Couplets › Selfhood
From Bal-e-Jibril, 1935 · originally composed in Urdu
Khudi ki shokhi-o-tundi mein kibr-o-naaz nahin
Jo naaz ho bhi to be-lazzat-e-niyaz nahin
Jo naaz ho bhi to be-lazzat-e-niyaz nahin
“There is no arrogance or vanity in the spirited fierceness of selfhood — and any pride it does carry is never without the sweetness of humility.”
Romanहिन्दी
ख़ुदी की शोख़ी ओ तुंदी में किब्र-ओ-नाज़ नहीं
जो नाज़ हो भी तो बे-लज़्ज़त-ए-नियाज़ नहीं
जो नाज़ हो भी तो बे-लज़्ज़त-ए-नियाज़ नहीं
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 answers the obvious objection to his philosophy of selfhood: is it not just ego? No, he insists. The fierce energy of a true self holds no arrogance, and whatever pride it has is always paired with humility — the two are inseparable in a healthy self.
For You, Today
A strong sense of self is not the same as conceit. Iqbal's test: real selfhood always carries humility alongside its confidence. If the pride has crowded the humility out, it has stopped being selfhood and become ego.
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
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
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