National Anthom of Pakistan
National Anthom of Pakistan
Blessed be the sacred land,
Happy be the bounteous realm,
Symbol of high resolve,
Land of Pakistan.
Blessed be thou citadel of faith
The Order of this Sacred Land
Is the might of the brotherhood of the people.
May the nation, the country, and the State
Shine in glory everlasting.
Blessed be the goal of our ambition.
This flag of the Crescent and the Star
Leads the way to progress and perfection
Interpreter of our past, glory of our present,
Inspiration of our future,
Symbol of Almighty's protection.
Written by
Hafeez Jallandhari
The National Anthem of Pakistan, approved by the Government in August, 1954, is a harmonious rendering of a three-stanza composition with a tune based on eastern music but arranged in such a manner that it can be easily played by foreign bands.
The Anthem is evocative in spirit, extolling Pakistan as the centre of faith and freedom, a land of beauty and strength drawn from the people and the country. The words touch upon the various facets of national life, with an invocation for the integrity of Pakistan.
The verses of the Anthem have been composed by a renowned poet of Pakistan, Abul Asar Hafeez Jullundhri; while the tune has composed by Ahmed G. Chagla, the well-known musician and composer.
The search for a suitable National Anthem was long and thorough. In December 1948, a committee was constituted by the Government under the chairmanship
of Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar for this purpose. A tune composed by Mr. Ahmed G. Chagla, a member of the Tunes Sub-committee was selected in 1950 provisionally for use as an anthem on ceremonial occasions. This composition was played during the visits to Pakistan of foreign Heads of State/Government and on the occasion of visits abroad by Heads of State and Government of Pakistan.
The tune, which was finally approved for the National Anthem in June 1954, is entirely eastern in composition as its passages are based on different ‘raags’ or melody modes, such as “Tilak Kamod’, ‘Bilawal’, ‘Kohiari’, ‘Pelu’ and ‘Dhanasiri’. These melody forms were introduced in the music of the South Asian region during the Muslim period. The whole composition, however, is so arranged as to conform to internationally acceptable music forms and can be easily interpreted by foreign bands without suffering any mutilation.
The search for suitable words for the National Anthem which would accord with the music set by Mr. Chagla ended with the approval in August, 1954 of the composition written by Hafeez Jullundhri. The three-stanza (with five lines each) composition is free of alliteration and discordance and has been so structured as to be easily adopted to the tune, providing a harmonious and pleasing rendition.
The Anthem written in Urdu is a unique poetical composition, as in spite of its brevity it is a lyrical exultation for the quintessence of Pakistan, its Islamic foundation, ideology, ethos, aspirations and its intrinsic strength.
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