Couplets › Humility
From Bang-e-Dara · originally composed in Urdu
ki ho to kar faqeeron ki
Nahin milta ye baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
Nahin milta ye baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
“If you long for a heart that truly feels, then serve the poor and the humble; this jewel is not found in the treasuries of kings.”
Romanहिन्दी
की हो तो फ़क़ीरों की
नहीं मिलता ये गौहर बादशाहों के ख़ज़ीनों में
नहीं मिलता ये गौहर बादशाहों के ख़ज़ीनों में
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 sets a feeling heart above material wealth and calls it a rare jewel. He locates that jewel not in palaces but in service to those who have little. Compassion, he suggests, is grown through contact with need, not bought with riches; the powerful, insulated from struggle, often miss it entirely.
For You, Today
If you feel emotionally numb or hardened, do not look for the cure in comfort. Spend time close to people who are struggling; service is what reopens a heart that abundance has dulled.
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
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
Zindagi ho meri parwane ki surat ya-rab
Ilm ki shama se ho mujh ko mohabbat ya-rab
Ilm ki shama se ho mujh ko mohabbat ya-rab
Let my life be like the moth's, O Lord; let me love the lamp of knowledge.
Love · Aspiration · Youth