Persian · phrase · Love & Longing
Khanjar-e-abroo
ख़ंजर-ए-अबरू
also written: Khanjar-e-abru
Meaning
The dagger of the eyebrow; the beloved's curved brow that wounds like a blade.
Literally: the dagger of the eyebrow
How Iqbal uses it
The arched eyebrow imagined as a curved dagger or bow; the feature of the face turned into an instrument of love's lovely violence.
See it in the verse
Khanjar-e-abroo in Iqbal’s couplets
Teri zindagi isi se teri aabru isi se
Jo rahi khudi to shahi na rahi to ru-siyahi
Jo rahi khudi to shahi na rahi to ru-siyahi
Your life depends on this, your honour depends on this: if selfhood remains you reign like a king, if it is lost only disgrace remains.
Selfhood · Courage · Self-Knowledge
Tumhari tahzib apne khanjar se aap hi khud-kushi karegi
Jo shakh-e-nazuk pe aashiyana banega na-paedar hoga
Jo shakh-e-nazuk pe aashiyana banega na-paedar hoga
Your civilisation will take its own life with its own dagger; a nest built on a fragile branch will never last.
Adversity · Self-Knowledge · Justice