saaqi naama – mohammed iqbal
Introduction

saaqi naama is one of iqbal’s more celebrated urdu compositions.  It is composed in seven distinct sections strung together as a longer thematic nazm.  It is linguistically beautiful and powerful and presents an intertwined composition of disparate strains including a call for rejuvenation of the ummah, a call for restoring the old glory of islam, political observations about colonialism, sufi concepts of universal love and iqbal’s own development of “Khudi”.  “Khudi” as proposed by iqbal is an amorphous mixture of sense of self, pride, self-reliance, self-respect and ego.  It is iqbal’s concept of the “ideal man” and has echoes of Nietzshe’s “Superman” although iqbal explicitly rejects Nietzshe’s atheism.  The “saaqi” in saaqi naama is god to whom iqbal addresses an appeal.  “saaqi naama” is a well established sub-genre of farsi and urdu poetry – there are long compositions of the same title by hafiz and zuhuri.  Very short introductions to each of the seven sections is given below.

Section 1 – Preamble

The preamble describes the beauty of spring and the throbbing energy of new life, calling upon the “saaqi” (the divine) to reveal secrets/mysteries of divinity.  It is supposed to set the stage for a spring like awakening or re-birth in Islam.

Section 2 – Decay under Colonialism

In this section iqbal observes the many changes taking place in the world as people throw off the yoke of colonialism.  At this stage iqbal is still enamoured with the Russian Revolution and speaks highly of that change as well as of Chinese rising up against British Colonization (Opium Wars).  He laments that every community is waking up but the Muslim is still somnambulant.

Section 3 – Restoration

In the preamble iqbal starts with the idea of spring as a metaphor for renewal.  But this metaphor does not lead to a call for reformation but rather to a call for restoration of an imagined ancient glory.  He gives up on the older generation and hopes that the younger generation will be an improvement.  He makes an impassioned plea to the “saaqi” to endow the younger generation with the same passion (divine love akin to Sufism) that drives him.

Section 4 – vahdat-al-vujood

What drives iqbal is the concept of one-ness of all – the creator and creation.  This sufi concept of “vahdat-al-vujood” akin to the Vedic concept of “advaita” is described in a few beautiful asha’ar which also bring out “apparent” contradictions of multiplicity of manifestations of the same spirit, therefore not a contradiction.

Section 5 – manzil

Life is not defined as reaching a “manzil – destination”, says iqbal but as a constant movement, constant struggle.  Life likes the struggle/process more than the destination.  It is this struggle that overcomes death and rejuvenates itself.

Section 6 – Khudi

iqbal defines “Khudi” in linguistically beautiful terms as a combination of almost super-human qualities of self-reliance and individuality.  The underpinning is to call on youth to acquire “Khudi”.  “Khudi” is one with the “divine spirit” going back to the concept of vahdat-al-vujood.

Section 7 – The Message

The concluding section is largely a further definition of “Khudi” combined with a call to action.  “Khudi” does not bow to power.  Basic sustenance is but the first stage of “Khudi” and there are many worlds beyond this waiting for your onslaught, waiting to be conquered.  Says iqbal, “there is much more in my heart, but if I fly beyond this, my wings will be singed”.  It is up to you, O reader, to take it forward.

saaqi naama – mohammed iqbal
Section 6

Click here for comments on this Section.  Click on any passage for meanings and discussion.  See Background tab for a full introduction. iqbal defines “Khudi” in linguistically beautiful terms as a combination of almost super-human qualities of self-reliance and individuality. The underpinning is to call on youth to acquire “Khudi”. “Khudi” is one with the “divine spirit” going back to the concept of vahdat-al-vujood. See “Background tab” for a full introduction.

ye mauj¹-e nafas² kya hai talwaar hai
Khudi³ kya hai talwaar ki dhaar⁴ hai
Khudi kya hai raaz⁵-e daroon⁶-e hayaat⁷
Khudi kya hai bedaari⁸-e kaa’enaat⁹  1.wave/gust of 2.breath 3.combination of self-respect, self-reliance 4.sharp edge 5.secret 6.inside 7.life 8.awakening 6.universe
If human breath were like a sword then the sense of self is like the sharp edge of the sword. Without the sharp edge the sword is devoid of its essential quality. Without a sense of self breath/life is devoid of its essential quality. What is self-hood except the inner secret of life. It is the awakening of the Universe.

Khudi jalwa-badmast¹ o Khilwat² pasand
samandar hai ek boond pani meN bund
andhere ujaale meN hai taabnaak³
man o tu⁴ meN paida man o tu se paak⁵  1.intoxicated with manifestation i.e. desires to display itself 2.solitude, seclusion 3.shining 4.I and you 5.unblemished
“Khudi” desires to manifest/display itself and yet is fond of seclusion/solitude. It is as if the whole ocean is captured in a single drop. It shines bright in darkness as well as in light. It is born of “you and I” but is unblemished by material existence.

azal¹ is ke peechhe abad² saamne
na had³ is ke peechhe na had saamne
zamaane⁴ ke darya meN bahti hui
sitam⁵ is ki maujauN ke sahti⁶ hui1.eternity without beginning 2.eternity without end 3.limit, boundary 4.times, period 5.tyranny, cruelty 6.bearing
“Khudi” is eternal with no beginning and no end, with no boundaries behind it, none ahead. Flowing in the river of times, bearing the tyrannies of life.

tajassus¹ ki raaheN² badalti hui
damaadam³ nigaaheN badalti hui
subuk⁴ is ke haathauN meN saNg⁵-e garaaN⁶
pahaaR is ki zarbauN⁷ se reg-e ravaaN⁸  1.curiousity, search 2.pathways, methods 3.moment by moment 4.light 5.rock 6.heavy 7.blows 8.shifting/flowing sand dunes
It keeps trying different pathways in its search (until it finds the right one). Every moment it keeps changing its gaze (looking for alternatives). Even heavy rocks (difficult problems) become light (easy) in its hands. Editorial Comment: iqbal lauds change, looking for alternatives here but in other places he is firm on conviction and faith (without change). Even inquiry (azaadi-e afkaar is forbidden).

safar¹ is ka anjaam² o aaGhaaz³ hai
yahi is ki taqveem⁴ ka raaz⁵ hai
kiran chaand meN hai sharar saNg meN
ye be-raNg⁶ hai Doob kar raNg meN1.travel, search 2.end 3.beginning 4.calendar-used to mean flow of time, progress 5.secret 6.immaterial (raNg is used here in the sense of raNg o bu – senses).
From beginning to end it (Khudi) is a continuing search. That is the secret of its progress. It is the ray of light of the moon and the spark hidden in rock i.e. it is within material things (like the moon and rock) but is itself immaterial (like a ray and spark). We can only see it through its manifestations.

ise vaasta¹ kya kam o besh² se
nasheb o faraaz³ o pas o pesh⁴ se
azal⁶ se hai ye kashmakash⁷ meN asiir⁸
hui Khaak⁹-e aadam meN surat-paziir¹⁰  1.association 2.more or less 3.ups and downs 4.forward and backward, fore and aft 6.beginning 7.struggle 8.imprioned 9.clay of 10.take form, manifest itself
It (Khudi) has no association with more or less, ups and downs, fore and aft, in other words no association with trivialities of daily life. From the beginning it has been struggling/yearning and finally manifested itself as the clay of Adam – human being.

Khudi ka nasheman¹ tere dil meN hai
falak² jis tarah aaNkh ke til³ meN hai1.nest, home 2.skies 3.eyeball
Khudi makes a home in your heart (even though it is much bigger than the heart), just like all the sky is reflected in the eyeball (even though it is also bigger than the eye).