گيسوئے تاب دار کو اور بھي تاب دار کر
English title: Bright are Thy tresses, brighten them even more
Bright are Your flowing tresses—make them shine even more. Ensnare my reason, capture my heart, dazzle my eyes.
If love must hide and beauty must stay veiled— then either unveil Yourself to me, or unveil me to myself.
You are the boundless ocean; I am but a small stream. Either draw me into You, or make me limitless too.
If I am a shell, in Your hands lies the honor of my pearl. If I am but clay, turn me into a shining gem.
If no song of spring is written in my fate, then turn this half-burning soul into a bird of Your spring.
Why did You send me away from the Garden of Paradise? The work of this world is vast—so now, wait for me!
On the Day when my record of deeds is laid bare— let me be ashamed, yes, but let even You feel shame with me.
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Bal-e-Jibril — گيسوئے تاب دار کو اور بھي تاب دار کر — Digital transcription file at commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the source dataset does not identify the underlying print edition.Verified against this pinned digital transcription file; not checked against a print edition.Source
- Iqbal Demystified source list: Bal-e-Jibril — Pinned digital dataset commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the underlying print edition is not identified by the dataset.Community dataset list; not reconciled against a print edition.Source
- Bal-e-Jibril English translation at allama-iqbal.com — — Public digital poem page, retrieved 2026-10-06; pinned to allama-iqbal.com commit 82547635bb6b758c45082084b2f152fc453a8056.Translation by Not identified by publisher; This page does not name a translator.Source