Couplets › Youth
From Bal-e-Jibril, 1935 · originally composed in Urdu
Mohabbat mujhe un jawanon se hai
Sitaron pe jo dalte hain kamand
Sitaron pe jo dalte hain kamand
“My love is for those young ones who cast their lasso upon the stars.”
Romanहिन्दी
मोहब्बत मुझे उन जवानों से है
सितारों पे जो डालते हैं कमंद
सितारों पे जो डालते हैं कमंद
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 declares his love openly — and it is reserved for the audacious. To cast a lasso on the stars is to attempt what sober people call impossible. He is not impressed by caution; he is moved by reach.
For You, Today
Iqbal is on the side of your most outrageous ambition. The dream that feels embarrassingly large is exactly the one he would tell you to throw your rope around.
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
Lab pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri
My longing rises to my lips as a prayer: O God, may my life be like a candle's flame.
Hope · Aspiration
Nahin hai naumeed Iqbal apni kisht-e-veeran se
Zara nam ho to ye mitti badi zarkhez hai saqi
Zara nam ho to ye mitti badi zarkhez hai saqi
Iqbal is not without hope, even from his barren field — let there be a little moisture, cupbearer, and this soil is wonderfully fertile.
Hope · Aspiration