Meaning
The relish for spectacle and beholding.
Literally: taste of spectacle
See it in the verse
Zauq-e-Tamasha in Iqbal’s couplets
Be-khatar kud pada aatish-e-Nimrood mein ishq
Aql hai mahv-e-tamasha-e-lab-e-baam abhi
Aql hai mahv-e-tamasha-e-lab-e-baam abhi
Love leapt fearlessly into the fire — while reason still stood on the rooftop's edge, lost in watching the spectacle.
Courage · Love · Action
Ghulami mein na kaam aati hain shamsheerein na tadbeerein
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeerein
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeerein
In bondage, neither swords nor clever schemes are of any use — but once a relish for conviction is born, the chains themselves fall away.
Freedom · Courage · Awakening
Bahut dekhe hain maine mashriq-o-maghrib ke maikhane
Yahan saaqi nahin paida, wahan be-zauq hai sahba
Yahan saaqi nahin paida, wahan be-zauq hai sahba
I have seen many a tavern of the East and the West — here no cup-bearer is born, and there the wine itself is without relish.
Awakening · Self-Knowledge
Ghulami mein na kaam aati hain shamsheeren na tadbeeren
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeeren
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeeren
In bondage neither swords nor clever schemes are of any use; but once a taste for conviction is born, the chains fall away on their own.
Freedom · Self-Knowledge · Courage
Har ek maqam se aage maqam hai tera
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Beyond every station lies a station that is yours; life is nothing but the joy of the journey.
Restlessness · Aspiration · Action
Zahir ki aankh se na tamasha kare koi
Ho dekhna to dida-e-dil va kare koi
Ho dekhna to dida-e-dil va kare koi
Let no one watch the spectacle with the outward eye alone; if you would truly see, open the eye of the heart.
Self-Knowledge · Awakening