Meaning
Flattery said to please the listener, not the truth.
Literally: talk suited to the face before one
See it in the verse
Munh dekhi baat in Iqbal’s couplets
Bhari bazm mein raaz ki baat keh di
Bada be-adab hun saza chahta hun
Bada be-adab hun saza chahta hun
In the crowded gathering I blurted out the secret — I am terribly insolent; I ask for my punishment.
Courage · Love
Kuchh 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 in us that our existence will not be erased — though for centuries the turning of the age has been our enemy.
Adversity · Hope · Unity
Dil se jo baat nikalti hai asar rakhti hai
Par nahin taaqat-e-parvaaz magar rakhti hai
Par nahin taaqat-e-parvaaz magar rakhti hai
What comes from the heart carries power; it has no wings, and yet it has the strength to fly.
Love · Awakening · Self-Knowledge
Andaz-e-bayan garche bahut shokh nahin hai
Shayad ki utar jaye tere dil mein meri baat
Shayad ki utar jaye tere dil mein meri baat
Though my manner of saying it is not especially dazzling — perhaps, even so, my words may sink into your heart.
Humility · Love
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
Dil se jo baat nikalti hai asar rakhti hai
Par nahin, taqat-e-parvaaz magar rakhti hai
Par nahin, taqat-e-parvaaz magar rakhti hai
Words that come straight from the heart carry power — they have no wings, and yet they have the strength of flight.
Love · Humility · Action