Urdu · idiom · Everyday Life
Zabaan ka kaudwa
ज़बान का कड़वा
also written: Zabaan ka kadwa
Meaning
Harsh and blunt in speech though not ill-meaning.
Literally: bitter of tongue
See it in the verse
Zabaan ka kaudwa in Iqbal’s couplets
Hazar khauf ho lekin zaban ho dil ki rafiq
Yahi raha hai azal se qalandaron ka tariq
Yahi raha hai azal se qalandaron ka tariq
Let there be a thousand fears, yet let the tongue stay true to the heart; this has been the way of free spirits since the beginning of time.
Courage · Selfhood · Self-Knowledge
Aazad mujh ko kar de o qaid karne wale
Main be-zaban hun qaidi tu chhod kar dua le
Main be-zaban hun qaidi tu chhod kar dua le
Set me free, you who keep me caged; I am a voiceless captive, release me and earn a blessing.
Freedom · Justice