Meaning
The other, the stranger; in the ghazal, the rival who wins the beloved's favor and torments the lover.
See it in the verse
Ghayr in Iqbal’s couplets
Jina wo kya jo ho nafas-e-ghair par madar
Shohrat ki zindagi ka bharosa bhi chhod de
Shohrat ki zindagi ka bharosa bhi chhod de
What kind of living is it that hangs on another's breath? Give up even your reliance on a life of fame.
Selfhood · Freedom · 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