POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Muhammad Iqbal تمیزِ خار و گُل سے آشکارا Tameez-e-khar-o-gul se ashkar ●sher 1 of 2

تمیزِ خار و گُل سے آشکارا

Tameez-e-khar-o-gul se ashkar

نسیمِ صُبح کی رَوشن ضمیری

Naseem-e-subh ki roshan zameeri

Revealed by distinguishing thorn from rose,
The bright conscience of the morning breeze.

حفاظت پھُول کی ممکن نہیں ہے

Hifazat phool ki mumkin nahin hai

اگر کانٹے میں ہو خُوئے حریری

Agar kaante mein ho khoo-e-hareeri

Protection of the flower is not possible,
If the thorn possesses a silken nature.

Context

This couplet explores a fundamental theme in Urdu poetry: the interplay of protection and vulnerability, often personified by the thorn and flower. It posits that discerning the true nature of things, much like the morning breeze's wisdom, is crucial. The verse then delivers a poignant warning: if a protector, symbolized by the thorn, abandons its inherent sharpness for a soft, 'silken' disposition, it renders itself ineffective, thereby jeopardizing the very beauty it is meant to safeguard. The poem subtly underscores the importance of maintaining one's character and purpose for genuine protection.