Meaning
A delicate body; the tender, fragile frame of the beloved.
Literally: delicate body
How Iqbal uses it
The tan-e-nazuk is the beloved's body so fine it seems unable to bear even the weight of its own adornment, an emblem of cherished fragility.
See it in the verse
Tan-e-Naazuk in Iqbal’s couplets
Phool ki patti se kat sakta hai heere ka jigar
Mard-e-nadaan par kalaam-e-narm-o-nazuk be-asar
Mard-e-nadaan par kalaam-e-narm-o-nazuk be-asar
A diamond's heart can be cut by the petal of a flower — yet on a foolish man, soft and gentle words have no effect.
Self-Knowledge · Action
Pani pani kar gai mujh ko qalandar ki ye baat
Tu jhuka jab ghair ke aage na man tera na tan
Tu jhuka jab ghair ke aage na man tera na tan
The wandering sage's words washed over me with shame: the moment you bow before another, neither your mind nor your body is your own.
Selfhood · Courage · Freedom
Man ki daulat hath aati hai to phir jati nahin
Tan ki daulat chhanw hai aata hai dhan jata hai dhan
Tan ki daulat chhanw hai aata hai dhan jata hai dhan
The wealth of the inner self, once gained, never leaves you again; the wealth of the body is mere shade, money comes and money goes.
Self-Knowledge · Selfhood
Tumhari tahzib apne khanjar se aap hi khud-kushi karegi
Jo shakh-e-nazuk pe aashiyana banega na-paedar hoga
Jo shakh-e-nazuk pe aashiyana banega na-paedar hoga
Your civilisation will take its own life with its own dagger; a nest built on a fragile branch will never last.
Adversity · Self-Knowledge · Justice