Meaning
The moth's burning; the self-consuming ardour of the moth at the flame.
Literally: burning of the moth
How Iqbal uses it
Soz-e-parwana is the model of true love, which proves itself only by burning utterly in the beloved's fire.
See it in the verse
Soz-e-Parwana in Iqbal’s couplets
Nigah buland, sukhan dilnawaz, jaan pur-soz
Yahi hai rakht-e-safar mir-e-karvan ke liye
Yahi hai rakht-e-safar mir-e-karvan ke liye
A lofty gaze, speech that wins the heart, a soul that burns with feeling — this alone is the travelling kit a caravan's leader needs.
Leadership · Aspiration
Wajud-e-zan se hai tasveer-e-kaenat mein rang
Isi ke saaz se hai zindagi ka soz-e-darun
Isi ke saaz se hai zindagi ka soz-e-darun
It is the presence of woman that gives colour to the portrait of the universe — from her instrument comes the inner fire of life itself.
Love · Unity · Humility
Khudi ke saaz mein hai umr-e-javidan ka suragh
Khudi ke soz se roshan hain ummaton ke charagh
Khudi ke soz se roshan hain ummaton ke charagh
Within the music of selfhood lies the trace of an everlasting life — and it is by the burning of selfhood that the lamps of whole peoples are lit.
Selfhood · Leadership · Hope
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
Siina raushan ho to hai soz-e-sukhan ain-e-hayat
Ho na raushan to sukhan marg-e-davam ai saqi
Ho na raushan to sukhan marg-e-davam ai saqi
If the heart is lit within, the fire in one's words is life itself; if it is unlit, those words are a lasting death.
Self-Knowledge · Action · Love
Mata-e-be-baha hai dard-o-soz-e-arzumandi
Maqam-e-bandagi de kar na lun shan-e-khudawandi
Maqam-e-bandagi de kar na lun shan-e-khudawandi
The ache and fire of longing is a priceless treasure; I would not trade the striving of a seeker even for the splendour of a master.
Aspiration · Restlessness · Self-Knowledge