Persian · noun · Being & Non-Being
Tamannaa-e-Khaam
तमन्ना-ए-ख़ाम
said ta-man-naa-e-khaam
Meaning
An immature or vain longing; a raw, unripe desire.
Literally: Unripe longing.
How Iqbal uses it
The half-baked, futile wish that comes to nothing; Iqbal scorns the khaam (unripe) desire against the matured resolve of a true aim.
See it in the verse
Tamannaa-e-Khaam 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
Pukhta hoti hai agar maslahat-andesh ho aql
Ishq ho maslahat-andesh to hai khaam abhi
Ishq ho maslahat-andesh to hai khaam abhi
Reason ripens when it learns to calculate advantage; but love that calculates advantage is still unripe.
Love · Courage · Action