khaliq ne jab azal main banaya clerk ko
lauh o qalam ka jalwa dikhaya clerk ko
kursi pe phir uthaya bithaya clerk ko
afsar ke sath pin se lagaya clerk ko
miti gadhe ki dal kar us ki sarisht mein
dakhil mashaqqaton ko kiya sarnawisht mein
chaprasi sath khuld mein jab le gaya use
huron ne kuchh mazaq kiye kuchh malak hanse
hatif ki dafatan ye sada aai ghaib se
dekho ise jo dida-e-ibrat-nigah hai
aadam ka rough-draft hai kab tak hansoge tum
approwe ho kar aaya to sajda karoge tum
jannat mein filen hain na hai koi diary
huren to jaanti hain faqat tarz-e-dilbari
ghilman se kuchh kaho to sunae khari khari
ye intizam hai ye discipline hai daftari
main sochta hun kya karun aisi bahisht ko
tedha laga hai qat qalam-e-sarnawisht ko
khuld-e-barin ko naz tha apne makin par
aur ye bhi the mite hue ek hur-e-in par
lalach ki mohr kanda thi dil ke nagin par
t-a wasul karne ko utra zamin par
iblis raste mein mila kuchh sikha diya
utra falak se third mein inter likha diya
rakkha qadam clerk ne jis dam zamin par
dekha har ek chiz hai qudrat ke din par
bola ki main to zinda rahunga routine par
mujh par machine hogi main hunga machine par
is aahani sanam ki ibaadat hai mujh pe farz
naukar hun baadshah ka jita hun le ke qarz
ai secretariat ki imarat zara bata
us waqt jabki jate hain afsar bhi baukhla
hota hai kaun kashti-e-file ka nakhuda
afsar nahin hain is ki haqiqat se aashna
par hum ye jaante hain ki insan hain clerk
dariya-e-red-tape ka tufan hain clerk