Couplets › Action
From Bang-e-Dara (1924) · originally composed in Urdu
Sai-e-paiham hai taraazu-e-kam-o-kaif-e-hayat
Teri mizan hai shumar-e-sahar-o-sham abhi
Teri mizan hai shumar-e-sahar-o-sham abhi
“Ceaseless striving is the true scale for the measure and quality of a life; you, so far, still weigh life by the count of mornings and evenings.”
Romanहिन्दी
सई-ए-पैहम है तराज़ू-ए-कम-ओ-कैफ़-ए-हयात
तेरी मीज़ाँ है शुमार-ए-सहर-ओ-शाम अभी
तेरी मीज़ाँ है शुमार-ए-सहर-ओ-शाम अभी
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 contrasts two ways of measuring a life. One simply counts the days that pass, mornings and evenings ticking by. The other weighs life by sustained effort, the unbroken striving that gives existence both quantity and quality. To Iqbal, a life is worth what it strives for, not how long it merely lasts.
For You, Today
Stop measuring your life by how many days have gone by. Measure it by the effort you keep pouring in. A life is judged by its striving, not its length.
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
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.
Youth · Aspiration
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