By Umair Najmi
nikal laya hun ek pinjre se ik parinda
ab is parinde ke dil se pinjra nikalna hai
ab is parinde ke dil se pinjra nikalna hai
“I have freed a bird from a cage — now I must get the cage out of the bird's heart.”
Romanहिन्दीUmair Najmi
निकाल लाया हूँ एक पिंजरे से इक परिंदा
अब इस परिंदे के दिल से पिंजरा निकालना है
अब इस परिंदे के दिल से पिंजरा निकालना है
The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation
Freeing the bird from its cage is the easy half of the couplet; the hard, lasting work is named in the second line — getting the cage out of the bird's heart. The image quietly relocates captivity from the world to the mind, where a habit of confinement outlasts the bars themselves.
For You, Today
Removing what trapped you is only the start — the real freedom is unlearning the smallness it taught you to live in.
A modern couplet that has travelled widely for its clean image of internalised captivity.
Themes:The SelfGrowth
More from Umair Najmi
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →