Mazdoor

tu qadir o aadil hai magar tere jahan mein hain talkh bahut banda-e-mazdur ke auqat allama iqbal addresses god with reverence but also a sharp question: if divine power and justice are true, why is a laborer’s life so harsh. the “bitter hours” symbolize relentless hardship, exploitation, and a life drained by toil. the couplet holds faith and protest together, turning suffering into a moral challenge to the world’s order.

so jate hain footpath pe akhbar bichha kar mazdur kabhi nind ki goli nahin khate

farishte aa kar un ke jism par khushbu lagate hain wo bachche rail ke dibbon mein jo jhadu lagate hain

kuchal kuchal ke na foot-path ko chalo itna yahan pe raat ko mazdur khwab dekhte hain

shahr mein mazdur jaisa dar-ba-dar koi nahin jis ne sab ke ghar banae us ka ghar koi nahin

aane wale jaane wale har zamane ke liye aadmi mazdur hai rahen banane ke liye

nind aaegi bhala kaise use sham ke baad rotiyan bhi na mayassar hon jise kaam ke baad

bojh uthana shauq kahan hai majburi ka sauda hai rahte rahte station par log quli ho jate hain

mehnat kar ke hum to aakhir bhuke bhi so jaenge ya maula tu barkat rakhna bachchon ki gud-dhani mein

tamir-o-taraqqi wale hain kahiye bhi to un ko kya kahiye jo shish-mahal mein baithe hue mazdur ki baaten karte hain

hone do charaghan mahlon mein kya hum ko agar diwali hai mazdur hain hum mazdur hain hum mazdur ki duniya kali hai

logon ne aaram kiya aur chhutti puri ki yakum may ko bhi mazduron ne mazduri ki

ped ke niche zara si chhanw jo us ko mili so gaya mazdur tan par boriya odhe hue

mill malik ke kutte bhi charbile hain lekin mazduron ke chehre pile hain

main ne 'anwar' is liye bandhi kalai par ghadi waqt puchhenge kai mazdur bhi raste ke bich

teri tabish se raushan hain gul bhi aur virane bhi kya tu bhi is hansti-gati duniya ka mazdur hai chand?

pasina meri mehnat ka mere mathe pe raushan tha chamak lal-o-jawahar ki meri thokar pe rakkhi thi

ab un ki khwab-gahon mein koi aawaz mat karna bahut thak-haar kar footpath par mazdur soe hain

zindagi ab is qadar saffak ho jaegi kya bhuk hi mazdur ki khurak ho jaegi kya

bulate hain hamein mehnat-kashon ke hath ke chhaale chalo muhtaj ke munh mein niwala rakh diya jae

gharibon par to mausam bhi hukumat karte rahte hain kabhi barish kabhi garmi kabhi thandak ka qabza hai

daulat ka falak tod ke aalam ki jabin par mazdur ki qismat ke sitare nikal aae

main ek mazdur hun roti ki khatir bojh uthata hun meri qismat hai bar-e-hukmarani pusht par rakhna

khun mazdur ka milta jo na tamiron mein na haweli na mahal aur na koi ghar hota

hum hain mazdur hamein kaun sahaara dega hum to mit kar bhi sahaara nahin manga karte

saron pe odh ke mazdur dhup ki chadar khud apne sar pe use saeban samajhne lage

main ki ek mehnat-kash main ki tirgi-dushman subh-e-nau ibarat hai mere muskurane se

inhi hairat-zada aankhon se dekhe hain wo aansu bhi jo aksar dhup mein mehnat ki peshani se dhalte hain

teri zamin pe karta raha hun mazduri hai sukhne ko pasina muawza hai kahan

aaj bhi 'sipra' us ki khushbu mill malik le jata hai main lohe ki naf se paida jo kasturi karta hun