Sher on iqbal

For years I kept searching for that very ‘Iqbal’—that true rise of spirit I longed for.

After a long time, at last that falcon came under my control, within my grasp.

The couplet speaks of a prolonged inner quest: the speaker seeks “Iqbal” not just as a name but as elevation, fortune, and awakened selfhood. The “shaheen” (falcon) symbolizes a high-flying, free, noble spirit that is hard to tame. When it finally comes “under the snare,” it suggests the hard-won moment when one’s disciplined effort brings the desired strength and direction into one’s command. The emotion moves from restless yearning to fulfilled mastery.

For years I kept searching for that very ‘Iqbal’—that true rise of spirit I longed for.

After a long time, at last that falcon came under my control, within my grasp.

The couplet speaks of a prolonged inner quest: the speaker seeks “Iqbal” not just as a name but as elevation, fortune, and awakened selfhood. The “shaheen” (falcon) symbolizes a high-flying, free, noble spirit that is hard to tame. When it finally comes “under the snare,” it suggests the hard-won moment when one’s disciplined effort brings the desired strength and direction into one’s command. The emotion moves from restless yearning to fulfilled mastery.