Recitation
اے تیشۂ مزدور ۔ جگن ناتھ آزاد
اے اپنی حقیقت سے بہت بے خبر و دُور
تقدیرِ زمانہ ہے تری ضرب میں مستور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
کیا شئے ہے تری ضربتِ کاری کا کرشمہ
صد پارہ ہیں کہسارچٹانوں کے جگر چور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
ننگل کی چٹانیں تِرے ہاتھوں میں کھلونا
بنہال ترے سامنے اُفتاد پہ مجبور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
کہتے ہیں جسے تاج کی تعمیرِ درخشاں
ہے اُس کے در و بام پہ تابندہ ترا نور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
کیا تجھ سے ایلورا کا یہ ہر بُت نہیں کہتا
ہاں میری خموشی ہے تِرے شور سے معمور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
پتّھر ہوں کہ دریا ہوں ترے سامنے آ کر
سب بے بس و مجبور ہیں سب خستہ و رنجوُر
اے تیشۂ مزدور
یہ پہلوئے کہسار میں ترشے ہوے جادے
جادے ہیں کہ مستقبلِ اِنساں کے ہیں دستور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
آگاہ ابھی اپنی حقیقت سے نہیں توُ
خود تیری حقیقت تری آنکھوں سے ہے مستور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
دیروز تری کاوشِ پیہم سے فَروزاں
فردا ترے انوارِ جہاں تاب سے پُر نوُر
اے تیشۂ مزدور
توُ اپنی حقیقت کو جو پا لے تو نظر آئے
ہر ذرّہ عالم میں تجّلیِ سرِ تور
اے تیشۂ مزدور
अए तीशा-ए मज़दूर – जगन नाथ आज़ाद
अए अपनी हक़ीक़त से बहुत बे-ख़बर ओ दूर
तक़दीर-ए ज़माना है तेरी ज़र्ब में मस्तूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
क्या शै है तेरी ज़रबत-ए कारी का करिश्मा
सद पारा हैं कुहसार चट्टानों के जिगर चूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
नंगल कि चट्टानें तेरे हाथौं में खिलोना
बिनहाल तेरे सामने उफ़ताद पे मजबूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
कहते हैं जिसे ताज की ता’मीर-ए दरख़्शां
है उस के दर ओ बाम पे ताबिन्दा तेरा नूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
क्या तुझ से एल्लोरा का ये हर बुत नहीं कहता
हां मेरी ख़मोशी है तेरे शोर से मा’मूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
पत्थर हों के दरया हों तेरे सामने आ कर
सब बे-बस ओ मजबूर हैं सब ख़स्ता ओर रंजूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
ये पहलू-ए क़ोहसार में तरशे हुए जादे
जादे हैं के मुस्तक़्बिल-ए इन्सां के हैं दस्तूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
आगाह अभी अपनी हक़ीक़त से नहीं तू
ख़ुद तेरी हक़ीक़त तेरी आंखौं से है मस्तूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
दरोज़ तेरी काविश-ए पैहम से फ़रोज़ान
फ़रदा तेरे अनवार-ए जहां-ताब से पुर नूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
तू अपनी हक़ीक़त को जो पा ले तो नज़र आए
हर ज़र्रा-ए आलम में तजल्ली-ए सर-ए तूर
आए तीशा-ए मज़दूर
aye teesha-e mazdoor – jagan nath azad
Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.
This appears to be quaint and romantic now but during early Nehruvian times it was romanticized and jagan nath azad appears to have been an active participant in that.
aye apni haqeeqat1 se bahut be-Khabar2 o duur
taqdeer3-e zamana4 hai teri zarb5 meN mastoor6
aye teesha7-e mazdoor1.reality 2.unaware 3.fate 4.(present) times 5.blow, stroke 6.hidden 7.pickaxe, chisel
O worker/labourer you are unaware of your own reality. The fate of the times is hidden in the stroke of your pickaxe.
kya shai1 hai teri zarbat2-e kaari3 ka karishma4
sad-paara5 haiN kuhsaar6 chaTTanauN7 ke jigar8 choor
aye teesha-e mazdoor1.thing 2.blow, stroke 3.of work 4.miracle 5.hundred pieces 6.hills 7.rocks, boulders 8.bosom/livers
What a miracle of your handiwork this thing (probably a dam) is. By the stroke of your pickaxe hills are shattered into a thousand pieces and the bosom of rocks pulverized.
naNgal1 ki chaTTaneN tere haathauN meN khilona
binhal2 tere saamne uftaad3 pe majboor4
aye teesha-e mazdoor1.naNgal mountain of bhakRa-naNgal dam 2.baa-nihal or banihal, mountain in kashmir 3.to fall 4.forced to
The hills Nangal are mere toys in your hands. Baa-nihal is forced to fall down before you, O pickaxe of the worker.
kahte haiN jise taj1 ki ta’ameer2-e daraKhshaaN3
hai us ke dar-o-baam4 pe taabinda5 tera noor6
aye teesha-e mazdoor1.taj mahal 2.building/structure 3.shining 4.door/wall and parapets 5.shining 6.light
The brilliant walls and parapets of the shining structure that we call taj but reflect your light O chisel of the artisan.
kya tujh se ellora ke ye har but1 nahiN kahta
haaN meri Khamoshi2 hai tere shor3 se ma’amoor4
aye teesha-e mazdoor1.idol 2.silence, silent story 3.sound 4.filled with
Does not every idol in Ellora tell you that its silent story is filled with the sound of your strokes.
patthar hoN ke darya hoN tere saamne aa kar
sub be-bas1 o majboor2 haiN sub Khasta3 o ranjoor4
aye teesha-e mazdoor 1.helpless 2.overpowered 3.tired, weak, fragile 4.infirm, painful
Be it rocks or rivers, confronted by you they become helpless, fragile and infirm, O pickaxe of the worker.
ye pahloo1-e kohsaar2 meN tarshe3 hue jaade4
jaade haiN ke mustaqbil5-e insaaN ke haiN dastoor6
aye teesha-e mazdoor 1.side 2.hills 3.carved 4.pathways 5.future 6.rules, ways
These pathways carved into the sides of hills. Are they mere roads or pathways to humanity’s future/fate.
aagah1 abhi apni haqeeqat2 se nahiN tu
Khud teri haqeeqat teri aaNkhauN se hai mastoor3
aye teesha-e mazdoor1.aware 2.reality 3.hidden
You are not yet aware of your own powers. Your own accomplishments are still hidden from you.
deroz1 teri kaavish2-e paiham3 se farozaaN4
farda5 tere anvaar6-e jahaaN-taab7 se pur-noor8
aye teesha-e mazdoor1.yesterday, past 2.effort 3.repeated, continuous 4.shining 5.future 6.light 7.shedding light on the world 8.lit up
The past shines as result of your long effort. The future of the world is full of brightness because of the light you shine on it.
tu apni haqeeqat ko jo paa le to nazar1 aaye
har zarra2-e aalam3 meN tajalli4-e sar5-e tuur6
aye teesha-e mazdoor1.sight 2.particle (of dust) 3.world, creation 4.brilliance 5.head, top 6.mount tuur
Legend is the Moses went on top of Mt. Toor asking to see god. He was a brilliance – a manifestation of god. This light is often used in urdu poetry as a metaphor for “divine light”. Thus, if you (O, worker) realize the real power that you have then we/you will be able to see that every particle of dust in the world carries divine light because of your work. Thus labour becomes divine.
aye teesha-e mazdoor – jagan nath azad
This appears to be quaint and romantic now but during early Nehruvian times it was romanticized and jagan nath azad appears to have been an active participant in that.
aye apni haqeeqat1 se bahut be-Khabar2 o duur
taqdeer3-e zamana4 hai teri zarb5 meN mastoor6
aye teesha7-e mazdoor
1.reality 2.unaware 3.fate 4.(present) times 5.blow, stroke 6.hidden 7.pickaxe, chisel
O worker/labourer you are unaware of your own reality. The fate of the times is hidden in the stroke of your pickaxe.
kya shai1 hai teri zarbat2-e kaari3 ka karishma4
sad-paara5 haiN kuhsaar6 chaTTanauN7 ke jigar8 choor
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.thing 2.blow, stroke 3.of work 4.miracle 5.hundred pieces 6.hills 7.rocks, boulders 8.bosom/livers
What a miracle of your handiwork this thing (probably a dam) is. By the stroke of your pickaxe hills are shattered into a thousand pieces and the bosom of rocks pulverised.
naNgal1 ki chaTTaneN tere haathauN meN khilona
binhal2 tere saamne uftaad3 pe majboor4
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.naNgal mountain of bhakRa-naNgal dam 2.baa-nihal or banihal, mountain in kashmir 3.to fall 4.forced to
The hills Nangal are mere toys in your hands. Baa-nihal is forced to fall down before you, O pickaxe of the worker.
kahte haiN jise taj1 ki ta’ameer2-e daraKhshaaN3
hai us ke dar-o-baam4 pe taabinda5 tera noor6
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.taj mahal 2.building/structure 3.shining 4.door/wall and parapets 5.shining 6.light
The brilliant walls and parapets of the shining structure that we call taj but reflect your light O chisel of the artisan.
kya tujh se ellora ke ye har but1 nahiN kahta
haaN meri Khamoshi2 hai tere shor3 se ma’amoor4
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.idol 2.silence, silent story 3.sound 4.filled with
Does not every idol in Ellora tell you that its silent story is filled with the sound of your strokes.
patthar hoN ke darya hoN tere saamne aa kar
sub be-bas1 o majboor2 haiN sub Khasta3 o ranjoor4
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.helpless 2.overpowered 3.tired, weak, fragile 4.infirm, painful
Be it rocks or rivers, confronted by you they become helpless, fragile and infirm, O pickaxe of the worker.
ye pahloo1-e kohsaar2 meN tarshe3 hue jaade4
jaade haiN ke mustaqbil5-e insaaN ke haiN dastoor6
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.side 2.hills 3.carved 4.pathways 5.future 6.rules, ways
These pathways carved into the sides of hills. Are they mere roads or pathways to humanity’s future/fate.
aagah1 abhi apni haqeeqat2 se nahiN tu
Khud teri haqeeqat teri aaNkhauN se hai mastoor3
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.aware 2.reality 3.hidden
You are not yet aware of your own powers. Your own accomplishments are still hidden from you.
deroz1 teri kaavish2-e paiham3 se farozaaN4
farda5 tere anvaar6-e jahaaN-taab7 se pur-noor8
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.yesterday, past 2.effort 3.repeated, continuous 4.shining 5.future 6.light 7.shedding light on the world 8.lit up
The past shines as result of your long effort. The future of the world is full of brightness because of the light you shine on it.
tu apni haqeeqat ko jo paa le to nazar1 aaye
har zarra2-e aalam3 meN tajalli4-e sar5-e tuur6
aye teesha-e mazdoor
1.sight 2.particle (of dust) 3.world, creation 4.brilliance 5.head, top 6.mount tuur
Legend is the Moses went on top of Mt. Toor asking to see god. He was a brilliance – a manifestation of god. This light is often used in urdu poetry as a metaphor for “divine light”. Thus, if you (O, worker) realize the real power that you have then we/you will be able to see that every particle of dust in the world carries divine light because of your work. Thus labour becomes divine.
