Goethe was a prolific writer and he is widely known as a critic, journalist, painter, theatre manager, statesman, educationist and natural philosopher but for the Islamic world his fame largely rests on his creative appreciation of the intellectual and religious traditions of Islam. Among the European savants, Goethe is the only writer who has expressed the most balanced and sympathetic views about Islamic culture and civilization, combined with the endless resources of his imaginative powers.
This unique aspect of Goethe’s thought attracted Allama Iqbal and he paid remarkable tribute to the poetic excellence of the German poet. Iqbal’s admiration for Goethe’s multi-faceted genius reached its apex in the form of his Payam-i-Mashriq (1923) as a response to Goethe’s West-Eastern Divan that was also inspired by the lyricism of Hafiz Shirazi.
Iqbal became acquainted with Goethe in his early age and this intellectual relationship lasted up to the end of his life. Iqbal’s writings, both in prose and poetry, are replete with his complementary remarks about Goethe’s deep understanding of Islamic traditions.
On the occasion of Goethe’s 250th birth anniversary and with the reference of Iqbal’s poetic coincidences with him, the Iqbal Academy Pakistan has launched a grand project entitled Iqbal and Goethe that is primarily meant to focus on fostering the literary and cultural relations between Pakistan and Germany. This scholarly undertaking is, undoubtedly, the first of its kind and we are striving to present it to the public within the stipulated time.
This project comprises two big volumes (containing about 1500 pages), one in English and the other in Urdu (with special sections in German and Persian). We have endeavoured to present the most authentic material, based on the original sources, throwing almost new light on the life-long intellectual relationship between Iqbal and Goethe. With the preface of Prof. Annemarie Schimmel, a renowned Iqbal scholar of Germany, the whole project has been accomplished under the editorship of M. Ikram Chaghatai, who is recently decorated by the Austrian President for his original researches relating to the German-speaking countries.
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Iqbal and Goethe
SALIENT FEATURES
1)- The project entitled "Iqbal and Goethe" comprises two volumes, one in English and the other in Urdu.
2)- The English volume contains four parts:
i). Collection of the articles, published so far in the different journals and books of the Subcontinent, relating to the poetical and literary connections between Iqbal and Goethe. The world-renowned scholars of the Subcontinent and abroad write most of the articles.
ii)- Deals with the early and almost little-known studies about Goethe in the Subcontinent, especially those which are concerned with Goethe’s interest in the Orient.
iii). Includes some important reviews on Iqbal’s "Message of the East" and its German rendering by Prof. A. Schimmel (1963), mostly published in European scholarly journals such as "Oriens" (Leiden), "Orientalistische Literaturzeitung" (Leipzig), "Der Islam" (Berlin) etc.; and the German and English translations of those Iqbal’s Persian and Urdu poems and scattered verses which show the deep influence of Goethe on Iqbal.
iv). Brings to light the unpublished, probably unknown, documents from the private papers of Iqbal in which he has referred Goethe and provided information about the "Oriental Movement" in the German literature; also encloses the most comprehensive and up-to-date bibliography of the sources, mostly German, about Goethe’s "West-Eastern Divan" and his interest in the literary and intellectual life of the Orient; at the end a selection of pictures, from Goethe’s childhood up to his death, has been given.
3)- Like the English volume, the companion volume in Urdu is also divided in the fours parts, namely:
i)- Collection of 22 articles on Iqbal and Goethe which are published in the various Urdu journals and books, written by the eminent Iqbalists and distinguished scholars of the Subcontinent. An attempt has been made to incorporate all the material, published so far in Urdu on this subject. e.g. Iqbal and Goethe.
ii)- Includes the articles on the life and works of Goethe, along with a few translations of his poems, published in the leading Urdu journals from 1921 up to the present day. For the first time, this most significant scattered material, presently housed in the different libraries and archival institutions of the country, has been put together. Having a cursory look at these studies, it would be convenient to evaluate the varied approaches of Urdu critics and scholars to the life and the poetical and dramatic works of Goethe.
iii). Contains selective contemporary reviews of Iqbal’s "Payam-i-Mashriq" (Message of the East", 1923) – a response to Goethe’s "West-Ostliche Divan", by Iqbal’s closest friends and a few informative detailed studies of this Persian book of Iqbal by some reputed scholars of the country.
iv). Includes a few articles in Persian on Iqbal and Goethe and the latter’s "Divan".
4)- Except a few Europeans, all the contributors of these two English and Urdu volumes belong to this Subcontinent and their studies will clearly show the level of their critical appreciation and scholarly acumen relating to Goethe’s literary achievements.
5)- Both English and Urdu volumes have separate detailed introductions in which some new aspects of Goethe’s influence on Iqbal’s mind and poetical works will be highlighted.
6)- Goethe passed away in 1832 and afterwards several centennial and bicentennial conferences with reference to his birth (1749) and death have been held internationally and on these occasions an enormous bulk of material about Goethe came into light. Unfortunately, the scholars of the Subcontinent did not participate in these international gatherings and they even paid no attention to publish anything on these events. The editor of this work intends to present the afore-mentioned two volumes up to the middle of the next year (1999) that is the 250th birth anniversary of Goethe. So, this will be the first attempt to pay homage to Goethe from the scholars and intellectuals of the Subcontinent.
7)- The material, presented in these volumes, has been taken from the reliable sources of the German, English, Persian and Urdu languages and, thus, the whole project will be useful for the general readers and the specialists of the Occident and the Orient.
8)- Both volumes have approximately one thousand pages, along with a number of photographs and the reproductions of the rare hand-written material.
9)- An effort has been made to make this project more comprehensive both for the German and the local readers. Therefore some of its sections particularly the 3rd and 4th parts of the English volume are based on the most authentic German sources that are not easily available in the Subcontinent.
10)- This undertaking is, no doubt, the first of its kind and it aims at promoting the cultural and intellectual relationship between the people of Germany and the Subcontinent through the two prominent literary figures – Iqbal and Goethe – who are universally acknowledged to be the giants of world literature.
Iqbal And Goethe
(In two volumes)
Vol. I (Urdu):
Part-1
1)- Foreword.
2)- Dr. Mumtaz Hassan: Goethe in the Eyes of Iqbal.
3)- Ibid.: Importance of Goethe for Iqbal’s readers.
4)- Dr. Hatim Rampuri: Iqbal and Goethe.
5)- Sh. Habibullah: Iqbal and Goethe.
6)- M. Hayat Khan Siyal: Iqbal and Goethe.
7)- Khumar, B.A.: Goethe and Iqbal.
8)- Jagan Nath Azad: Iqbal and Goethe.
9)- Maqbool Hussain Hashmi: Iqbal and Goethe.
10)- Dr. Haamdi Kashmiri: Iblis---as seen by Iqbal and Goethe.
11)- Ghulam Nabi Khayal: Iqbal, Hafiz and Goethe.
12)- Prof. S. Vahiduddin: Philosophy of Goethe and Iqbal.
13)- Ibid: Iqbal, Goethe and Nietzsche.
14)- Wazirzadah M. Ashraf Khan: Iqbal and Goethe.
15)- Abdul Malik Arvi: Iqbal and Goethe
16)- M. Siddique Shibli: Iqbal and Goethe.
17)- Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah: Iqbal and Goethe.
18)- Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad Siddique: Iqbal and Goethe.
19)- Dr. Syed Muhammd Akram: Ghalib—a counterpart of Goethe (Iqbal)
20)- Ibid.: Iqbal and Goethe (Persian)
21)- Ibid.: Iqbal- with reference to Hafiz and Goethe.
22)- Nazir Niazi: A few remarks (Iqbal and Goethe).
PART 2
1)- Goethe – Poet of the Garden of Weimar. (1921)
2)- Mumtaz Hasan: Goethe – Eastern Poet of Germany (1955)
3)- Ibid.: Introduction to Arthur F. J. Remy’s book "The Influence of India and Persia on the Poetry of Germany" (Urdu translation).
4)- Dr. Syed Abid Hussain: Faust (Introduction, 1931)
5)- Ibid.: Introduction to Goethe’s "Wilhelm Meister" (Urdu translation).
6)- Dr. Reyazul Hasan: Sorrows of the young Werther (Introduction, 1933).
7)- Ibid.: Introduction to Remy’s book (op. cit.) (Urdu translation), 1973.
8)- Muhmud Barelvi: Goethe and Faust (1932)
9)- Mansoor Ahmad: Goethe in Italy (1929).
10)- Nasim Rizwani: Goethe--Man and Poet (1933).
11)- Hanif Hashmi: Faust (1929)
12)- M. Hadi Hussain: Sorows of the young Werther. (Introduction, 1922).
13)- Fazl Hameed: Faust (Introduction, 1964).
14)- Three Poems of Goethe (1935)
15)- Poems of Goethe (1935).
16)- West-Eastern Divan (Selections, 1929)
17)- Faiz Ahmad Faiz: Goethe’s Message (1936)
18)- Sher Jang: Goethe (1953)
19)- Abbas Darwish: Influence of Hafiz on Goethe (1941)
20)- Haji Luq Luq: Ghalib and Goethe.
21)- Abdul Baqi Khan: Faust (Urdu translation, 1961).
22)- God, Spirit, and Goethe.PART 3
1)- Payam-i-Mashriq. Reviewd by Ch. Muhammad Hussain (1923).
2)- Payam-i-Mashriq. Reviewed by Syed Sulaiman Nadvi (1923).
3)- Payam-i-Mashriq. Reviewed by M. Aslam Jirajpuri (1923).
4)- Payam-i-Mashriq. Reviewed by Ghulam Rasul Mehr (1923).
5)- Payam-i-Mashriq. Reviewed by R.A. Nicholson. Translated by Maulvi Muhammad Abdullah (1932).
6)- Dr. Farman Fatehpuri: Payam-i-Mashriq – A Study.
7)- Dr. Abdul Shakoor Ahsan: Payam-i-Mashriq (1977).
8)- Dr. Syed Muhammad Akram: Payam-i-Mashriq.
9)- Rahim Bakhsh Shaheen: Payam-i-Mashriq.
10)- Ibid.: Universal Popularity of Payam-i-Mashriq (1993).
11)- Syed Sulaiman Nadvi: `Islamica’ Leipzig and Iqbal (1925)
12)- Dr. Abdullah Chaghatai: Payam-i-Mashriq (1977).
PART 4
(Persian Articles)
1)- Perface " Payām-i-Mashriq" Translated by Dr. Muhammad Riaz
2)- West ِstlicher Divan by Dr. Shujā al-Dīn Shafa.
3)- "Iqbal and Goethe" by Dr. Sayyed Muhammad Akram Shah
4)- Ibid. "Hafiz, Goethe and Iqbal".
Vol. II (English)
PART 1
1)- Foreword.
2)- Prof. Annemarie Schimmel: Iqbal and Goethe.
3)- Dr. Mumtaz Hasan: Iqbal’s Tribute to Goethe.
4)- Ibid.: Goethe and the East.
5)- T.C. Rastogi: Iqbal and Goethe.
6)- Bashir Ahmad Dar: Iqbal and Goethe.
7)- Parveen Shaukat Ali: Goethe.
8)- Syed Abdul Vahid: Iqbal and Goethe (1967).
9)- Ibid. : Iqbal and Goethe (1971).
10)- Jan Slomp: The triangle: Hafiz, Goethe and Iqbal.
11)- S. Vahiduddin: Goethe, Hafiz and Iqbal.
12)- Dr. Reyazul Hasan: Goethe and Iqbal.
PART 2
1)- Abdullah Yusuf Ali: Goethe’s Orientalism (1906)
2)- Dr. J.J. Modi: Goethe’s Parsi – Nameh (1914-15)
3)- Ibid.: Hafiz and Goethe (1922)
4)- Syed Vahiduddin: The Mystic Dimensions of Goethe’s Thought.
PART 3
1)- R.A. Nicholson’s Review on "Payam-i-Mashriq". (1925)
2)- Preface of "Payam-i-Mashriq" (English and German Translations)
3)- English and German translations from Iqbal’s Urdu and Persian Poetry relating to Goethe.
4)- Reviews on German translation of Payam-i-Mashriq (A. Schimmel 1963), by J. Fuck, Jan Rypka and C.J. Burgel.
PART 4
1)- Goethe in Iqbal’s Writings (Original Documents and Photographs)
2)- Goethe: West-Ostliche Divan (Bibliographical Survey)
3)- Goethe and the Orient (Bibliography)
4)- Goethe’s Life and Works (Chronological List)
5)- Goethe in Pictures (Selection)