Couplets › Humility
From Bang-e-Dara · originally composed in Urdu
Ai himala ai fasil-e-kishwar-e-hindustan
Chumta hai teri peshani ko jhuk kar aasman
Chumta hai teri peshani ko jhuk kar aasman
“O Himalaya, O rampart of the land of India, the sky bends down to kiss your brow.”
Romanहिन्दी
ऐ हिमाला ऐ फ़सील-ए-किश्वर-ए-हिन्दुस्तान
चूमता है तेरी पेशानी को झुक कर आसमाँ
चूमता है तेरी पेशानी को झुक कर आसमाँ
The couplet in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation
Iqbal opens his ode to the Himalaya with an image of the sky itself bowing in respect. The mountain stands as a figure of quiet, unmovable grandeur, honoured not for noise or conquest but for the steady dignity of simply standing. Nature here models a greatness that does not need to announce itself.
For You, Today
Real stature does not demand recognition; it draws it. Stand steady in your work and your character, and the respect tends to come down to meet you.
In the same spirit
Apne mann mein doob kar pa ja suragh-e-zindagi
Tu agar mera nahin banta na ban, apna to ban
Tu agar mera nahin banta na ban, apna to ban
Dive into your own self and find the trace of life. If you will not be mine, then do not — but at least become your own.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge
Parwaz hai dono ki isi ek faza mein
Kargas ka jahan aur hai, shaheen ka jahan aur
Kargas ka jahan aur hai, shaheen ka jahan aur
Both take flight in this very same sky — yet the vulture's world is one thing, and the falcon's another.
The Falcon · Self-Knowledge
Dhoondne wala sitaron ki guzargahon ka
Apne afkaar ki duniya mein safar kar na saka
Apne afkaar ki duniya mein safar kar na saka
He who charts the very pathways of the stars could not journey through the world of his own thoughts.
Self-Knowledge · Selfhood