Couplets › Love
From Bal-e-Jibril (1935) · originally composed in Urdu
ne mujh ko
Ye meri mera na
Ye meri mera na
“Love has made me a river with no visible shore; I fear my own self-guarding may become the bank that hems me in.”
Romanहिन्दीاردو
बनाया ने मुझ को
ये मेरी मिरा न जाए
ये मेरी मिरा न जाए
The couplet in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
بنایا عشق نے دریائے ناپیدا کراں مجھ کو
یہ میری خود نگہداری مرا ساحل نہ بن جائے
یہ میری خود نگہداری مرا ساحل نہ بن جائے
The couplet as Iqbal wrote it, in Urdu (Nastaliq).
♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation
Iqbal's ishq is the force that breaks limits and expands the self beyond any boundary. Here he warns against a subtler trap: excessive caution about oneself. Watching yourself too anxiously can build the very shore that stops a boundless river from flowing.
For You, Today
Self-discipline is good, but over-managing yourself can shrink you. If you are forever guarding against risk and error, you may be building the walls that keep you small. Let the river run.
In the same spirit
Sitaron se aage jahan aur bhi hain
Abhi ishq ke imtihan aur bhi hain
Abhi ishq ke imtihan aur bhi hain
Beyond the stars there are worlds yet — there are still more trials of love to come.
Aspiration · Love · Restlessness
Nahin tera nasheman qasr-e-sultani ke gumbad par
Tu shaheen hai, basera kar paharon ki chattanon mein
Tu shaheen hai, basera kar paharon ki chattanon mein
Your nest is not on the dome of a royal palace. You are a falcon — make your dwelling on the rocks of the mountains.
The Falcon · Freedom · Courage
Zindagi ho meri parwane ki surat ya-rab
Ilm ki shama se ho mujh ko mohabbat ya-rab
Ilm ki shama se ho mujh ko mohabbat ya-rab
Let my life be like the moth's, O Lord; let me love the lamp of knowledge.
Love · Aspiration · Youth