also known as “Bachche Ki Dua (Child’s Prayer)”, with a guitar performance.

‘Bachche Ki Dua’ is an Urdu poem which was written by Iqbal in 1902. This poem, which is essentially a prayer, is sung almost everywhere in Pakistan and India in the morning assemblies of primary schools where the medium of instruction is Urdu.

Meryem Köken, who sang the piece for the PakTurkFile accompanied by her guitar, lived in Pakistan between 2003 and 2013. She continues her undergraduate studies in joint degree program of English and Psychology in Germany.

You may read the Urdu lyrics and English translation of the poem below:

لب پہ آتی ہے دعا

لب پہ آتی ہے دعا بن کے تمنا میری
زندگی شمع کی صورت ہو خدایا میری

دور دنیا کا مرے دم سے اندھیرا ہو جائے
ہر جگہ میرے چمکنے سے اجالا ہو جائے

ہو مرے دم سے یونہی میرے وطن کی زینت
جس طرح پھول سے ہوتی ہے چمن کی زینت

زندگی ہو مری پروانے کی صورت یا رب
علم کی شمع سے ہو مجھ کو محبت یا رب

ہو مرا کام غریبوں کی حمایت کرنا
درد مندوں سے ضعیفوں سے محبت کرنا

مرے اللہ! برائی سے بچانا مجھ کو
نیک جو راہ ہو اس رہ پہ چلانا مجھ کو

***

Children’s Song

My heart’s desire comes to my lips as a prayer
God, make my life as one of a candle, a guiding light

My presence would destroy the darkness of this world,
And my burning light would illuminate all space

My actions would be for my country, beautiful and admired
Just as a flower adds to the beauty of a garden

My work would be to help the poor
And to fill the lives of the lost and old with love

O God, save me from the evil and wrong
And keep me on the path that is straight and righteous