گدائي
English title: MENDICANCY
مے کدے ميں ايک دن اک رند زيرک نے کہاہے ہمارے شہر کا والي گدائے بے حيا
A witty man in a tavern spoke with a tongue untamed: ‘The ruler of our state is a beggar unashamed;
تاج پہنايا ہے کس کي بے کلاہي نے اسےکس کي عرياني نے بخشي ہے اسے زريں قبا
How many go bare-headed to deck him with a crown? How many go naked to supply his golden gown?
اس کے آب لالہ گوں کي خون دہقاں سے کشيدتيرے ميرے کھيت کي مٹي ہے اس کي کيميا
The blood of the poor turns into his red wine; and they starve so that he may in luxury dine.
اس کے نعمت خانے کي ہر چيز ہے مانگي ہوئيدينے والا کون ہے ، مرد غريب و بے نوا
The epicure’s table is loaded with delights, stolen from the needy, stripped of all their rights.
مانگنے والا گدا ہے ، صدقہ مانگے يا خراج!کوئي مانے يا نہ مانے ، ميرو سلطاں سب گدا
He is a beggar who begs money, be it large or small, Kings with royal pomp and pride, in fact, are beggars all.’
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Bal-e-Jibril — گدائي — Digital transcription file at commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the source dataset does not identify the underlying print edition.Verified against this pinned digital transcription file; not checked against a print edition.Source
- Iqbal Demystified source list: Bal-e-Jibril — Pinned digital dataset commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the underlying print edition is not identified by the dataset.Community dataset list; not reconciled against a print edition.Source
- Bal-e-Jibril English translation at allama-iqbal.com — Mendicancy — Public digital poem page, retrieved 2026-10-06; pinned to allama-iqbal.com commit 82547635bb6b758c45082084b2f152fc453a8056.Translation by Naim Siddiqui; English Translation by: Naim SiddiquiSource