For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
ایک مزدور کی زندگی ۔ داؤد خاں اخترؔ شیرانی
۱
سوزِ دل میرے لیے زخمِ جِگر میرے لیے
زندگی ہے مری اک رقصِ شرر میرے لیے
۲
چرخ نے مری تباہی پہ بہائے آنسو
دیدۂ انجم و ناہید ہے تر میرے لیے
۳
قسمتِ دولتِ وجداں ہے بہ اندازۂ ظرف
رنگ و بو تیرے لیے سوز و شرر میرے لیے
۴
زندگی گرچہ ہے مجبوریِ فطرت کا ثبوت
پھر بھی ہیں دشت و جبل زیر و زبر میرے لیے
۵
خوف محنت سے نہیں ہمدمِ آرام پسند
خون اور خاک تو ہے شہد و شکر میرے لیے
۶
پاس منظور ہے فطرت کو مری رفعت کا
ورنہ گردش میں ہیں کیوں شمس و قمر میرے لیے
۷
بوالہوس! آ کہ بہ اندازۂ ہِمّت خوش ہوں
برگ و گل تیرے لیے تیغ و تبر میرے لیے
۸
تا ابد روئے گی اخترؔ جسے چشمِ دوراں
کی ہے مخصوص ازل نے وہ نظر میرے لیے
एक मज़दूर की ज़िंदगी । दाऊद ख़ाँ अख़्तर शीरानी
१
सोज़-ए दिल मेरे लिए ज़ख़्म-ए जिगर मेरे लिए
ज़िंदगी है मेरी एक रक़्स-ए शरर मेरे लिए
२
चर्ख़ ने मेरी तबाही पे बहाए आँसू
दीदा-ए अंजुम ओ नाहीद है तर मेरे लिए
३
क़िस्मत-ए दौलत-ए वज्दाँ है ब-अंदाज़ा-ए ज़र्फ़
रंग ओ बू तेरे लिए सोज़ ओ शरर मेरे लिए
४
ज़िंदगी गरचे है मज्बूरी-ए फ़ितरत का सुबूत
फिर भी हैं दश्त ओ जबल ज़ेर ओ ज़बर मेरे लिए
५
ख़ौफ़ मेहनत से नहीं हमदम-ए आराम-पसंद
ख़ून और ख़ाक तो है शहद ओ शकर मेरे लिए
६
पास मंज़ूर है फ़ितरत को मेरी रफ़’अत का
वरना गर्दिश में हैं क्यूँ शम्स ओ क़मर मेरे लिए
७
बू-ल-हवस! आ के ब-अंदाज़ा-ए हिम्मत ख़ुश हूँ
बरग ओ गुल तेरे लिए तेग़ ओ तबर मेरे लिए
८
ता अबद रोएगी अख़्तर जिसे चश्म-ए दौराँ
की है मख़्सूस अज़ल ने वो नज़र मेरे लिए
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed dawood KhaaN aKhtar shiiraani (1904-1948) ToNk, rajashthan. He received religious and classical education at home and was also given lessons in wrestling. In 1921, there was a rebellion against the local navaab. He was able to put down the rebellion but banished a lot of people, among them shiiraani’s family, who migrated to lahore. He started working as a journalist and publisher. His love interest and poetry caused a breakdown of relationship with his father, but his allowance continued. He died early due to heavy smoking and drinking. In his poetry he broke with the trend of progressive poets and stayed with romantic themes, although there are many that are in progressive themes like this one. It is linked to ‘yaum-e mazdoor’ on the Theme Index page.
1
soz1-e dil mere liye zaKhm2-e jigar3 mere liye
zindagi hai meri ek raqs4-e sharar5 mere liye 1.fire, pain 2.wound 3.liver/heart 4.dance 5.spark
The worker feels constant pain and suffering. His life is like a dance of sparks i.e., a constant restlessness and struggle.
2
charKh1 ne meri tabaahi2 pe bahaa’e3 aaNsu
diida4-e anjum5 o naahiid6 hai tar7 mere liye 1.sky, fate 2.ruins 3.flowing, shedding 4.eyes 5.stars 6.Venus 7.moist, wet
The heavens/fate shed tears on my ruination. Even the eyes of stars and planets (celestial bodies) are moist for me.
3
qismat1-e daulat2-e vajdaaN3 hai ba-aNdaaza4-e zarf5
raNg-o-buu6 tere liye soz-o-sharar7 mere liye 1.fate, good luck 2.wealth, treasure 3.ecstasy, rapture 4.in proportion to 5.capacity 6.colour and fragrance, beauty and joy 7.fire and sparks, pain and restlessness
The gift/benevolence of the wealth of ecstasy is given in proportion to capacity. For you, beauty and joy; for me constant pain and restlessness. Here ‘you’ is the capitalist.
4
zindagi garche1 hai majbuuri2-e fitrat3 ka subuut4
phir bhi haiN dasht-o-jabal5 zer-o-zabar6 mere liye 1.even though 2.compulsion, limitation 3.nature 4.proof, testament 5.hills and valleys 6.turned upside down, having the opposite effect
Human civilization has survived the challenges of nature. It is said that it has overcome nature. Thus, even though life is a testament to human power overcoming the forces of nature, for me, hills and valleys (forces/gifts of nature) have the opposite effect, I remain deprived and still subject of the forces of nature.
5
Khauf1 mehnat2 se nahiN hamdam3-e aaraam-pasand4
Khuun-aur-Khaak5 to hai shah’d-o-shakar6 mere liye 1.fear 2.hard work 3.friend 4.comfort loving 5.blood and dust, sacrifice and toil 6.honey and sugar, sweet rewards
This is not a complaint about hard work. I do not fear hard work O comfort-loving friend. Toil and sacrifice are sweet rewards for me. The implication is that this is a complaint about the usurpation of the benefits of his toil and sacrifice.
6
paas1 manzuur2 hai fitrat3 ko meri raf’at4 ka
varna5 gardish6 meN haiN kyuN shams7 o qamar8 mere liye 1.regard, respect, acknowledgement 2.acceptable 3.nature 4.dignity, elevation 5.otherwise 6.revolving 7.sun 8.moon
It is acceptable to nature to acknowledge/respect the dignity of labour. Otherwise why would the sun and moon revolved around the earth (this of course, is symbolic, not scientific). The implication is that nature acknowledges the dignity of labour, the owners of capital don’t.
7
bu-al-havas1! aa keh ba-aNdaaza2-e himmat3 Khush huN
barg-o-gul4 tere liye teGh-o-tabar5 mere liye 1.greedy 2.in proportion to 3.courage 4.leaves and flowers 5.sword and hatchet
‘barg-o-gul’ symbolize beauty and comfort, ‘teGh-o-tabar’ symbolize struggle and hardship. O greedy one, come and see for yourself, I am happy in proportion to my courage and hard work. For you, beauty and comfort; for me, struggle and hardship. The greedy one, of course, is the capitalist.
8
taa1 abad2 ro’egi aKhtar3 jise chashm4-e dauraaN5
kii hai maKhsuus6 azal7 ne vo nazar8 mere liye 1.until 2.eternity, end of time 3.pen-name of the poet 4.eye 5.times 6.special, selected, reserved 7.beginning, from the beginning of the cosmos 8.glance
O aKhtar, the eye of times will weep until the end of time for me, for whom the beginning of the cosmos has reserved that weeping eye i.e., this has been the condition of the worker from the beginning of time. This recongizes the impact of feudalism and capitalism on the life of the worker. It does not sound quite like a passive acceptance of fate. There is still a hint of dynamism and change.
mohammed dawood KhaaN aKhtar shiiraani (1904-1948) ToNk, rajashthan. He received religious and classical education at home and was also given lessons in wrestling. In 1921, there was a rebellion against the local navaab. He was able to put down the rebellion but banished a lot of people, among them shiiraani’s family, who migrated to lahore. He started working as a journalist and publisher. His love interest and poetry caused a breakdown of relationship with his father, but his allowance continued. He died early due to heavy smoking and drinking. In his poetry he broke with the trend of progressive poets and stayed with romantic themes, although there are many that are in progressive themes like this one. It is linked to ‘yaum-e mazdoor’ on the Theme Index page.
1
soz1-e dil mere liye zaKhm2-e jigar3 mere liye
zindagi hai meri ek raqs4-e sharar5 mere liye
1.fire, pain 2.wound 3.liver/heart 4.dance 5.spark
The worker feels constant pain and suffering. His life is like a dance of sparks i.e., a constant restlessness and struggle.
2
charKh1 ne meri tabaahi2 pe bahaa’e3 aaNsu
diida4-e anjum5 o naahiid6 hai tar7 mere liye
1.sky, fate 2.ruins 3.flowing, shedding 4.eyes 5.stars 6.Venus 7.moist, wet
The heavens/fate shed tears on my ruination. Even the eyes of stars and planets (celestial bodies) are moist for me.
3
qismat1-e daulat2-e vajdaaN3 hai ba-aNdaaza4-e zarf5
raNg-o-buu6 tere liye soz-o-sharar7 mere liye
1.fate, good luck 2.wealth, treasure 3.ecstasy, rapture 4.in proportion to 5.capacity 6.colour and fragrance, beauty and joy 7.fire and sparks, pain and restlessness
The gift/benevolence of the wealth of ecstasy is given in proportion to capacity. For you, beauty and joy; for me constant pain and restlessness. Here ‘you’ is the capitalist.
4
zindagi garche1 hai majbuuri2-e fitrat3 ka subuut4
phir bhi haiN dasht-o-jabal5 zer-o-zabar6 mere liye
1.even though 2.compulsion, limitation 3.nature 4.proof, testament 5.hills and valleys 6.turned upside down, having the opposite effect
Human civilization has survived the challenges of nature. It is said that it has overcome nature. Thus, even though life is a testament to human power overcoming the forces of nature, for me, hills and valleys (forces/gifts of nature) have the opposite effect, I remain deprived and still subject of the forces of nature.
5
Khauf1 mehnat2 se nahiN hamdam3-e aaraam-pasand4
Khuun-aur-Khaak5 to hai shah’d-o-shakar6 mere liye
1.fear 2.hard work 3.friend 4.comfort loving 5.blood and dust, sacrifice and toil 6.honey and sugar, sweet rewards
This is not a complaint about hard work. I do not fear hard work O comfort-loving friend. Toil and sacrifice are sweet rewards for me. The implication is that this is a complaint about the usurpation of the benefits of his toil and sacrifice.
6
paas1 manzuur2 hai fitrat3 ko meri raf’at4 ka
varna5 gardish6 meN haiN kyuN shams7 o qamar8 mere liye
1.regard, respect, acknowledgement 2.acceptable 3.nature 4.dignity, elevation 5.otherwise 6.revolving 7.sun 8.moon
It is acceptable to nature to acknowledge/respect the dignity of labour. Otherwise why would the sun and moon revolved around the earth (this of course, is symbolic, not scientific). The implication is that nature acknowledges the dignity of labour, the owners of capital don’t.
7
bu-al-havas1! aa keh ba-aNdaaza2-e himmat3 Khush huN
barg-o-gul4 tere liye teGh-o-tabar5 mere liye
1.greedy 2.in proportion to 3.courage 4.leaves and flowers 5.sword and hatchet
‘barg-o-gul’ symbolize beauty and comfort, ‘teGh-o-tabar’ symbolize struggle and hardship. O greedy one, come and see for yourself, I am happy in proportion to my courage and hard work. For you, beauty and comfort; for me, struggle and hardship. The greedy one, of course, is the capitalist.
8
taa1 abad2 ro’egi aKhtar3 jise chashm4-e dauraaN5
kii hai maKhsuus6 azal7 ne vo nazar8 mere liye
1.until 2.eternity, end of time 3.pen-name of the poet 4.eye 5.times 6.special, selected, reserved 7.beginning, from the beginning of the cosmos 8.glance
O aKhtar, the eye of times will weep until the end of time for me, for whom the beginning of the cosmos has reserved that weeping eye i.e., this has been the condition of the worker from the beginning of time. This recongizes the impact of feudalism and capitalism on the life of the worker. It does not sound quite like a passive acceptance of fate. There is still a hint of dynamism and change.
