Ye zikr-e-neem shabi, ye marakabe, ye suroor

یہ زکر نم شبی ، یہ مراقبے، یہ سرور
تیری خدی کے نگہباں نہیں تو کچھ بھی نہیں
ؑعلامہ اقبال –

Ye zikr-e-neem shabi, ye marakabe, ye suroor
teri khudi ke nigehbaan nahiN to kuch bhee nahiN
– Allama Iqbal “Tasawuuf” (Zarb-e-Kaleem)

ये ज़क्र-ए-नीम शबी, ये मुराक़बे, ये सुरुर
तेरी ख़ुदी के निग़ेहबां नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं
– अल्लामा इक़्बाल

Meaning of:

Neem Shab, नीम शब, نیم شب: आधी रात, Midnight
Maraqabe, मुराक़बे, مراقبے: ध्यान, चिंतन, Meditation
Suroor, सुरुर , سرور: नशा, Intoxication
NighebaaN, निग़ेहबां, نگہباں: रखवाला, Protector

Photo credit: Foter.com


– Allama Iqbal ; “Tasawuuf” (Zarb-e-Kaleem)

You talk of your worship at midnight, and of meditation and how it intoxicates your soul
but all this is a waste if it can’t protect your “sense of self”, your values and your soul.

One thought on “Ye zikr-e-neem shabi, ye marakabe, ye suroor”

  1. Allama Iqbal beautifully used Eagles in his poetry as a metaphor to compare with the youth and highlighted the characteristics of Eagles / Hawks to motivate the youth.

    Tund-e-Baad-e-Mukhalif se na Ghabra ae Uqaab
    Yeh to chaltee hai tujhay oonchaa uranay Ke liye!

    O’ Falcon, dont be scared of the headwinds
    They just blow to keep your flying to greater heights

    Nahin tera Nasheman Kasr-e-Saltani ke Gumbad par
    Tu Shaheen hai Basera Kar, Paharon ki Chattanon mai

    Your abode is not the dome of emperor
    For you are Hawk, you live on the rocks of great mountains.

    Bayaabann Ki Khalwat Khush Aati Hai Mujhko
    Azall Say Hai Fitrat Meri Rahbanaa

    Solitude of wilderness goes along with me well
    Since from creation, I am hermit by nature.

    Shaheen eats what it’s preys itself. Unlike vultures, they don’t eat left overs of other animals. It’s a symbol of Khuddari, the ability to toil hard for your Rizq as well as avoid haraam (corpses of other animal as eaten by vultures).

    Jhapatna, Palatna, Palat Kar Jhapatna
    Lahoo Garam Rakhney Ka Hai Ik Bahaana

    Hamam-o-Kabootar Ka Bhooka Nahin Main
    Ke Hai Zindagi Baaz Ki Zahidana

    I am not hungry for pigeon or dove—
    For renunciation is the mark of an eagle’s life.

    Ye Poorab, Ye Pacham Chakoron Ki Dunya
    Mera Neelgun Asman Baikarana

    East and West ‐these belong to the world of the pheasant,
    The blue sky—vast, boundless—is mine!

    Parindon Ki Dunya Ka Dervaish Hun Mein
    Ke Shaheen Banata Nahin Ashiyana

    I am the dervish of the kingdom of birds—
    The eagle does not make nests

    Parwaz Hai Dono Ki Issi Aik Faza Mein
    Kargas Ka Jahan Aur Hai, Shaheen Ka Jahan Aur

    The vulture and the eagle soar
    In the same air, but in worlds apart…..one is a scavenger, the other is a hunter

    Auqabi Rooh Jab Baidar Hoti Hai Jawanon Mein
    Nazar Ati Hai Iss Ko Apni Manzil Asmanon Mein

    When an eagle’s spirit awakens in youthful hearts,
    It sees its luminous goal beyond the starry heavens.

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