Meaning
The early evening, the first part of the night after sunset.
Literally: the first evening
How Iqbal uses it
Early evening marks the onset of night's hush in Iqbal, the threshold hour where the day's striving gives way to inward vigil.
See it in the verse
Sham-e-Awwal 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
Ahval-e-mohabbat mein kuch farq nahin aisa
Soz o tab-o-taab avval soz o tab-o-taab aakhir
Soz o tab-o-taab avval soz o tab-o-taab aakhir
In the states of love there is no real difference — the same burning and restless glow at the start, the same burning and restless glow at the end.
Love · Restlessness · Self-Knowledge
Main tujh ko batata hun taqdir-e-umam kya hai
Shamsheer-o-sinan avval taaus-o-rubab aakhir
Shamsheer-o-sinan avval taaus-o-rubab aakhir
Let me tell you the fate of nations: the sword and the spear come first, the peacock and the lute come last.
Action · Adversity · Leadership
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