Couplets  ›  Courage
From Bal-e-Jibril · originally composed in Urdu
ho ho ki
Yahi raha hai se qalandaron ka

“Let there be a thousand fears, yet let the tongue stay true to the heart; this has been the way of free spirits since the beginning of time.”

Romanहिन्दीاردو
हो ज़बाँ हो की
यही रहा है से क़लंदरों का

The couplet in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.

ہزار خوف ہو لیکن زباں ہو دل کی رفیق
یہی رہا ہے ازل سے قلندروں کا طریق

The couplet as Iqbal wrote it, in Urdu (Nastaliq).

♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation

Iqbal defines integrity as the alignment of speech with inner conviction, held even under fear. The qalandar, the free and fearless seeker, does not let dread edit what the heart knows to be true. Courage here is not the absence of fear but speech that refuses to betray belief.

For You, Today

Fear will always be present when something real is at stake. The test is whether what you say still matches what you actually believe. Keep your words loyal to your heart.

Themes:CourageSelfhoodSelf-Knowledge
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In the same spirit
Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har taqdeer se pehle
Khuda bande se khud pooche, bata teri raza kya hai
Raise your selfhood so high that, before issuing every decree of destiny, God Himself asks you: tell me, what is your wish?
Selfhood · Courage
Nahin tera nasheman qasr-e-sultani ke gumbad par
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
Apne mann mein doob kar pa ja suragh-e-zindagi
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