Meaning
Longing, heartfelt wish, desire.
How Iqbal uses it
Desire as the engine of the self — to want greatly is to be alive. The prayer that rises to his lips “takes the shape of a wish”; everyone harbours the longing to rule, but only the longing that does not kill the self is worth having.
See it in the verse
Tamanna in Iqbal’s couplets
Lab pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri
Zindagi shama ki surat ho khudaya meri
My longing rises to my lips as a prayer: O God, may my life be like a candle's flame.
Hope · Aspiration
Tamanna dard-e-dil ki ho to kar khidmat faqeeron ki
Nahin milta ye gauhar baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
Nahin milta ye gauhar baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
If you long for a heart that truly feels, then serve the poor and the humble; this jewel is not found in the treasuries of kings.
Humility · Love · Self-Knowledge
Kise nahin hai tamanna-e-sarwari lekin
Khudi ki maut ho jis mein wo sarwari kya hai
Khudi ki maut ho jis mein wo sarwari kya hai
Who does not long for leadership? But what kind of leadership is it, if reaching it kills the self?
Leadership · Selfhood · Self-Knowledge