عورت
English title: WOMAN
جوہر مرد عياں ہوتا ہے بے منت غيرغير کے ہاتھ ميں ہے جوہر عورت کي نمود
Man's worth is brought to light without aid from the rest, but woman's worth depends on others at its best.
راز ہے اس کے تپ غم کا يہي نکتہ شوقآتشيں ، لذت تخليق سے ہے اس کا وجود
Her pain and fret for breed this joyful fact proclaims that procreation is her first and foremost aim.
کھلتے جاتے ہيں اسي آگ سے اسرار حياتگرم اسي آگ سے ہے معرکہ بود و نبود
The self-same fire reveals hid secrets of this life; this fire keeps aflame life and death's deadly strife.
ميں بھي مظلومي نسواں سے ہوں غم ناک بہت!نہيں ممکن مگر اس عقدہ مشکل کي کشود
The oppression of fair sex has cast me down a lot: I can not think of means that can resolve this knot.
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Zarb-e-Kalim — عورت — 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: Zarb-e-Kalim — 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
- Zarb-e-Kalim English translation at allama-iqbal.com — Woman — Public digital poem page, retrieved 2026-10-06; pinned to allama-iqbal.com commit 82547635bb6b758c45082084b2f152fc453a8056.Translation by Syed Akbar Ali Shah; English Translation by: Syed Akbar Ali ShahSource