For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.
Recitation
مزدور ۔ سیماب اکبرآبادی
گرد چہرے پر پسینے میں جبیں ڈوُبی ہوئی
آنسوؤں میں کہنیوں تک آستیں بھیگی ہوئی
پیٹھ پر ناقابِلِ برداشت اِک بارِ گراں
ضعف سے لرزی ہوئی ساری بدن کی جھرّیاں
ہڈّیوں میں تیز چلنے سے چٹخنے کی صدا
درد میں ڈوبی ہوئی مجروح ٹخنے کی صدا
پاؤں مِٹّی کی تہوں میں میل سے چکٹے ہوئے
ایک بدبودار میلا چیتھڑا باندھے ہوئے
جا رہا ہے جانور کی طرح گھبراتا ہوا
پانپتا، گِرتا، لرزتا، ٹھوکریں کھاتا ہوا
مضمحل واماندگی سے اور فاقوں سے نڈھال
چار پیسوں کی توقع، سارے کُنبے کا خیال
اپنے ہم جنسوں کی بے مہری سے مایوس و ملول
صفحۂ ہستی پر اک سطرِ غلط، مدِّ فضول
اپنی خلقت کو گناہوں کی سزا سمجھے ہوئے
آدمی ہونے کو لعنت اور بلا سمجھے ہوئے
زندگی کو ناگوار اِک سانحہ جانے ہوئے
بزمِ کِبر و ناز میں فرض اپنا پہچانے ہوئے
راستے میں راہگیروں کی نظر سے بے نیاز
شورشِ ماتم سے، نغموں کے اثر سے بے نیاز
اُس کے دِل تک زندگی کی روشنی جاتی نہیں
بھول کر بھی اُس کے ہونٹوں پر ہنسی آتی نہیں
ایک لمحہ بھی نہیں فکرِ معیشت سے نجات
صبح ہو یا شام، ہے تاریک اُس کی کائنات
دیکھ ائے قارونِ اعظم، دیکھ ائے سرمایہ دار
نامرادی کا مرقع، بے کسی کا شاہکار
گو ہے تیری ہی طرح اِنساں مگر مقہور ہے
دیکھ ائے دولت کے اندھے سانپ! یہ مزدور ہے
मज़्दूर – सीमाब अक्बराबादी
गर्द चेहरे पर, पसीने में जबीं डूबी हुई
आन्सुऔं में कोहनियों तक आस्तीं भीगी हुई
पीठ पर नाक़ाबिल-ए बर्दाश्त एक बार-ए गिरां
ज़ौफ़ से लर्ज़ी हुई सारी बदन कि झुर्रियां
हड्डियों में तेज़ चलने से चटख़्ने कि सदा
दर्द में डूबी हुई मज्रूह टख़्ने के सदा
पाऊँ मिट्टी कि तहौं में मैल से चिक्टे हुए
एक बद-बू-दार मैला चीथड़ा बांधे हुए
जा रहा है जानवर कि तरह घबराता हुआ
हांपता, गिरता, लरज़्ता, ठोकरें खाता हुआ
मुज़्महिल वामांदगी से और फाकों से निढाल
चार पैसों कि तवक़्क़ो, सारे कुन्बे का ख़्याल
अपने हम-जिन्सौं कि बे-महरी से मायूस ओ मलूल
सफ़ह-ए हस्ती पर एक सत्र-ए ग़लत, मद्द-ए फ़ुज़ूल
अप्नी ख़िल्क़त को गुनाहौं कि सज़ा समझे हुए
आदमी होने को लानत और बला समझे हुए
ज़िन्दगी को ना-गवार एक सानेहा जाने हुए
बज़्म-ए किब्र ओ नाज़ में फ़र्ज़ अपना पहचाने हुए
रास्ते में राहगीरौं कि नज़र से बे-नियाज़
शोरिश-ए मातम से, नग़्मौं के असर से बे-नियाज़
उस के दिल तक ज़िन्दगी कि रौशनी जाती नहीं
भूल कर भी उस के होंटौं पर हंसी आती नहीं
एक लम्हा भी नहीं फ़िक्र-ए मईशत से नजात
सुबह हो या शाम, है तारीक उस कि काएनात
देख ए क़ारून-ए आज़म, देख अए सरमायादार
नामुरादी का मुरक़्क़ा, बे-कसी का शाहकार
गो है तेरी ही तरह इन्सां मगर मक़्हूर है
देख अए दौलत के अंधे सांप! ये मज़्दूर है
mazdoor – seemab akbarabadi
Click on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion.
1
gard chehre1 par, paseene meN jabiN2 Doobi hui
aaNsuauN meN kohniyauN3 tak aastiN4 bheegi hui
peeTh par naaqaabil5-e bardaasht6 ek baar7-e giraaN8
zauf9 se larzi10 hui saari badan ki jhurriyaaN11 1.face 2.forehead, brow 3.elbows 4.sleeve 5.not capable of 6.tolerating 7.burden 8.heavy 9.weakness 10.trembling 11.wrinkles
Dust, coated on his face, the brow drenched in sweat, sleeves wet to the elbow, with wiping off tears. He carries an unbearably heavey burden on his back. Wrinkles on his body trembling with weakness.
2
haDDiyauN meN tez chalne se chaTaKhne ki sada1
dard meN Doobi hui majrooh2 TaKhne3 ki sada
paauN miTTi ki tahauN4 meN mayl5 se chikTe6 hue
ek bad-boo-daar7 mayla8 cheethRa9 baandhe hue 1.sound 2.wounded, broken 3.ankle 4.layers 5.dirt 6.glued 7.smelly, stinky 8.dirty 9.rag
His bones rattle when he walks fast. The sound of his painful, broken ankle. His feet glued in layers of dust. A smelly rag for a loincloth.
3
jaa raha hai jaanvar ki tarah ghabraata1 hua
haaNpta2, girta, larazta3, ThokareN4 khaata hua
muzmahil5 vaamaandagi6 se aur faaqauN7 se niDhaal8
chaar paisauN ki tavaqquo9, saare kunbe10 ka Khyaal 1.scared, worried 2.panting 3.shivering 4.stumbling 5.wilted, hopeless 6.put down, defeated 7.starvation 8.tired/weak 9.expectation, hope 10.family
He goes about like a scared animal, panting, falling, shivering and stumbling. Hopeless in repeated failures, weak with starvation. He has hopes to earn a few coins, always thinking of the whole family.
4
apne hum-jinsauN1 ke be-mahri2 se mayoos3 o malool4
safah5-e hasti6 par ek satr7-e Ghalat8, madd9-e fuzool10
apni Khilqat11 ko gunaahauN ki saza samjhe hue
aadmi hone ko l’aanat12 aur balaa13 samjhe hue 1.same species, fellow humans 2.unkindness, ungenerous 3.disappointed 4.sorrowful 5.page of 6.life, existence 7.line 8.wrong, mistake 9.chapter 10.unnecessary, unwanted 11.creation 12.curse 13.calamity
Disappointed and sorrowful at the unkindness of fellow humans. He is like a line of mistakes on the page of life, an unwanted chapter in human existence. Thinking of his creation as a punishment for past sins. Considering his own humanity to be a curse, life to be a calamity.
5
zindagi ko na-gavaaar1 ek saaneha2 jaane hue
bazm3-e kibr4 o naaz5 meN farz6 apna pahchaane hue
raaste meN raahgiirauN ki nazar7 se be-niyaaz8
shorish9-e maatam10 se, naGhmauN11 ke asar12 se be-niyaaz 1.unacceptable, unwanted 2.accident 3.gathering 4.conceit 5.pride 6.duty, assigned role 7.glance, looks 8.umindful 9.sound, noise 10.wailing, weeping 11.song (joyful) 12.effect
He thinks of his life as an unwanted accident accepting his assigned role in this assembly of pride and conceit. Unmindful of the (scornful) looks of those around him on the road of life. Unfeeling of the joys and sorrows, ups and downs of life.
6
us ke dil tak zindagi ki raushni jaati nahiN
bhool kar bhi us ke hoNTauN par haNsi aati nahiN
ek lamha1 bhi nahiN fikr2-e ma’eeshat3 se najaat4
subah ho ya shaam, hai taariik5 us ki kaa’enaat6 1.moment 2.worry 3.livelihood 4.deliverance, freedom 5.dark 6.universe
The light (of the joys and sorrows) of life never reaches his heart. No smile comes his lips, even by mistake. He does not have even a moment free from the worry of livelihood. Night and day his world is full of darkness/hopelessness.
7
dekh aye qaaroon1-e aazam2, dekh aye sarmaayadaar3
naamuraadi4 ka muraqq’a5, be-kasi6 ka shahkar7
go hai teri hi tarah insaaN magar maqhoor8 hai
dekh aye daulat ke andhe saaNp! ye mazdoor hai 1.legendary miser, hoarder of wealth, during Moses’ time 2.great/big 3.capitalist 4.hopeless 5.book/album (of life) 6.helplessness 7.masterpiece 8.oppressed/broken/cursed
O, you capitalist, you hoarder of wealth, look at him – a picture of hopelessness, a masterpiece of helplessness. Even though he is human, just like you, he is cursed. Look, you serpent blinded by wealth, this is a worker/labourer.
mazdoor – seemab akbarabadi
gard chehre1 par, paseene meN jabiN2 Doobi hui
aaNsuauN meN kohniyauN3 tak aastiN4 Doobi hui
peeTh par naaqaabil5-e bardaasht6 ek baar7-e giraaN8
zauf9 se larzi10 hui saari badan ki jhurriyaaN11
1.face 2.forehead, brow 3.elbows 4.sleeve 5.not capable of 6.tolerating 7.burden 8.heavy 9.weakness 10.trembling 11.wrinkles
Dust, coated on his face, the brow drenched in sweat, sleeves wet to the elbow, with wiping off tears. He carries an unbearably heavey burden on his back. Wrinkles on his body trembling with weakness.
haDDiyauN meN tez chalne se chaTaKhne ki sada1
dard meN Doobi hui majrooh2 TaKhne3 ki sada
paauN miTTi ki tahauN4 meN mayl5 se chikTe6 hue
ek bad-boo-daar7 mayla8 cheethRa9 baandhe hue
1.sound 2.wounded, broken 3.ankle 4.layers 5.dirt 6.glued 7.smelly, stinky 8.dirty 9.rag
His bones rattle when he walks fast. The sound of his painful, broken ankle. His feet glued in layers of dust. A smelly rag for a loincloth.
jaa raha hai jaanvar ki tarah ghabraata1 hua
haaNpta2, girta, larazta3, ThokareN4 khaata hua
muzmahil5 vaamaandagi6 se aur faaqauN7 se niDhaal8
chaar paisauN ki tavaqquo9, saare kunbe10 ka Khyaal
1.scared, worried 2.panting 3.shivering 4.stumbling 5.wilted, hopeless 6.put down, defeated 7.starvation 8.tired/weak 9.expectation, hope 10.family
He goes about like a scared animal, panting, falling, shivering and stumbling. Hopeless in repeated failures, weak with starvation. He has hopes to earn a few coins, always thinking of the whole family.
apne hum-jinsauN1 ke be-mahri2 se mayoos3 o malool4
safah5-e hasti6 par ek satr7-e Ghalat8, madd9-e fuzool10
apni Khilqat11 ko gunaahauN ki saza samjhe hue
aadmi hone ko l’aanat12 aur balaa13 samjhe hue
1.same species, fellow humans 2.unkindness, ungenerous 3.disappointed 4.sorrowful 5.page of 6.life, existence 7.line 8.wrong, mistake 9.chapter 10.unnecessary, unwanted 11.creation 12.curse 13.calamity
Disappointed and sorrowful at the unkindness of fellow humans. He is like a like of mistakes on the page of life, an unwanted chapter in human existence. Thinking of his creation as a punishment for past sins. Considering his own humanity to be a curse, life to be a calamity.
zindagi ko na-gavaaar1 ek saaneha2 jaane hue
bazm3-e kibr4 o naaz5 meN farz6 apna pahchaane hue
raaste meN raahgiirauN ki nazar7 se be-niyaaz8
shorish9-e maatam10 se, naGhmauN11 ke asar12 se be-niyaaz
1.unacceptable, unwanted 2.accident 3.gathering 4.conceit 5.pride 6.duty, assigned role 7.glance, looks 8.umindful 9.sound, noise 10.wailing, weeping 11.song (joyful) 12.effect
He thinks of his life as an unwanted accident accepting his assigned role in this assembly of pride and conceit. Unmindful of the (scornful) looks of those around him on the road of life. Unfeeling of the joys and sorrows, ups and downs of life.
us ke dil tak zindagi ki raushni jaati nahiN
bhool kar bhi us ke hoNTauN par haNsi aati nahiN
ek lamha1 bhi nahiN fikr2-e ma’eeshat3 se najaat4
subah ho ya shaam, hai taariik5 us ki kaa’enaat6
1.moment 2.worry 3.livelihood 4.deliverance, freedom 5.dark 6.universe
The light (of the joys and sorrows) of life never reaches his heart. No smile comes his lips, even by mistake. He does not have even a moment free from the worry of livelihood. Night and day his world is full of darkness/hopelessness.
dekh aye qaaroon1-e aazam2, dekh aye sarmaayadaar3
naamuraadi4 ka muraqq’a5, be-kasi6 ka shahkar7
go hai teri hi tarah insaaN magar maqhoor8 hai
dekh aye daulat ke andhe saaNp! ye mazdoor hai
1.legendary miser, hoarder of wealth, during Moses’ time 2.great/big 3.capitalist 4.hopeless 5.book/album (of life) 6.helplessness 7.masterpiece 8.oppressed/broken/cursed
O, you capitalist, you hoarder of wealth, look at him – a picture of hopelessness, a masterpiece of helplessness. Even though he is human, just like you, he is cursed. Look, you serpent blinded by wealth, this is a worker/labourer.
Key Search Words: progressive, socialism, communism, socialist, communist, worker, labourer, labor
