Banjaranama

The Banjaranama (بنجارانامہ, बंजारानामा, Chronicle of the Nomad) is a famous satirical Urdu poem, written by the eighteenth-century sub-continental poet Nazeer Akbarabadi. The poem's essential message is that pride in worldly success is foolish, because human circumstances can change in a flash, material wealth and splendor is always transient, and death is the only certainty for all men. The poem quickly captured the popular imagination, and achieved fame in the Indian subcontinent that has lasted for over two centuries. Critics have observed that, despite the deliberate simplicity of its language, the poem's idioms and imagery were dazzling in their span, and portrayed lives of wealth and power as ultimately subject to a nomad's whims (an allusion to death). The poem continues to be hailed as distilling "the teachings of thousands of years into one summary form."

All verses in the poem end on the same refrain: Sab thaath para reh javega, Jab laad chalega banjara (All your splendor will lie useless, when the nomad packs-up and leaves). By itself, the refrain is frequently used in popular culture as a reminder that death is the "great leveler" and it is short-sighted to sacrifice conscience to greed. The refrain is sometimes used in political and parliamentary speeches in India as well.

گر تو ہے لکھی بنجارہ اور کھیپ بھی تیری بھاری ہے
اے غافل تجھ سے بھی چڑهتا اک اور بڑا بیوپاری ہے
کیا شکر مصری قند گری کیا سانبھر میٹھا کھاری ہے
کیا داکھ منقا سونٹھ مرچ کیا کیسر لونگ سپاری ہے
سب ٹھاٹھ پڑا رہ جاویگا جب لاد چلے گا بنجارہ

गर तू है लक्खी बंजारा और खेप भी तेरी भारी है
ऐ ग़ाफ़िल तुझसे भी चढ़ता इक और बड़ा ब्योपारी है
क्या शक्कर मिसरी क़ंद गरी, क्या सांभर मीठा-खारी है
क्या दाख मुनक़्क़ा सोंठ मिरच, क्या केसर लौंग सुपारी है
सब ठाठ पड़ा रह जावेगा जब लाद चलेगा बंजारा

If you are a millionaire, and your stores are brimming,
Know, O ignorant! There is always another merchant who is even greater than you.
What of your sugar, candy, jaggery and nuts? What of your doughs, sweet and salty?
What of your grapes, raisins, ginger and pepper? What of your saffron, cloves and betel?
All your splendor will lie useless, when the nomad packs-up and leaves.

...
Wikipedia