Meaning
The scent of the rose; the fragrance of flowers.
Literally: smell of the flower
How Iqbal uses it
The boo-e-gul, the rose's perfume carried abroad on the breeze, is the part of beauty that escapes the garden and travels free; Iqbal makes the wandering scent an emblem of influence and of the spirit that, like fragrance, cannot be caged.
See it in the verse
Boo-e-Gul in Iqbal’s couplets
Qanaat na kar aalam-e-rang-o-bu par
Chaman aur bhi, aashiyan aur bhi hain
Chaman aur bhi, aashiyan aur bhi hain
Do not be content with this world of colour and scent — there are other gardens, and other nests, too.
Aspiration · Restlessness
Khudi ke zor se duniya pe chha ja
Maqam-e-rang-o-bu ka raaz pa ja
Maqam-e-rang-o-bu ka raaz pa ja
By the force of your selfhood, rise and overspread the world — and seize the secret of this realm of colour and scent.
Selfhood · Action · Aspiration
Safina-e-barg-e-gul bana lega qafila mor-e-na-tawan ka
Hazar maujon ki ho kashakash magar ye dariya se par hoga
Hazar maujon ki ho kashakash magar ye dariya se par hoga
The caravan of feeble ants will make a boat of a rose petal; though a thousand waves clash against it, this boat will cross the river.
Hope · Courage · Unity