Meaning
Yearning, aspiration, deep desire.
How Iqbal uses it
The upward pull of the soul. He prays to kindle “the lamp of aarzu” in the heart of the tulip and to turn every speck of the garden into a martyr of the quest — desire is what keeps a self in motion.
See it in the verse
Aarzu in Iqbal’s couplets
Zameer-e-laala mein roshan charagh-e-aarzu kar de
Chaman ke zarre zarre ko shaheed-e-justuju kar de
Chaman ke zarre zarre ko shaheed-e-justuju kar de
Light the lamp of longing in the heart of the tulip — and make every grain of the garden a martyr to the search.
Aspiration · Hope · Restlessness
Mata-e-be-baha hai dard-o-soz-e-arzumandi
Maqam-e-bandagi de kar na lun shan-e-khudawandi
Maqam-e-bandagi de kar na lun shan-e-khudawandi
The ache and fire of longing is a priceless treasure; I would not trade the striving of a seeker even for the splendour of a master.
Aspiration · Restlessness · Self-Knowledge