Couplets › Self-Knowledge
From Bal-e-Jibril (1935) · originally composed in Urdu
Man ki daulat hath aati hai to phir jati nahin
Tan ki daulat chhanw hai aata hai dhan jata hai dhan
Tan ki daulat chhanw hai aata hai dhan jata hai dhan
“The wealth of the inner self, once gained, never leaves you again; the wealth of the body is mere shade, money comes and money goes.”
Romanहिन्दी
मन की दौलत हाथ आती है तो फिर जाती नहीं
तन की दौलत छाँव है आता है धन जाता है धन
तन की दौलत छाँव है आता है धन जाता है धन
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 draws a sharp line between two kinds of riches. What you build inside you, character, depth, a settled self, is permanent. Material wealth is shade that shifts with the sun. He is not against money; he is against mistaking the temporary for the lasting.
For You, Today
When you choose what to invest your years in, ask which kind of wealth you are building. Skill, courage and depth stay with you. Bank balances rise and fall. Weight the lasting account more heavily.
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
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