بندگی نامہ

گفت با یزدان مہ گیتی فروزتاب من شب را کند مانند روز

Moon that illuminates earth submitted to Allah; my light turns the night into day.

یاد ایامی کہ بی لیل و نہارخفتہ بودم در ضمیر روزگار

I remember the time when there was no night or day; I was deep asleep in the conscience of time.

کوکبے اندر سواد من نبودگردشے اندر نہاد من نبود

There was no star in my attendence; revolutionary movement was not in my nature.

نے ز نورم دشت و در آئینہ پوشنے بہ دریا از جمال من خروش

When desert and human abode was not lit by my light; oceans had no restlessness (tides) because of (the attraction of my megnatic) beauty.

آہ زین نیرنگ و افسون وجودواے زین تابانی و ذوق نمود

Alas! This was changed by the magic spell of being; I regret my brightness and urge for manifestation.

تافتن از آفتاب آموختمخاکدانی مردہ ئی افروختم

I learnt shining from the Sun; and lightened the dead Earth.

خاکدانی با فروغ و بی فراغچہرۂ او از غلامی داغ داغ

Earth is lit (by me) but it has no joy or solace; its face has pimples of slavery.

آدم او صورت ماہی بہ شستآدمی یزدان کشی آدم پرست

Everyone on earth has a hook stuck in his throat like a fish; mankind has forgotten God and worships human beings.

تا اسیر آب و گل کردی مرااز طواف او خجل کردی مرا

By bounding me to soil and water, made me ashamed of revolving around it.

این جہان از نور جان آگاہ نیستاین جہان شایان مہر و ماہ نیست

This world is not aware of the light of the soul; it does not deserve Sun and Moon.

در فضاے نیلگون او را بہلرشتۂ ما نوریان از وے گسل

Push this Earth into blue sky; cut its link with celestial beings like us.

یا مرا از خدمت او واگذاریا ز خاکش آدم دیگر بیار

Either relieve me (of duty) of serving it; or create a new Adam out of its soil.

چشم بیدارم کبود و کور بہاے خدا این خاکدان بی نور بہ

My eye was better blind and lightless; leave this earthly abode without my light.

از غلامی دل بمیرد در بدناز غلامی روح گردد بار تن

In servitude heart dies inside the body; the soul becomes burden for the body.

از غلامی ضعف پیری در شباباز غلامی شیر غاب افکندہ ناب

Slavery renders the young weak like the old; in slavery the (fiercefully young) lion sheds his teeth.

از غلامی بزم ملت فرد فرداین و آن با این و آن اندر نبرد

In slavery a nation is fragmented; and its individuals fight with each other.

آن یکی اندر سجود این در قیامکاروبارش چون صلوة بی امام

One group prostrates and the other stands up; life is like praying without prayer leader.

در فتد ھر فرد با فردی دگرہر زمان ہر فرد را دردی دگر

Everyone quarrels with other; everyone complains of some problem all the time.

از غلامی مرد حق زنار بنداز غلامی گوہرش ناارجمند

In slavery the man of God becomes idol worshiper; slavery turns his precious potentialities worthless.

شاخ او بی مہرگان عریان ز برگنیست اندر جان او جز بیم مرگ

Branches of his tree shed leaves without (autumn); he has no life as he is afraid of death every moment.

کور ذوق و نیش را دانستہ نوشمردہ ئی بی مرگ و نعش خود بدوش

He becomes so clueless that he takes poison as honey; dead without death and carrying his dead body on his shoulders.

آبروے زندگی در باختہچون خران با کاہ و جو در ساختہ

He has lost the dignity of life; like a donkey he is satisfied with hay and barley.

ممکنش بنگر محال او نگررفت و بود ماہ و سال او نگر

Observe his possible and impossible; watch his sense of time (and space).

روزھا در ماتم یکدیگرنددر خرام از ریگ ساعت کمترند

His days mourn each other (in state of perpetual mourning); speed of his movement (endeavour) is slower than sand-clock.

شورہ بوم از نیش کژدم خار خارمور او اژدر گز و عقرب شکار

The soil of which has turned like thorns (brackish) because of stinging by scorpions; where ants hunt dragons and prey scorpions.

صرصر او آتش دوزخ نژادزورق ابلیس را باد مراد

Its wind has heat of Hell; that acts as tail wind only for Devil’s barge.

آتشے اندر ہوا غلطیدہ ئیشعلہ ئی در شعلہ ئی پیچیدہ ئی

There is fire in its swirling wind; flames flare up, intermingle and multiply.

آتشے از دود پیچان تلخ پوشآتشے تندر غو و دریا خروش

Fire that has grown bitter due to its swirling smoke, the fire which roars like thunder and rages like (rough) sea.

در کنارش مارہا اندر ستیزمارہا با کفچہ ہای زھر ریز

On its banks poisonous snakes fight each other like cobras with their hoods full of poison.

شعلہ اش گیرندہ چون کلب عقورہولناک و زندہ سوز و مردہ نور

Its flames pounce like a dog that bites; extremely frightening, burn them alive and extinguish the light of their life.

در چنین دشت بلا صد روزگارخوشتر از محکومی یک دم شمار

Spending centuries in such horrifying desert is better than a moment of slavery.
In these introductory lines (verses) Allamah has enumerated a long list of slavery-related curses that exist in this world; as observed and described by moon; the nearest celestial body to the planet Earth. The beauty of this description lies in the last of the thirty-one verses wherein he says that living in such horrifying world for centuries is better than a moment spent in slavery۔
It is because of the fact that slavery is one-word for a long list of afflictions to which human beings could be subjected, e.g. inequalities, injustice, discrimination, exploitation, cruelties, brutalities and so on. The ugliest aspect of this is that all these happen to human beings at the hands of fellow human beings.
This is two-way denial of human dignity. On one hand those human beings who enslave others try to trespass the exclusive domain of the God, and on the other, those who submit to servitude (slavery) are guilty of not believing in the capabilities bestowed upon the best of the creations of the Creator.