مرد حر
ہر کہ سنگ راہ را داند زجاجگیرد آن درویش از سلطان خراج
English translation
The dervish gets tribute from kings*; who regards the stones of the pathway as mere glass.
* He is so possessed of power that the kings fear him and pay him tribute. **This contrast emphasizes that for a Free Man difficulties of great magnitude become insignificant in face of his strong will.
Translated by Bashir Ahmad Dar
Urdu translation
وہ درویش جو سنگ راہ کو شیشہ کی طرح (کمزور) سمجھتا ہے، وہ سلطان (بادشاہوں) سے خراج وصول کرتا ہے۔
About this couplet
This is couplet 6 of 31 in “مرد حر” (The Freeman), from Allama Muhammad Iqbal's Persian book Pas Chih Bayad Kard (پس چہ بائد کرد اے اقوامِ شرق), published in 1936.
Read it in the poem۶ / ۳۱