Meaning
A caravan; a company of travellers or a moving procession.
See it in the verse
Kaarwan 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