Persian · noun · Iqbal's Emblems
Shaheen-e-Kohistan
शाहीन-ए-कोहिस्तान
said shaa-HEEN-e-ko-his-TAAN
also written: shaheen-e-kohistan, falcon of the mountains
Meaning
The falcon of the highlands; the mountain hawk that nests on bare peaks, Iqbal's emblem of the hardy, self-reliant spirit.
Literally: falcon of the mountain-land
How Iqbal uses it
Iqbal's shaheen of the heights builds no soft nest and craves no scattered grain, living on the storm-swept crag as the figure of the free Muslim self.
See it in the verse
Shaheen-e-Kohistan in Iqbal’s couplets
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
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
Parindon ki duniya ka darvesh hoon main
Ki shaheen banata nahin aashiyana
Ki shaheen banata nahin aashiyana
I am the dervish of the world of birds — for the falcon never builds itself a nest.
The Falcon · Freedom
Afsos sad-afsos ki shahin na bana tu
Dekhe na teri aankh ne fitrat ke ishaarat
Dekhe na teri aankh ne fitrat ke ishaarat
A pity, a hundred pities, that you never became a falcon; your eye never read the signs that nature held out.
The Falcon · Awakening · Aspiration