Hai Maqaam-e-zindagi Zer-e-dam-e-shamsheer-e-marg — Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq
Meaning
Life's abode lies beneath the edge of death's sword; however one spends a single breath, that passing is enough.
Explanation
This couplet paints life as something fragile, lived right beneath the sharp edge of death's sword. Every single moment we exist, death hangs over us, ready to fall. The poet says that somehow, whatever way we manage it, we simply pass our days. There is a quiet acceptance here. We don't fully control life; we just get through each breath as best we can, aware that it could end at any instant. It reminds us how precious and uncertain time truly is, and how bravely ordinary people keep going, breath by breath, under that constant shadow.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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