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 7

See Background tab for full introduction.  Click here for introduction to this concluding section.  Click on any passage for meanings and discussion. 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 to take it forward. See “Background tab” for a full introduction.

Khudi ke nigahbaaN¹ ko hai zahr-e naab²
vo naaN³ jis se jaati rahe uski aab⁴
vahi naaN hai us ke liye arjumand⁵
rahe jis se duniya meN gardan baland⁶  1.guardian 2.pure, unalloyed, strong 3.bread, sustenance 4.honor, respect 5.venerable, good 6.high, upright
The guardian/keeper of “Khudi” leads a self-reliant, self respecting life and does not accept sustenance which is not honourable – does not fawn to power. Only that sustenance is good for him which allows him to hold his head upright (does not bow).

far o faal¹-e mahmud² se dar guzar³
Khudi ko nigah⁴ rakh ayaazi⁵ na kar
vahi sijda⁶ hai laa’eq⁷-e ehtemaam⁸
ke ho jis se har sijda tujh par haraam⁹ 1.pomp and show 2.king 3.get past, leave it behind 4.keep in sight 5.slavery 6.worshipful slavery 7.deserving of 8.effort 9.forbidden
mahmud (emperor) and his slave ayaaz had a legendary relationship where the slave was utterly devoted to the master. In other places iqbal has used this as a metaphor for love of the divine. Here he uses it in a negative sense. Keep “Khudi” in your sight and don’t be an abject slave like ayaaz. Ignore the pomp and show of the powerful. Only that worship (of god) is worth the effort which makes all other worship forbidden.

ye aalam¹, ye haNgaama²-e raNg o saut³
ye aalam ke hai zer⁴-e farmaan⁵-e maut
ye aalam ye but-Khaana⁶-e chashm⁷ o gosh⁸
jahaaN zindagi hai faqat⁹ Khurd-o-nosh¹⁰  1.world 2.hustle bustle 3.colour and sound 4.under 5.edict, orders 6.house of idols 7.eye 8.ear 9.only 10.food and eating
The world is a hustle bustle of sound and colour i.e. activity. It is under a death sentence i.e. it is mortal. The world is a house of idols of eyes and ears i.e. that can be seen and heard i.e. this is but a material (as opposed to spiritual) world. In this world the only concern is food and eating.

Khudi ki ye hai manzil¹-e avvaliN²
musaafir³! ye tera nasheman⁴ nahiN
teri aag⁵ is KhaakdaaN⁶ se nahiN
jahaaN⁷ tujh se hai, tu jahaaN se nahiN1.destination, used here to mean a stage towards the destination 2.first 3.traveler 4.nest, home 5.fire 6.clay pot meaning earth 7.world
This world (of sight and sound, this material world of food and eating) is but the first stage towards your destination. O traveler (do not deceive yourselves), this is not your home. Your fire/passion is not of this world. This world is because of you, you are not of this world.

baRhe jaa ye koh¹-e garaaN² toR kar
tilasm³-e zamaan⁴ o makaaN⁵ toR kar
Khudi sher⁶-e maula⁷, jahaaN is ka saiyd⁸
zamiN is ki saiyd, aasmaaN is ka saiyd1.hills, mountains 2.heavy, difficult, high 3.illusion 4.time 5.place 6.lion of 7.the lord (god) 8.prey
Go forward, breaking these high mountains, breaking through this illusion of time and space. “Khudi” is the lion of god. This world is its (natural) prey, the earth and the sky are its prey.

jahaaN¹ aur bhi haiN abhi be-numood²
ke Khaali nahiN hai zamir³-e vujood⁴
har ek muntazir⁵ teri yalGhaar⁶ ka
teri shooKhi⁷-e fikr⁸ o kirdaar⁹ ka1.world(s) 2.without manifestation i.e. hidden 3.heart of 4.existence, creation 5.waiting 6.ambush 7.playfulness 8.thought, philosophy 9.character
Also see iqbal’s “sitaarauN ke aage jahaaN aur bhi haiN” and recall Ghalib’s manzar ek balandi par aur hum banaa lete arsh se udhar hota, kaash ke makaaN apna Says iqbal – there are many more undiscovered worlds. The heart of creation is not of nothing. Each world is waiting for your ambush (for you to discover it). It is waiting for the play of your thinking and of your action.

ye hai maqsad¹-e gardish²-e rozgaar³
ke teri Khudi tujh pe ho aashkaar⁴
tu hai faateh⁵-e aalam⁶-e Khoob-o-zisht⁷
tujhe kya bataauN teri sarnavisht⁸   1.purpose 2.circulation, rotation 3.day and night, earth 4.reveal 5.conquerer 6.world of 7.beautiful and ugly, good and bad 8.your story
This is the purpose of the movement/rotation of the earth – that the power of your “Khudi” be revealed to you. You are the conquerer of the world of good and evil. How can I tell you your own story.

haqiqat¹ pe hai jaama²-e harf³ taNg⁴
haqiqat hai aiina⁵ guftaar⁶ zaNg⁷
farozaaN⁸ hai seene meN shama’ nafas⁹
magar taab¹⁰-e guftaar⁶ kahti hai bas¹¹   1.reality 2.garment 3.words 4.tight, ill fitting 5.mirror 6.speech, words 7.rust 8.luminous 9.breath 10.weight, difficulty 11.enough
Words are but an ill fitting garment on truth. Truth is like a shining mirror and words mere rust. Although the lamp of breath still shines in my breast, the difficulty of speech tells me to stop.

agar yak sar-e moo-e bartar param
faroGh-e tajalli ba-sozad paramIf I fly even one hair breadth beyond this stage, my wings will be burnt by the increasing brilliance (of Truth).