کوئی پُوچھے حکیمِ یورپ سے

Koi pooche hakim-e-Europe se

ہند و یوناں ہیں جس کے حلقہ بگوش

Hind-o-Yunan hain jis ke halqa ba-gosh

Let someone ask Europe's philosopher,
To whom India and Greece are subservient,

کیا یہی ہے معاشرت کا کمال

Kya yehi hai muashrat ka kamal

مرد بے کار و زن تہی آغوش!

Mard be-kar-o-zan tehi aaghosh!

Is this indeed the pinnacle of civilization,
Men idle and women with empty laps!

Context

This quatrain by Allama Iqbal critiques the perceived societal outcomes of Western modernity on Eastern cultures. Addressing the "wise man of Europe" whose influence extends over lands like India and Greece, the poet questions if the resulting social state Dcharacterized by unemployed men and women devoid of traditional familial fulfillment Dtruly represents the zenith of civilization. Iqbal often expressed concern that the uncritical adoption of Western values led to materialist focus, societal imbalance, and a spiritual void, rather than genuine progress.