The customs of Europe's tavern are strange; they induce intoxication first and serve the wine only at the very end.

In this witty couplet, Iqbal uses the metaphor of a tavern to critique the hypnotic allure of Western civilization. In an ordinary tavern, wine leads to drunkenness, but here the fascination and dazzle overpower the senses long before one even tastes the drink. It is a cautionary reflection on how external glamour can sweep away our critical thinking, bewitching us with illusion before we even grasp reality.