Meaning
The ancient sky; the old, worn-out heaven that has watched countless generations fall.
Literally: old firmament
How Iqbal uses it
The sipihr-e-kuhan has seen every empire rise and crumble, an aged witness indifferent to the griefs beneath it.
See it in the verse
Sipihr-e-Kuhan in Iqbal’s couplets
Aaeen-e-naw se darna, tarz-e-kuhan pe arna
Manzil yahi kathin hai qaumon ki zindagi mein
Manzil yahi kathin hai qaumon ki zindagi mein
To fear the new order, and to dig in stubbornly on the old way — this is the hardest pass in the life of a people.
Awakening · Courage
Sultani-e-jamhur ka aata hai zamana
Jo naqsh-e-kuhan tum ko nazar aae miTa do
Jo naqsh-e-kuhan tum ko nazar aae miTa do
The age of the people's rule is arriving; whatever old patterns you still see, wipe them away.
Freedom · Awakening · Justice