Meaning
Pain, ache — especially the sweet pain of longing.
How Iqbal uses it
A priceless wealth, not an affliction. The ache of yearning (dard-o-soz) is the proof of a living heart; he would not trade the “matchless treasure” of longing for any ease. Serve the poor and the dervishes, he says, and you find this jewel that no king's vault holds.
See it in the verse
Dard in Iqbal’s couplets
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
Tamanna dard-e-dil ki ho to kar khidmat faqeeron ki
Nahin milta ye gauhar baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
Nahin milta ye gauhar baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
If you long for a heart that truly feels, then serve the poor and the humble; this jewel is not found in the treasuries of kings.
Humility · Love · Self-Knowledge