رومي بدلے ، شامي بدلے، بدلا ہندستان
English title: O Afghan unaware
The Romans, Syrians, Hindus too have changed and made a great advance; O son of hills, discern your Self and sharpness of your Self enhance. O Afghan unaware, of your self take much care.
If weather is fine, water quite enough and terrain fertile and plain, but peasant does not water fields, he is odd and can nothing gain. O Afghan unaware, of your self take much care.
That river has no weight at all whose billows do not swell and rise that tempest is too weak and low, whose gales by fury don't surprise. O Afghan unaware, of your Self take much care.
A person, who stire up and down his clay, to Self can find a clue: Kings who possess vast, mighty states, can be ransomed for peasant true. O Afghan unaware, of your self take much care.
Self-respect of unlettered men your ignorance has saved from harm though scholars and savants sell their Faith to keep their bellies warm. O Afghan unaware, of your self have much care.
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Zarb-e-Kalim — رومي بدلے ، شامي بدلے، بدلا ہندستان — 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 — — 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
