Couplets › Selfhood
From Bal-e-Jibril, 1935 · originally composed in Urdu
Khudi ho ilm se mohkam to ghairat-e-Jibril
Agar ho ishq se mohkam to soor-e-Israfil
Agar ho ishq se mohkam to soor-e-Israfil
“A selfhood made firm by knowledge can rival the angel of revelation; a selfhood made firm by love can rival the trumpet that wakes the world.”
Romanहिन्दी
ख़ुदी हो इल्म से मोहकम तो ग़ैरत-ए-जिब्रील
अगर हो इश्क़ से मोहकम तो सूर-ए-इस्राफ़ील
अगर हो इश्क़ से मोहकम तो सूर-ए-इस्राफ़ील
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 weighs two ways of strengthening the self. Knowledge makes it formidable, the equal of an angel. But love makes it world-shaking — the equal of the trumpet whose sound stirs all of creation. Both are needed; love is named the greater force.
For You, Today
Knowledge will make you capable; Iqbal does not deny that. But he reserves the higher power for love — the thing that actually moves people and changes the world. Build both, and do not neglect the second.
In the same spirit
Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har taqdeer se pehle
Khuda bande se khud pooche, bata teri raza kya hai
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
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
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