পারস্য-যাত্রী
Asia, its expression of the intellectual hospitality to all manifestations that transcend temporal standard and indicate our path to inner perfection. Human civilization has crossed the boundaries of racial and national segregation. We are today to build the future of man on an honest understanding of our varied racial personality which gives richness to life, on tolerance and sympathy and cooperation in the great task of liberating the human mind from the dark forces of unreason and mutual distrust of homicidal pride of sect and lust of gain. I pray that Iraq may realise this great responsibility of a coming civilization.
Iraq, the land where great historical ages have mingled their glories, lying in the central zone of traffic between West and East may rightly hope to become one of the living links of a coming federation of the peoples of the world. With her vision of far-away beckoning horizons, her glittering atmosphere and the vast voice of her sky, her twin great rivers flowing down through shining centuries of splendour, let her win her right to a boundless freedom in a world of greatness and proclaim under her high-vaulted heavens the majesty of the spirit of man which is the sacred shrine of the spirit of God.
At the conclusion let me read the verse which I have specially written for the occasion and which may be translated thus—
The night has ended.
Put out the light of the lamp
of thine own narrow dark corner
smudged with smoke,
the great Morning which is for all
appears in the East.
Let its light reveal us to each other
who walk on the same path
of pilgrimage.
১৪৮
