Urdu Dictionary
Urdu · proverb · Nation, Faith & Society

Naam bade aur darshan chhote

नाम बड़े और दर्शन छोटे
Meaning

Great reputation but disappointing reality.

Literally: big name, small sight

See it in the verse

Naam bade aur darshan chhote in Iqbal’s couplets

Nahin hai naumeed Iqbal apni kisht-e-veeran se
Zara nam ho to ye mitti badi zarkhez hai saqi
Iqbal is not without hope, even from his barren field — let there be a little moisture, cupbearer, and this soil is wonderfully fertile.
Hope · Aspiration
Mira tariq amiri nahin faqiri hai
Khudi na bech gharibi mein naam paida kar
My way is not wealth but faqr, the dervish's poverty. Do not sell your selfhood; make your name in poverty itself.
Selfhood · Humility · Courage
Yunan o Misr o Roma sab mit gaye jahan se
Ab tak magar hai baqi naam-o-nishan hamara
Greece, Egypt and Rome have all vanished from the world — yet to this day our name and trace remain.
Adversity · Hope
Yunan o Misr o Roma sab mit gaye jahan se
Ab tak magar hai baqi naam-o-nishan hamara
Greece, Egypt and Rome have all vanished from the world — yet to this day our name and trace remain.
Adversity · Hope
Mera tariq amiri nahin faqiri hai
Khudi na bech ghareebi mein naam paida kar
My way is not wealth but inner sufficiency — do not sell your selfhood; earn your name even in poverty.
Selfhood · Freedom · Courage
Mera tariq amiri nahin faqiri hai
Khudi na bech gharibi mein nam paida kar
My way is not wealth but a chosen poverty; do not sell your selfhood, make your name even in want.
Selfhood · Courage · Humility
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