Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. There is a series of nazm in baaNg-e dara called ‘Khizr-e raah’. Khizr is supposed to be a very wise old man who is a guide. The poet comes across Khizr and asks him a number of questions. One of those questions relates to the injustice of the condition of the worker. This is Khizr’s answer asking the poet to carry this message to the worker.
1
banda-e-mazdoor¹ ko ja kar mera paiGhaam² de
Khizr³ ka paiGhaam kya hai, ye payaam⁴-e kaayenaat⁵  1.creature/servant (of god) who is worker/labourer 2.message 3.legendary old man who is wise and a guide to lost travelers 4.message 5.universe
Go (you poet/iqbal) and deliver this message from me (Khizr) to the worker. This is not just my message this is a universal message of all creation.
2
aye ke tujh ko kha gaya sarmaaya-daar¹-e heela-gar²
shaaKh³-e aahu⁴ par rahi sadiyauN⁵ talak teri baraat⁶  1.capitalist 2.excuse making 3.branch (in urdu) but also antler (in faarsi) 4.deer, antelope 5.centuries 6.wages
There is a saying in faarsi ‘baraat-e aashiqaaN bar shaaKh-e aahu’ literally meaning that the wage of lovers is on the antlers of deer … used to mean false/deceptive promise. As an example, zauq says …
savaal-e vasl ko Taala javaab-e cheen-e abru se
baraat-e aashiqaaN bar shaaKh-e aahu is ko kahte haiN
meaning … when the poet/lover asked for union, the beloved arched her eyebrows in response, ignoring the question. This is what they mean when they say, ‘the wage of the lover is on the antlers of the deer’. Thus, here, the message from Khizr to the worker is that his wage is a false promise.
3
dast¹-e daulat-aafriN² ko muzd³ yuN milti rahi
ahl-e-sarwat⁴ jaise dete haiN GharibauN ko zakaat⁵   1.hand 2.wealth creating 3.wage 4.people of affluence 5.tithe that muslims have to pay, which is then distributed among the poor
The hand that creates wealth receives wage as if the affluent are giving alms.
4
saahir-e al-amoot¹ ne tujh ko diya barg-e-hashish²
aur tu aye beKhabar³ samjha ise shaaKh-e-nabaat⁴  1.magician of (the fortress of) moot 2.leaf of hashish (opiate) 3.simpleton 4.candy/misri
hasan sabbaah, a legendary chief of the fortress of al-amoot was considered to have powers of enchanting people to the point of being able to hypnotize and send them off on suicidal assassination attempts. iqbal uses it here to mean that the capitalist has similarly enchanted the worker into giving up his labour/life. He offers the worker a leaf of hashish (Karl Marx’s opiate of the masses) and he thinks it is sweet candy.
5
nasl¹, qaumiyyat², kaleesa³, saltanat⁴, tahzeeb⁵, raNg⁶
Khwaajagi⁷ ne Khoob⁸ chun⁹ chun kar banaaye muskeraat¹⁰  1.pedigree 2.nationality 3.church 4.empire/emperor 5.culture 6.colour/skin colour/race 7.leadership 8.well 9.selected 10.intoxicants, opiates
Also see josh malihabadi’s “zindaan-e musallas – three cornered prison” where he writes passionately about how prejudices associated with language, faith and nation imprison us. Thus, says iqbal, leadership (colonial power) has chosen opiates like (prejudices of) pedigree, nationality, church, empire and race/colour, very well in order to keep the worker in control.
6
kaT mara naadaaN¹ Khayaali devtaauN ke liye
sukr² ki lazzat³ meN tu luTva gaya naqd-e-hayaat⁴  1.simpleton 2.sugar 3.pleasure 4.value/wealth of life
The worker is a simpleton. He sacrifices himself to imaginary gods. For the (deceptive) pleasure of sugar/candy/misri he lets the capitalist loot the wealth/value of his life.
7
makr¹ ki chaalauN se baazi² le gaya sarmaaya-daar³
intehaa⁴-e saadagi⁵ meN kha gaya mazdoor maat⁶  1.deception 2.turn of toss 3.capitalist 4.excess 5.simplicity 6.defeat
The capitalist makes deceptive moves and wins the turn of toss. In excess of simplicity the worker was defeated. Deceptive moves here refer to nationalism/patriotism, communalism and caste system, which are used to divide workers.
8
uTh ke ab bazm¹-e jahaaN ka aur hi andaaz² hai
mashriq³ o maGhrib⁴ meN tere daur⁵ ka aaGhaaz⁶ hai  1.system, world order 2.style, way 3.east 4.west 5.period, times 6.beginning
Arise, O worker the ways of the world order are changing (this is a reference to the Russian Revolution). This marks the beginning of your times (meaning power) in the East and West (world wide)
9
himmat¹-e aa’li² to darya³ bhi nahiN karti qubool⁴
Ghuncha-saaN⁵ Ghaafil⁶ tere daaman⁷ meN shabnam⁸ kab talak  1.courage, dignity 2.high, strong 3.ocean 4.accept 5.like a flower bud 6.simpleton 7.apron 8.dew drop
The worker is a simpleton, like a flower bud which is happy/satisfied to get a dew drop in its apron/petal. Great dignity refuses to accept even the ocean in compensation. How long will you, O worker be satisfied with a dew drop.
10
naGhma¹-e bedaari²-e jamhoor³ hai saamaan-e-aysh⁴
qissa⁵-e Khwaab-aavar⁶-e iskandar⁷ o jam⁸ kab talak  1.song of 2.awakening of 3.people 4.means of prosperity 5.story of 6.sleep inducing, mind numbing 7.Alexander 8.Jamshed
The song of awakening of the people is the way to prosperity. How long will you be satisfied with mind numbing stories of royalty.
11
aaftaab¹-e taaza² paida batn³-e geti⁴ se hua
aasmaaN Doobe hue taarauN ka maatam⁵ kab talak  1.sun 2.fresh, new 3.womb 4.earth, world 5.mourning
iqbal uses ‘aasmaaN’ as the elevated dignity of the worker and ‘Doobe hue taare’ for obsolete ways of nationalism and feudalism. A new sun is born from the womb of the earth (Russian Revolution). Old stars fade in the light of the new sun. How long will you mourn nationalism and feudalism.
12
toR DaaleeN fitrat¹-e insaaN ne zanjeereN tamaam²
doori³-e jannat se roti chashm⁴-e aadam⁵ kab talak  1.nature 2.all 3.distance 4.eyes 5.human
Human nature has shattered all chains that bind. How long will your eyes weep complaining of the distance of heaven/prosperity.
13
baaGhbaan¹-e chaara-farma² se ye kahti hai bahaar³
zaKhm⁴-e gul⁵ ke vaaste⁶ tadbeer⁷-e marham⁸ kab talak  1.gardener 2.healer 3.spring 4.injury, wound 5.rose 7.method, prescription 8.ointment
The coming spring (revolution) asks the healing gardener (leaders of the worker), how long will you devise old prescriptions of ointment for the wound of the rose (worker).
14
kirmak¹-e naadaaN² tawaaf³-e shama’ se aazaad ho
apni fitrat⁴ ke tajjalli-zaar⁵ meN aabaad⁶ ho  1.insect/moth 2.simpleton, unthinking 3.circumabulation 4.nature 5.garden of brilliance 6.prosper
The worker is like the unthinking moth that keeps going around the lamp until it is burnt. How long will you go around this false light. Prosper in the brilliant garden of your own nature/labour.