Meaning
A wary, clever bird; the shrewd bird that eyes the snare and the bait, an emblem of prudence before temptation.
Literally: clever bird
See it in the verse
Murgh-e-zirak in Iqbal’s couplets
Har shai musafir har cheez raahi
Kya chand tare kya murgh o maahi
Kya chand tare kya murgh o maahi
Every thing is a traveller, every object a wayfarer — whether the moon and stars, or the birds and the fish.
Restlessness · Action · Unity
Tu huma ka hai shikari abhi ibtida hai teri
Nahin maslahat se khali ye jahan-e-murgh-o-mahi
Nahin maslahat se khali ye jahan-e-murgh-o-mahi
You are a hunter of the huma, your journey has only just begun; this world of birds and fish is not without its hidden purpose.
Aspiration · Youth · Hope