Urdu · idiom · Nation, Faith & Society
Apne Pair Par Kulhadi Marna
अपने पैर पर कुल्हाड़ी मारना
also written: apne pair par kulhari marna
Meaning
To harm oneself by one's own foolish act.
Literally: to strike an axe on one's own foot
See it in the verse
Apne Pair Par Kulhadi Marna in Iqbal’s couplets
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
Dhoondne wala sitaron ki guzargahon ka
Apne afkaar ki duniya mein safar kar na saka
Apne afkaar ki duniya mein safar kar na saka
He who charts the very pathways of the stars could not journey through the world of his own thoughts.
Self-Knowledge · Selfhood
Mohabbat hi se payi hai shifa beemar qaumon ne
Kiya hai apne bakht-e-khufta ko bedar qaumon ne
Kiya hai apne bakht-e-khufta ko bedar qaumon ne
It is by love that ailing peoples have found their cure — by love that peoples have woken their sleeping fortune.
Love · Unity · Hope
Dhoondta phirta hoon main Iqbal apne aap ko
Aap hi goya musafir aap hi manzil hoon main
Aap hi goya musafir aap hi manzil hoon main
I wander about, Iqbal, searching for my own self — as if I am at once the traveller and the destination.
Self-Knowledge · Restlessness · Selfhood
Tumhari tahzib apne khanjar se aap hi khud-kushi karegi
Jo shakh-e-nazuk pe aashiyana banega na-paedar hoga
Jo shakh-e-nazuk pe aashiyana banega na-paedar hoga
Your civilisation will take its own life with its own dagger; a nest built on a fragile branch will never last.
Adversity · Self-Knowledge · Justice
Apne bhi khafa mujh se hain begane bhi na-khush
Main zahr-e-halahal ko kabhi kah na saka qand
Main zahr-e-halahal ko kabhi kah na saka qand
My own people are displeased with me and strangers are unhappy too; I could never bring myself to call deadly poison sugar.
Courage · Selfhood · Justice