Persian · noun · Being & Non-Being
Karwaan-e-hasti
कारवाँ-ए-हस्ती
said kar-waan-e-HAS-ti
Meaning
The caravan of existence; the procession of all living things moving toward death.
Literally: caravan of being
How Iqbal uses it
Life as a great caravan ever on the march, each traveller dropping away in turn; the image holds both the bustle of living and its inevitable passing.
See it in the verse
Karwaan-e-hasti 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
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
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
Aaya hai tu jahan mein misal-e-sharar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
You have come into the world like a spark — see that this fleeting existence does not slip away from you.
Action · Awakening · Aspiration
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