Couplets › Courage
From Bal-e-Jibril · originally composed in Urdu
Use subh-e-azal inkar ki jurat hui kyunkar
Mujhe malum kya wo raaz-dan tera hai ya mera
Mujhe malum kya wo raaz-dan tera hai ya mera
“How did he find the daring to refuse at the dawn of time? How would I know whose confidant he is, yours or mine.”
Romanहिन्दी
उसे सुब्ह-ए-अज़ल इनकार की जुरअत हुई क्यूँकर
मुझे मालूम क्या वो राज़-दाँ तेरा है या मेरा
मुझे मालूम क्या वो राज़-दाँ तेरा है या मेरा
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 reflects on the courage it takes to refuse, to dissent, to stand apart. He treats that daring with a kind of wonder rather than easy condemnation. The couplet honours the rare nerve required to say no when everything pushes toward agreement.
For You, Today
Real dissent is rare because it costs something. When you believe a refusal is right, respect the weight of it, and do not assume the one who refuses is simply wrong.
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
Nahin tera nasheman qasr-e-sultani ke gumbad par
Tu shaheen hai, basera kar paharon ki chattanon mein
Tu shaheen hai, basera kar paharon ki chattanon mein
Your nest is not on the dome of a royal palace. You are a falcon — make your dwelling on the rocks of the mountains.
The Falcon · Freedom · 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