کوئی پُوچھے حکیمِ یورپ سے

Koi pooche hakeem-e-Europe se

ہند و یوناں ہیں جس کے حلقہ بگوش

Hind o Yunan hain jis ke halqa-ba-gosh

Let someone ask the sage of Europe,
To whom India and Greece are subservient:

کیا یہی ہے معاشرت کا کمال

Kya yahi hai muasharat ka kamaal

مرد بے کار و زن تہی آغوش!

Mard be-kaar o zan tehi aaghosh!

Is this truly the pinnacle of society,
Where men are idle and women's laps are empty!

Context

This Urdu couplet offers a poignant critique of societal progress under the influence of Western thought, often referred to as 'European sage' (Hakeem-e-Europe), a dominant intellectual and colonial force during the early 20th century. It challenges the very definition of a 'civilizational peak' (muashrat ka kamaal) by highlighting the paradox of societal advancement leading to male unemployment and female unfulfillment or childlessness ('empty lap'), reflecting a deep concern among subcontinental poets about the socio-economic and cultural disruption caused by Westernization.