Persian · phrase · Love & Longing
Parwana-o-Shama
परवाना-ओ-शमा
said par-waa-na-o-sha-ma
also written: parwana-o-shamma, Parwaana-o-shama
Meaning
The moth and the candle; the archetypal pair of self-immolating lover and the flame he dies for.
Literally: parwana (moth) + o (and) + shama (candle)
See it in the verse
Parwana-o-Shama in Iqbal’s couplets
Lab pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri
My longing rises to my lips as a prayer: O God, may my life be like a candle's flame.
Hope · Aspiration
Zindagi ho meri parwane ki surat ya-rab
Ilm ki shama se ho mujh ko mohabbat ya-rab
Ilm ki shama se ho mujh ko mohabbat ya-rab
Let my life be like the moth's, O Lord; let me love the lamp of knowledge.
Love · Aspiration · Youth