يہ ذکر نيم شبي ، يہ مراقبے ، يہ سرور
تري خودي کے نگہباں نہيں تو کچھ بھي نہيں
– علامہ اقبال-
Ye zikr-e-neem shabi, ye muraqabe, ye suroor
teri khudi ke nigehbaan nahiN to kuch bhii nahiN
– Allama Iqbal
ये ज़क्र-ए-नीम शबी, ये मुराक़बे, ये सुरुर
तेरी ख़ुदी के निग़ेहबां नहीं तो कुछ भी नहीं
– अल्लामा इक़्बाल
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
You speak of meditation at midnight, of trance and ecstasy
but if it cannot protect your sense of self, all this is a waste, you see
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.