Meaning
The soaring falcon; Iqbal's emblem of the self-reliant, high-flying spirit.
Literally: 'lofty falcon'
How Iqbal uses it
The shaheen is Iqbal's central symbol of the free, aspiring self.
See it in the verse
Shaheen-e-buland in Iqbal’s couplets
Khudi ko kar buland itna ki har taqdeer se pehle
Khuda bande se khud pooche, bata teri raza kya hai
Khuda bande se khud pooche, bata teri raza kya hai
Raise your selfhood so high that, before issuing every decree of destiny, God Himself asks you: tell me, what is your wish?
Selfhood · Courage
Nahin tera nasheman qasr-e-sultani ke gumbad par
Tu shaheen hai, basera kar paharon ki chattanon mein
Tu shaheen hai, basera kar paharon ki chattanon mein
Your nest is not on the dome of a royal palace. You are a falcon — make your dwelling on the rocks of the mountains.
The Falcon · Freedom · Courage
Parwaz hai dono ki isi ek faza mein
Kargas ka jahan aur hai, shaheen ka jahan aur
Kargas ka jahan aur hai, shaheen ka jahan aur
Both take flight in this very same sky — yet the vulture's world is one thing, and the falcon's another.
The Falcon · Self-Knowledge
Ae jaan-e-padar nahin hai mumkin
Shaheen se tadaro ki ghulami
Shaheen se tadaro ki ghulami
O life of your father, it cannot be — the falcon will never serve the partridge.
The Falcon · Freedom · Selfhood
Jawanon ko meri aah-e-sahar de
Phir in shaheen bachchon ko bal-o-par de
Phir in shaheen bachchon ko bal-o-par de
Give the young my dawn-time sigh of longing — and give these falcon-children their wings and their feathers once more.
Youth · The Falcon · Aspiration
Tu shaheen hai parwaz hai kaam tera
Tere saamne aasman aur bhi hain
Tere saamne aasman aur bhi hain
You are a falcon — flight is your work. There are still more skies in front of you.
The Falcon · Aspiration · Restlessness