III-II

Come forward and learn the self seeing art,
Learn the hard task and sufferings of heart.
If you wish clear vision of God the Great,
Learn to see the self in a vivid state.¹

1.         Khwesh paechidan; literal meaning are self-wrapping or self writhing or self coiling but in Iqbal’s own terminology it means self seeing. Se’e quatrain No. 9 in which Iqbal has used the same term, conveying the same sense of Bakhud Paechidgan, means the self seeing or pondering into self.

Iqbal has further cleared this meaning in the following verse:- 

The faqr means weighing your own deed and acts,
On two words ‘brood’/sce what is ‘Lailah’ in fact.

Faqr (Arb:) means care, sorrow, to dig up, to seek, to loan one’s camel to some body (now to loan your car to some body). In mystics’ language the Faqr means contentment. Faqir; means needy (of God alone), in want of God’s help alone). An humble way of addressing one self.

Here Iqbal has fully explained the meaning of faqr. viz. ‘Faqr means weighing your own deeds and acts”.

A student of Persian should not mix up the meaning of “Khwesh paechidan” or “Bakhud paechidan.” with “Paech-o-tab” (khana) which means to be restive or restless; as Iqbal says in the following verse:-
To whom do you seek in a restless bid,
He is vivid, in veils but you are hid.
I looked into self, none was there but He.

Here me means, to me, myself = I, to correct it I would say:-

When I sought for ‘Him’ that hidden was I,
I looked into self, was He, so well nigh.

I hope this controversy of paecheedgan’s meaning should now end here.