Meaning
The candle of the assembly; the single light around which a gathering forms.
Literally: candle of the gathering
How Iqbal uses it
The sham-e-anjuman draws the moths and the company alike, burning at the centre while it gives the room its light.
See it in the verse
Sham-e-Anjuman in Iqbal’s couplets
Dayar-e-ishq mein apna maqam paida kar
Naya zamana, naye subh-o-sham paida kar
Naya zamana, naye subh-o-sham paida kar
In the realm of love, create your own standing — bring a new age into being, new mornings and new evenings of your own.
Aspiration · Action · Love
Khudi mein doob ja ghafil, ye sirr-e-zindagani hai
Nikal kar halqa-e-shaam-o-sahar se javedan ho ja
Nikal kar halqa-e-shaam-o-sahar se javedan ho ja
Dive into your selfhood, O heedless one — this is the secret of life. Step out of the ring of evening and morning, and become everlasting.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge · Awakening
Tu abhi rahguzar mein hai qaid-e-maqam se guzar
Misr-o-Hijaz se guzar, Paras-o-Shaam se guzar
Misr-o-Hijaz se guzar, Paras-o-Shaam se guzar
You are still only on the road — break free of the prison of one fixed place. Pass beyond Egypt and Arabia, pass beyond Persia and Syria.
Restlessness · Aspiration · Freedom
Duniya ki mahfilon se ukta gaya hoon ya rab
Kya lutf anjuman ka jab dil hi bujh gaya ho
Kya lutf anjuman ka jab dil hi bujh gaya ho
I have grown weary of the world's gatherings — what pleasure is there in company when the heart itself has gone dark?
Restlessness · Self-Knowledge
Sai-e-paiham hai taraazu-e-kam-o-kaif-e-hayat
Teri mizan hai shumar-e-sahar-o-sham abhi
Teri mizan hai shumar-e-sahar-o-sham abhi
Ceaseless striving is the true scale for the measure and quality of a life; you, so far, still weigh life by the count of mornings and evenings.
Action · Aspiration · Restlessness