Persian · noun · Nature & the Garden
Shabnam-afshaani
शबनम-अफ़शानी
said shab-nam-af-shaa-NEE
Meaning
The sprinkling or scattering of dew.
Literally: dew-scattering
How Iqbal uses it
The dawn's scattering of dew over the garden is an image of refreshing grace gently bestowed; the dew that beads each petal at daybreak figures the small, cool gift of renewal that prepares the flower for the day.
See it in the verse
Shabnam-afshaani in Iqbal’s couplets
Jis se jigar-e-lala mein thandak ho wo shabnam
Dariyaon ke dil jis se dahal jayen wo toofan
Dariyaon ke dil jis se dahal jayen wo toofan
To be the dew that cools the heart of the tulip — and the storm that makes the hearts of rivers tremble.
Courage · Leadership · Love
Samundar se mile pyaase ko shabnam
Bakhili hai ye razzaqi nahin hai
Bakhili hai ye razzaqi nahin hai
To give a thirsty soul a single drop of dew from a whole ocean — that is stinginess, not generosity.
Justice · Humility
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