اسيري
English title: IMPRISONMENT
ہے اسيري اعتبار افزا جو ہو فطرت بلندقطرئہ نيساں ہے زندان صدف سے ارجمند
Imprisonment enhances confidence if the nature is elegant; the spring drop becomes blessed inside the shell’s prison.*
مشک اذفر چيز کيا ہے ، اک لہو کي بوند ہےمشک بن جاتي ہے ہو کر نافہ آہو ميں بند
The excellent musk is nothing but a drop of blood, which becomes musk when it is enclosed in the deer’s navel.
ہر کسي کي تربيت کرتي نہيں قدرت، مگرکم ہيں وہ طائر کہ ہيں دام وقفس سے بہرہ مند
However, not everyone gets trained by nature; only an odd bird is prosperous in imprisonment:
شہپر زاغ و زغن در بند قيد و صيد نيست ''''ايں سعادت قسمت شہباز و شاہيں کردہ اند
‘Strength of crow’s and kite’s wing is not in cage and prey; this grace is reserved for the falcon and the eagle.’
بقول حافظ شیرازی کے کوے اور چیل کے بڑے پر پنجرے میں بند کرنے اور شکار کرنے کے لائق نہیں ہیں ۔ یہ خوش بختی تو شہباز اور شاہین جیسے پرندوں کے لیے لکھی گئی ہے ۔
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Bang-e-Dara — اسيري — 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: Bang-e-Dara — 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
- Reviewed exact Persian line-language classifications for the digital Urdu collectionsSource
- Bang-e-Dara English translation at allama-iqbal.com — Imprisonment — Public digital poem page, retrieved 2026-10-05; pinned to allama-iqbal.com commit 82547635bb6b758c45082084b2f152fc453a8056.Translation by Dr M.A.K. Khalil; English Translation by: Dr M.A.K. KhalilSource
- Bang-e-Dara: published Urdu rendering at Iqbal Rahber — Public published source page; pinned snapshot rahber-mixed-aseeri-poem.txt.Translation by Not separately identified; Published Urdu rendering from Iqbal Rahber; no translator is separately identified.Source
