POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Muhammad Iqbal ترا اندیشہ افلاکی نہیں ہے Tera andesha aflaaki nahin hai ●sher 1 of 2

ترا اندیشہ افلاکی نہیں ہے

Tera andesha aflaaki nahin hai

تری پرواز لولاکی نہیں ہے

Teri parwaaz laulaaki nahin hai

Your thought is not celestial.
Your flight is not of universal import.

یہ مانا اصل شاہینی ہے تیری

Yeh maana asal shaheeni hai teri

تری آنکھوں میں بےباکی نہیں ہے

Teri aankhon mein bebaaki nahin hai

I admit your nature is that of a falcon.
Yet, there is no fearlessness in your eyes.

Context

This quatrain reflects a core theme in the philosophy of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a pivotal figure in 20th-century Urdu poetry. It critiques a dormant or limited spirit, suggesting that despite possessing the inherent nobility and potential of a 'falcon' (shaheen) – a recurring symbol in Iqbal's work for an aspiring, self-reliant individual – one's thoughts and aspirations remain earthbound, lacking celestial vision ("aflaki") and universal scope ("loulaaki"). The final line laments the absence of 'fearlessness' ("bebaaki") in the gaze, which for Iqbal, is essential for self-assertion, dynamic action, and achieving one's true potential (khudi). It is a call to awaken and elevate the human spirit beyond conventional limitations.