Couplets › Love
From Bang-e-Dara, 1924 · originally composed in Urdu
Ye rahe zahidon ko
Ki ka samna chahta hun
Ki ka samna chahta hun
“Let the pious keep their paradise, and welcome to it — I want only to come face to face with You.”
Romanहिन्दी
ये रहे ज़ाहिदों को
कि मैं का सामना चाहता हूँ
कि मैं का सामना चाहता हूँ
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 waves away heaven itself. The ascetics can have their reward of gardens; the lover wants the Beloved, not the prize. It is a stunning reordering of values: presence over paradise, the face over the gift.
For You, Today
Beware of working so hard for the reward that you forget the thing itself. Iqbal would trade the paradise for the presence. Ask whether you're chasing the prize or the point.
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