Persian · noun · Being & Non-Being
Khirman-e-hasti
ख़िरमन-ए-हस्ती
said khir-man-e-HAS-ti
Meaning
The harvest of existence; the gathered crop of one's whole life.
Literally: harvest of being
How Iqbal uses it
Life is a ripened harvest that a single bolt of lightning or grief may burn in an instant; the image warns of how swiftly all one has gathered can be lost.
See it in the verse
Khirman-e-hasti in Iqbal’s couplets
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
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