Persian · noun · Struggle & the Sword
Tegh-zani
तेग़ज़नी
said tegh-za-nee
also written: Teghzani
Meaning
Swordsmanship; the striking of the sword in combat.
Literally: sword-striking (tegh + zani)
How Iqbal uses it
The wielding of the sword in battle, the action behind the noun tegh; a martial skill celebrated in heroic verse.
See it in the verse
Tegh-zani in Iqbal’s couplets
Nazar nahin to mere halqa-e-sukhan mein na baith
Ki nukta-ha-e-khudi hain misal-e-tegh-e-asil
Ki nukta-ha-e-khudi hain misal-e-tegh-e-asil
If you have no vision, do not sit in my circle of speech — for the subtleties of selfhood are like a sword of true steel.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge · Courage
Ishq ki tegh-e-jigar-dar uda li kis ne
Ilm ke haath mein khali hai niyam ai saqi
Ilm ke haath mein khali hai niyam ai saqi
Who has carried off love's brave, heart-piercing sword? Knowledge holds only an empty scabbard now.
Love · Action · Courage
Zara taqdir ki gahraiyon mein dub ja tu bhi
Ki is jangah se main ban ke tegh-e-be-niyam aaya
Ki is jangah se main ban ke tegh-e-be-niyam aaya
Plunge, you too, into the depths of destiny; from that battlefield I emerged as a drawn, unsheathed sword.
Courage · Action · Adversity