sikandar ali vajd (1914-1983) was a progressive, thoughtful poet from hyderabad, and a contemporary of maKhdoom.  He qualified for the Hyderabad Civil Service and served as munsif magistrate and later as sessions judge.  He got absorbed into the maharashTra state service when auraNgabad was split away from the erstwhile hyderabad state into maharashTra.  He was elected to the rajya sabha and awarded padma shri.  Unlike my previous impression which was based on a reading of his political compositions, I have come to realize that there is a healthy sufiyaana content in vajd’s composition.  Whenever a major construction project such as the Osmania University Arts College building is undertaken, a large contingent of itinerant labour moves in, in makeshift, temporary slum like dwellings, completes the task and moves on.  sikandar ali vajd is paying a tribute to them.  Leave aside the starry eyed idealism but at least there is a young poet thinking of unsung heroes.
1

naunehaalaan¹-e chaman ahl-e-hunar² jaate haiN
josh-zan³ qalb⁴ meN hai, shauq-e-safar⁵ jaate haiN
soorat⁶-e Khaak⁷ rahe, misl⁸-e sharar⁹ jaate haiN
ye bhi maaloom nahiN hai ke kidhar jaate haiN
lo chala qaafila¹⁰-e kohkan¹¹-e Khaana-badosh¹²
kal se ho jaayeNgi teeshauN¹³ ki sadaa’eN¹⁴ Khaamosh

1.youth 2.people of sills, artisans 3.full of passion 4.heart 5.desire to move on/travel 6.picture of, similar to 7.dust 8.example of, like 9.spark 10.caravan 11.stone mason 12.itinerant, carrying their home on their shoulders 13.chisels 14.sounds

O youth of the garden, the artisans/workers are ready to move on.  With passion in our hearts, a desire to move, we are leaving.  We lived here like dust, we leave like sparks (transitory).  We do not even know where we go next.  But the caravan of stone masons who carry their home with them, is about to leave.  Starting tomorrow you will no longer hear the sound of chisels.
2

hum ko aajir¹ se shikaayet² hai na qismat se gila³
malham⁴-e Ghaib⁵ se har vaqt yahi dars⁶ mila
saiqal⁷-e ishq se aati hai tabiyat⁸ pe jila⁹
har baRe kaam ki takmeel¹⁰ hai Khud us ka sila¹¹
dil se nikla hai ye paiGhaam jigardaarauN¹² ka
azm¹³-e sarshaar¹⁴ hi Khallaaq¹⁵ hai shahkaarauN¹⁸ ka

1.employer 2.complaint 3.grievance 4.ointment, salve 5.unknown, unseen, divine 6.lesson 7.polish, brilliance 8.temperament 9.shine 10.completion 11.compensation, reward 12.used here in the sense of ‘people who offer love’ 13.determination 14.fulfilled, overflow – used here in the sense of being satisfied with one’s own work 15.creator, maker 18.masterpieces

We have no complaint against the employer, no grievance at our fate. The divine salve that comforts us has always given us this lesson – it is the brilliance/strength of love that makes our temperament shine/happy.   Our love sends you this message from our heart, it is the determination to be fulfilled/satisfied with work that creates masterpieces.  Perhaps between the lines the message is that with our dedication we created a masterpiece, now it is your turn.
3

josh¹ o iKhlaas² se ki koshish-e-paiham³ hum ne
nazm⁴-e kohsaar⁵ kiya dar-hum-o-bar-hum⁶ ne
koh-e-Gham⁷ TooT paRe par na kiya Gham hum ne
kar diya qaum ka ek Khwaab mujassam⁸ hum ne
hum ne naqsh⁹-e havas¹⁰-e Khaam¹¹ nahiN chhoRa hai
kaam chhoRa hai kahiN naam nahiN chhoRa hai

1.enthusiasm, warmth 2.sincerity 3.repeated effort 4.arrangement, order 5.hills 6.hither-thither, helter-skelter 7.mountains of pain 8.to give body to, embodiment 9.marks 10.greed, desire 11.defective, incomplete

The warmth of our sincerity made us try again and again.  We broke up hills and mountains (and carved stone to create this beautiful structure).  Mountains of pain fell on us but we never complained.  We gave body/manifestation/realization to the dream of the homeland/mulk.  We are not leaving any of our work incomplete.  We are leaving the results of our work, not our name.