Persian · noun · Time, Fate & the Cosmos
Daur-e-Zamana
दौर-ए-ज़माना
said daur-e-za-maa-na
Meaning
The course of the age; the prevailing era and its turning fortunes.
Literally: the cycle of the age
How Iqbal uses it
The course of the age is the moving current the self must reckon with in Iqbal, mastering its tides rather than being swept along by them.
See it in the verse
Daur-e-Zamana in Iqbal’s couplets
Dayar-e-ishq mein apna maqam paida kar
Naya zamana, naye subh-o-sham paida kar
Naya zamana, naye subh-o-sham paida kar
In the realm of love, create your own standing — bring a new age into being, new mornings and new evenings of your own.
Aspiration · Action · Love
Aata hai yaad mujh ko guzra hua zamana
Wo bagh ki baharen, wo sab ka chahchahana
Wo bagh ki baharen, wo sab ka chahchahana
I remember the time that has passed — those springtimes of the garden, that chorus of every bird singing.
Freedom · Restlessness
Kuch baat hai ki hasti mitti nahin hamari
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
There is something about us that refuses to be erased — for centuries the turning of the age itself has been our enemy.
Hope · Adversity · Self-Knowledge
Khol kar aankhen mere aaeena-e-guftar mein dekh
Aane wale daur ki dhundli si ek tasveer dekh
Aane wale daur ki dhundli si ek tasveer dekh
Open your eyes and look into the mirror of my words — see the faint, blurred picture of the age that is coming.
Awakening · Hope · Leadership
Samjhega zamana teri aankhon ke ishaare
Dekhenge tujhe dur se gardun ke sitare
Dekhenge tujhe dur se gardun ke sitare
The age itself will read the signals of your eyes; the stars of the sky will watch you from afar.
Aspiration · Selfhood · Hope
Sultani-e-jamhur ka aata hai zamana
Jo naqsh-e-kuhan tum ko nazar aae miTa do
Jo naqsh-e-kuhan tum ko nazar aae miTa do
The age of the people's rule is arriving; whatever old patterns you still see, wipe them away.
Freedom · Awakening · Justice