آزادیِ افکار سے ہے اُن کی تباہی

āzādī-e afkār se hai un kī tabāhī

رکھتے نہیں جو فکر و تدبّر کا سلیقہ

rakhte nahīñ jo fikr o tadabbur kā salīqa

Their destruction comes from freedom of thought
Those who lack the skill for contemplation and thought.

ہو فکر اگر خام تو آزادیِ افکار

ho fikr agar ḵẖām to āzādī-e afkār

انسان کو حیوان بنانے کا طریقہ!

insān ko haiwān banāne kā tarīqa!

If thought is raw, then freedom of thought
Is a method to make humans into animals!

Context

This Urdu poem explores a common philosophical theme: the double-edged nature of 'freedom of thought' (آزادیِ افکار). It suggests that without the discipline of 'contemplation and mature thinking' (فکر و تدبّر), such freedom can lead to an individual's downfall and even a descent into base, animalistic tendencies. This cautionary perspective reflects a strain in classical and modern Urdu poetry that values intellectual rigor and wisdom as prerequisites for true liberty, distinguishing between mere license and enlightened freedom.