Meaning
A cow.
How Iqbal uses it
Everyday word; the milch animal of the household.
See it in the verse
Gaai in Iqbal’s couplets
Khush aa gai hai jahan ko qalandari meri
Wagarna sher mera kya hai shairi kya hai
Wagarna sher mera kya hai shairi kya hai
The world has warmed to the free, unbound spirit in me; otherwise, what is my verse, what is my poetry?
Freedom · Humility · Self-Knowledge
Pani pani kar gai mujh ko qalandar ki ye baat
Tu jhuka jab ghair ke aage na man tera na tan
Tu jhuka jab ghair ke aage na man tera na tan
The wandering sage's words washed over me with shame: the moment you bow before another, neither your mind nor your body is your own.
Selfhood · Courage · Freedom
Ye payam de gai hai mujhe baad-e-subh-gahi
Ki khudi ke aarifon ka hai maqam padshahi
Ki khudi ke aarifon ka hai maqam padshahi
The morning breeze brought me this message: the station of those who truly know selfhood is sovereignty.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge · Leadership