Meaning
A caravan; a company of travellers, an emblem of a people on the move through history.
How Iqbal uses it
Iqbal's kaarwaan is the community journeying toward its destiny.
See it in the verse
Kaarwaan in Iqbal’s couplets
Nigah buland, sukhan dilnawaz, jaan pur-soz
Yahi hai rakht-e-safar mir-e-karvan ke liye
Yahi hai rakht-e-safar mir-e-karvan ke liye
A lofty gaze, speech that wins the heart, a soul that burns with feeling — this alone is the travelling kit a caravan's leader needs.
Leadership · Aspiration
Ai aab-e-rud-e-Ganga wo din hai yaad tujh ko
Utra tere kinare jab karwan hamara
Utra tere kinare jab karwan hamara
O waters of the river Ganga, do you remember those days — when our caravan first halted upon your banks?
Unity · Love
Fareb-khurda-e-manzil hai karwan warna
Ziyada rahat-e-manzil se hai nashat-e-rahil
Ziyada rahat-e-manzil se hai nashat-e-rahil
The caravan is deceived by the idea of a destination — otherwise, the joy of setting out is greater than the comfort of arrival.
Restlessness · Aspiration · Action
Tahi zindagi se nahin ye fazayen
Yahan saikron karwan aur bhi hain
Yahan saikron karwan aur bhi hain
These open skies are not empty of life — here there are hundreds of other caravans as well.
Hope · Aspiration · Unity
Aag bujhi hui idhar TuuTi hui tanab udhar
Kya khabar is maqam se guzre hain kitne kaarvaan
Kya khabar is maqam se guzre hain kitne kaarvaan
A dead fire on one side, a snapped tent-rope on the other; who knows how many caravans have passed through this place.
Restlessness · Humility · Self-Knowledge
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