Meaning
Under the snare; caught in the net of the fowler.
Literally: beneath the net
How Iqbal uses it
To be tah-e-daam, fallen under the fowler's net, is the captive bird's plight, Iqbal's standing figure for the soul or nation ensnared and unfree; the longing of the netted bird for the open sky drives much of his garden symbolism.
See it in the verse
Tah-e-Daam in Iqbal’s couplets
Tere seene mein dam hai, dil nahin hai
Tera dam garmi-e-mahfil nahin hai
Tera dam garmi-e-mahfil nahin hai
There is breath in your chest, but no heart. Your breath carries none of the warmth that lights up a gathering.
Awakening · Selfhood · Love
Aaya hai tu jahan mein misal-e-sharar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
You have come into the world like a spark — see that this fleeting existence does not slip away from you.
Action · Awakening · Aspiration
Zindagi insaan ki ik dam ke siva kuch bhi nahin
Dam hawa ki mauj hai ram ke siva kuch bhi nahin
Dam hawa ki mauj hai ram ke siva kuch bhi nahin
A human life is nothing more than a single breath — and that breath is a wave of air, nothing but a fleeting movement.
Humility · Awakening · Action