اگرچہ زیب سرش افسرو کلاہی نیست

اگرچہ زیب سرش افسر و کلاہی نیستگدای کوی تو کمتر ز پادشاہی نیست

Although he does not wear a crown or diadem, the beggar in Your street is no less than a king.

بخواب رفتہ جوانان و مردہ دل پیراننصیب سینۂ کس آہ صبحگاہی نیست

The young are sleeping, while the old are dead of heart. There is nobody in whose lot are morning sighs.

بہ این بہانہ بدشت طلب ز پا منشینکہ در زمانۂ ما آشنای راہی نیست

Do not sit down on seekings road on this pretext that in our age there is no one who knows the path.

ز وقت خویش چہ غافل نشستہ ئی دریابزمانہ ئی کہ حسابش ز سال و ماہی نیست

How unconcerned you are about your time! Learn of a time incalculable in terms of months and years.

درین رباط کہن چشم عافیت داریترا بہ کشمکش زندگی نگاہی نیست

In this old inn you look for peace! It seems that you do not know of the struggle for existence.

گناہ ما چہ نویسند کاتبان عملنصیب ما ز جہان تو جز نگاہی نیست

What can the angel-scribes record about our sins? For our lot in Your world was nothing but spectator-ship.

بیا کہ دامن اقبال را بدست آریمکہ او ز خرقہ فروشان خانقاہی نیست

Come; let us catch hold of the skirt of Iqbal’s robe, for he is not one of those men who go about in patched-up dresses at saints’ shrines.