POEM · PERMANENT EDITION
Muhammad Iqbal نفسیاتِ حاکمی (Islahaat) ●sher 1 of 3

(اِصلاحات)

(Islahaat)

یہ مِہر ہے بے مہریِ صّیاد کا پردہ

Yeh mehr hai be-mehri-e sayyaad ka parda

(Reforms)
This kindness is the veil over the fowler's cruelty.

آئی نہ مرے کام مری تازہ صفیری

Aayi na mere kaam meri taaza safeeri

رکھنے لگا مُرجھائے ہوئے پھُول قفَس میں

Rakhne laga murjhaye hue phool qafas mein

My fresh chirping was of no avail to me.
He began placing withered flowers in the cage.

شاید کہ اسیروں کو گوارا ہو اسیری!

Shayad ke aseeron ko gawara ho aseeri!

Perhaps so that prisoners may tolerate captivity!

Context

This Urdu poem uses the classic ghazal motif of the captive bird and hunter to critique the deceptive nature of oppression. The 'kindness' of the hunter is depicted as a mere facade for his cruelty, rendering the bird's natural expression of hope (fresh chirping) useless. The act of placing withered flowers in the cage symbolizes a deliberate strategy to normalize decay and submission, gradually eroding the spirit of the captives until even their harsh imprisonment becomes an accepted reality.

the world's unfairness (shikwa) · wit & rebuke

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