IN THE EAST PRINCIPLES ARE CHANGED TO RELIGION

Introduction
This group of twenty nine poems are sarcasm on the contemporary political-social-economic problems. Many of  them  were written in the early part of �All�mah Iqb�l�s literary career and most of them refer to the affairs of the Indian sub-continent. Hence, there is a good amount of local color in the choice of words and expressions. �All�mah Iqb�l is reported to have been of a pleasant and amiable temperament  when in social circles and his letters reveal a fair amount  of humor. However, his serious views on the matters contained  in these humorous poems prevailed over his pleasant nature and in some poems he has not been able to avoid passing into serious discourse. The last poem (147-29) is an  example of this.

Translation
In the East principles are changed to religion
But in the West they are changed into  machines¹

We do not retain even one of them
There one is changed into three

Explanatory Notes
1. Reference to the doctrine of  Trinity.