Persian · phrase · Struggle & the Sword
Karwan-e-Hayat
कारवान-ए-हयात
said kaar-waan-e-ha-yaat
also written: karwan e hayat, karwane hayat, caravan-e-hayat
Meaning
The caravan of life; humanity or the soul pictured as a caravan moving through time.
Literally: karwan (caravan) + hayat (life)
See it in the verse
Karwan-e-Hayat 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
Silsila-e-roz-o-shab, naqsh-gar-e-haadsat
Silsila-e-roz-o-shab, asl-e-hayat-o-mamat
Silsila-e-roz-o-shab, asl-e-hayat-o-mamat
The chain of day and night is the sculptor of all events; the chain of day and night is the root of life and of death.
Action · Self-Knowledge
Khudi kya hai raaz-e-darun-e-hayat
Khudi kya hai bedaari-e-kaayenat
Khudi kya hai bedaari-e-kaayenat
What is selfhood? The secret hidden inside life. What is selfhood? The waking-up of the whole universe.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge · Awakening
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